Fiber optics dudes...li'l help?

Mr Walker

Active Member
Just after some advice... I'm having a think about tackling a model that involves some lighting work, and just want to know how much tolerance (if any) you leave for your lighting holes.

Say if I use 0.5mm fiber optic, do you use a 0.5mm drill bit, or 0.55, or even 0.6? 0.25mm cable, drill bit 0.30? 0.35?

How much leeway should you allow for?
 
"Say if I use 0.5mm fiber optic, do you use a 0.5mm drill bit"

a nice snug fit is best :)

exactly, the more playroom you have the more out of line they will be, even if you don't really see it putting everything together. This is very visible if you have them inline.

Just in case you havent already thought of it, make sure you consider your model's scale when choosing your fiber optic size.
 
Let me drop another question in here.
Where do you guys usually get your FO from?

I'm in the middle of nowhere so it has to be someplace on line.
 
Next question, how many fibres can you put into 1 bundle for an LED. And do you have a rough gauge on how big a fibre strand to use for each model scale?
 
I am not sure of the gauge exactly that I bought. At first I bought thicker fiber cause I could not find small enough drill bits. But then I ran into bending problems so that is something to consider like running to the cockpit and trying to bend to mount to the led can be challenging if you have thick fiber.
I find that working with the small thin strands are best. I also had problems that even the smallest dremel collet I could find would not hold the bits.. ordered a pin vise on ebay and it seems to work great. You could fit a lot of small strands on one LED but keep in mind that super glue will melt the fiber. I use elmers white glue, they sell it everywhere and its cheap..
The fiber optic store will send you a sample when you buy from them. I hope this helps depending on what you are lighting shrink wrap can not only help with keeping the fiber against the light and blocking excess light..

Hope this info helps..
 
I also bought from Fiberoptics.com and have not had any problems at all. I just updated my thread with a picture of the Galactica bridge after adding 0.25 mm fiber optics. I would have liked to go even smaller but as youngwm mentioned I cannot find a bit small enough for that. In my picture you can see that the ends of the FO are rounded up, I did this with a lighter so that they do not slide out of the holes until I have them glued.
just a tip, cut them a little longer than you need and don't try to save in this point. Nothing is worse than haveing everything finished and finding out that one FO strand is a centimeter too short.
 
Just tried something out, remember everyone telling you CA a.k.a. super glue is bad for fiber optics? well I am sorry to say they were right... BUT believe it or not, casting resin around it does not seem to hurt it. Do this at your own risk, it worked for me but you should test this first with your brand of resin to make sure it works.
Check out my Galactica thread (Link in my signature) for more details.
Resin: 3 minute resin
Fiber optic: 0.25mm
Here a lighting test...

Fiberoptic-Resin.jpg
 
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First off, DO NOT use CA glues for your fibers!!! It will crystalize on them and ruin them!!! I use a black silicone cement, specifially Permatex #82180. DO NOT USE ANY SILICONE CEMENT WITH METHYL KEYTONE IN IT!!!! It too will melt the hell out of your fibers!!!! Many of these silicone adhesives/gasket makers contain methyl keytone, so read the ingredients!! That said...

Paul at www.thefiberopticstore.com is a Saint. I have had nothing but above excellent service from him for the past few years, top-notch service in every respect. I highly recommend buying an assortment of fiber material if you are seriously interested in lighting your models. I use a minimal amount of the .25mm, it's just so fine you don't see a lot of affect from it. The .50 and .75 I use a lot, and a fair amount of 1.0. They are much more noticeable on your builds.

Take your time, the effort is well worth it in the end. You can view a LOT of my illuminated work here: www.ratdaddystudios.com Be sure to take a look in the Jupiter 2 Gallery, as well as the other space models, particularly the Star Wars Destroyer. Mega-fibers!! Good luck with your work!
 
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