I took a look at the head and eye assembly and it's not set up for something like an optical fiber. The eye is a solid piece of plastic, so setting an optical fiber wouldn't do anything.
That's what I'm wondering. I've seen LED kits, for the lack of a better term, designed specifically for Gundam models, but I don't if it will fit in my specific kit; that's what I'm trying to figure. I think that my kit would look really cool having a light up eye, but I don't want to spend the money on one of these LEDs made for Gundam kits only to find out it won't fit in my mine or it's too complicated for me.
The instructions will tell you if it's designed for the LED unit, and failing that you'll see a round hole in the middle of the head where the unit goes if it's meant to accept one. If it's not meant for one, then you can wire up a simple LED light circuit with a battery pack, switch, and LED somewhere in the kit. They make battery holders for small batteries, and those can be wired up easily to an LED.
I watched some videos on the subject and one mentioned a site called Evan Designs that sells all kinds of small LEDs and kits, including ones that'll work for a Gundam kit. Unfortunately, they don't specify which ones exactly will work for which kit and at what scale, so it's going to take me a bit more research to figure that out, as well as whether it's idiot proof for me to do since I'm a complete newb when it comes to DIY electronics.
evandesigns.com
evandesigns.com
evandesigns.com
Thanks for the suggestions, that's exactly what I was looking for. In order to make the LED look more lens like, I might order a small crystal to put at the front of the eye with the LED behind it, that should give it a proper lens like appearance. I'll cross that bridge once I come to it since I haven't even started the model yet, just planning ahead. Right now, I'm working on another Gundam kit that I've had for a while as practice for the Zaku since I haven't build a proper model in ages and wanted something not quite as nice before I try my hand at a much nicer kit.Evans Designs has some great stuff. They have pre-wired LEDs which you can hook directly up to a battery
If you wanted to hide that in the kit, I would probably go with the 3 volt option as you can use those small flat round "watch" batteries
Going with the size of the kit I would probably use something like this
Possibly the pico
Chip Nano Pico and Z LEDs
Explore our collection of micro LEDs, including Pico, Nano, and Chip LED lights. Looking to brighten up your model project? We have the very best and brightest
The wires are super thin and you should easily be able to find room and bend/position as needed
And the holder for a 3 volt cr2032. Has an option to add an on/off switch also
3 Volt Coin Cell Holder
Our 3-volt cr2032 battery holder and switch is a compact way to bring power to your 3-volt LED lights and brighten up your project. Shop online today at Evan Designs
The only possible downside is if you are looking for a rounded edge to appear like a lens Those LEDS are flat, but they are plenty bright despite being small
You could possibly try one of these
Solid LEDs for 5 to 12 volt Battery or Regulated Adapter
12volt LED lights for modeling project, top-quality, affordable. Elevate your models with radiant illumination. Ideal for various DC-powered hobby applications.
However, I think the 3mm would be too big and bright, the 1.8 mm might be ok, but you may have a hard time bending the resistor/connector part in the black shrink tubing to the angle needed in the head.
You could wire you own and put a resistor further down though
Here's a pretty simple diagram for how to hook up an LED to a battery:
