Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build - FINAL p.20!
ThreeFN
Member
Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build
Sorry, no. I'm being rather deliberate with that blog (chronicling the evolution of the project) so there isn't much on the current state of affairs (yet). I have my 'garbage collection' pictures account on Photobucket that have a wide selection of my project images if that will satiate your appetite.
I will get around to making my own thread here (and not jacking Volpin's or Rabid Irish's) at some point in the near future.
Sorry, no. I'm being rather deliberate with that blog (chronicling the evolution of the project) so there isn't much on the current state of affairs (yet). I have my 'garbage collection' pictures account on Photobucket that have a wide selection of my project images if that will satiate your appetite.
I will get around to making my own thread here (and not jacking Volpin's or Rabid Irish's) at some point in the near future.
Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build
Ok, using solder flux is definitely the way to go. Solder transfers to the pin nearly instantly and the LED suffers hardly any heat at all.
I took 3FN's advice on the lead bending and decided that flat across the LED may be a bad idea. Instead, I built this jig:
Looks amateur-hour, but it works! This positions the LED in the exact alignment every time and makes sure the leads are bent at a 45º angle to the axis of the pins. That last part is important for running traces so they don't intersect. I also added cut points so the leads could be snipped to their desired length. Then I repeated this 240 times. The remaining 80 LEDs are split into two groups of 40 - one with just the cathode bent and one with just the anode. These will be the last row and last column of the grid, and will need different connections as a result.
I'm getting longwinded. More pics.
I also made another jig to solder the LED columns. Just some square stock aluminum I had laying around. I'll also be using this to paint the backside of the LEDs once I get to that step. This makes things a lot easier than trying to cram my soldering iron into the subvisor for every connection.
One finished column. I finished 12 of these last night. 15% done!
A view of one 8x8 grid from the outside and inside. Its not a great test, but from what I can tell, visibility is actually pretty good! (the yellow coloration on a couple of the LEDs is just some flux overflow I need to scrape off with an exacto)
More soldering coming up. Hoping to have the array done and wired to the MAX chips for a test by this weekend.
Ok, using solder flux is definitely the way to go. Solder transfers to the pin nearly instantly and the LED suffers hardly any heat at all.
I took 3FN's advice on the lead bending and decided that flat across the LED may be a bad idea. Instead, I built this jig:
Looks amateur-hour, but it works! This positions the LED in the exact alignment every time and makes sure the leads are bent at a 45º angle to the axis of the pins. That last part is important for running traces so they don't intersect. I also added cut points so the leads could be snipped to their desired length. Then I repeated this 240 times. The remaining 80 LEDs are split into two groups of 40 - one with just the cathode bent and one with just the anode. These will be the last row and last column of the grid, and will need different connections as a result.
I'm getting longwinded. More pics.
I also made another jig to solder the LED columns. Just some square stock aluminum I had laying around. I'll also be using this to paint the backside of the LEDs once I get to that step. This makes things a lot easier than trying to cram my soldering iron into the subvisor for every connection.
One finished column. I finished 12 of these last night. 15% done!
A view of one 8x8 grid from the outside and inside. Its not a great test, but from what I can tell, visibility is actually pretty good! (the yellow coloration on a couple of the LEDs is just some flux overflow I need to scrape off with an exacto)
More soldering coming up. Hoping to have the array done and wired to the MAX chips for a test by this weekend.
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ThreeFN
Member
Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build
Man, I would have KILLED to be able to use a jig on my soldering, but with the curvature and all, there was no way it wasn't going to be a bit-by-bit soldering job.
Any problems with the shakes and/or muscle fatigue? I just finished up my last two columns this morning and it was downright excruciating given how twitchy and spazzy I was (and I'm just reffering to my muscle control :rolleyes).
Something else to remember:
Flux is a tad corrosive (its purpose is after-all to remove corrosion from contacts and help the solder bond) So it's typically a good idea to wash it off with alcohol once you're done. It probably won't eat your sub-visor but it might discolor/cloud it. It might also prevent paint from adhering properly.
Man, I would have KILLED to be able to use a jig on my soldering, but with the curvature and all, there was no way it wasn't going to be a bit-by-bit soldering job.
Any problems with the shakes and/or muscle fatigue? I just finished up my last two columns this morning and it was downright excruciating given how twitchy and spazzy I was (and I'm just reffering to my muscle control :rolleyes).
Something else to remember:
Flux is a tad corrosive (its purpose is after-all to remove corrosion from contacts and help the solder bond) So it's typically a good idea to wash it off with alcohol once you're done. It probably won't eat your sub-visor but it might discolor/cloud it. It might also prevent paint from adhering properly.
Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build
yeah, I'm lucky that my subvisor is only a simple curve, so I can essentially do half of the work without having to be worried about space constraints. It would be my guess that is mostly the reason for the twitchiness - you have to be so cautious with your iron not to touch any leads that you're tensing up because of it. I'll probably get that way once I start putting things together in the helmet, but for now its actually pretty calming. Then again, I only did 12 sets before calling it a night at 1am. Maybe when I try to do the remaining 28, I'll get a bit more twitchy.
Good call on the flux, I need to clean all of it off before painting the LEDs as well. Didn't know about the alcohol trick. I only have 99% iso for all the clay sculpting stuff I do. Forsee any issues with using that over some more distilled stuff?
yeah, I'm lucky that my subvisor is only a simple curve, so I can essentially do half of the work without having to be worried about space constraints. It would be my guess that is mostly the reason for the twitchiness - you have to be so cautious with your iron not to touch any leads that you're tensing up because of it. I'll probably get that way once I start putting things together in the helmet, but for now its actually pretty calming. Then again, I only did 12 sets before calling it a night at 1am. Maybe when I try to do the remaining 28, I'll get a bit more twitchy.
Good call on the flux, I need to clean all of it off before painting the LEDs as well. Didn't know about the alcohol trick. I only have 99% iso for all the clay sculpting stuff I do. Forsee any issues with using that over some more distilled stuff?
ThreeFN
Member
Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build
I've gotten use to the 'nerves' side of the equation, and I agree that it's a somewhat calming experience. Probably because it's very methodical. Nope, this was a purely physical problem with not being able to keep my hands steady. I'm guessing it's leftover fatigue from washing/waxing the pony yesterday :rolleyes Generally when you do get 'in a bad way' it really is best to follow the old saying and quit while you're ahead. With that close pitch soldering, if you spasm just right you'll pull the one LED leg and then solder it to something nearby, and then it's a right pain to fix it all and you'll just get more tired and more frustrated.
A nifty trick I found when working in those tight spaces is to take a 'bad' led and bend a small hook in the end of one of the legs. this gives you a great tight spaces tool, but it's also fairly 'non-destructive' since it will bend similar to what you're trying to get ahold of rather than man-handling it with a 'big ol' set of need nose. squeeze-to-open tweezers are also a huge help.
iso alcohol will work fine, as long as it isn't any variety of 'hygiene' iso with additives in it, but 99% shouldn't be of that variety anyways.
Technically, you should be using the iso wash on the PCBs as well. A lot of surface mount tutorials have that as the last step. Flux is most known for eating your PCB silkscreen and depending on the type of flux can eat the solder-mask, exposing the fragile traces (not a good thing, at all).
It's not as important to wash a PCB if your just using rosin core solder. But, if you're adding flux from another source and generally 'coating' the PCB in flux, you really should wash the PCB once you're done.
Here's a halfway decent wiki-style guide on the subject. I'm sure there are better ones out there:
Flux Removal - nuxx.net
I've gotten use to the 'nerves' side of the equation, and I agree that it's a somewhat calming experience. Probably because it's very methodical. Nope, this was a purely physical problem with not being able to keep my hands steady. I'm guessing it's leftover fatigue from washing/waxing the pony yesterday :rolleyes Generally when you do get 'in a bad way' it really is best to follow the old saying and quit while you're ahead. With that close pitch soldering, if you spasm just right you'll pull the one LED leg and then solder it to something nearby, and then it's a right pain to fix it all and you'll just get more tired and more frustrated.
A nifty trick I found when working in those tight spaces is to take a 'bad' led and bend a small hook in the end of one of the legs. this gives you a great tight spaces tool, but it's also fairly 'non-destructive' since it will bend similar to what you're trying to get ahold of rather than man-handling it with a 'big ol' set of need nose. squeeze-to-open tweezers are also a huge help.
iso alcohol will work fine, as long as it isn't any variety of 'hygiene' iso with additives in it, but 99% shouldn't be of that variety anyways.
Technically, you should be using the iso wash on the PCBs as well. A lot of surface mount tutorials have that as the last step. Flux is most known for eating your PCB silkscreen and depending on the type of flux can eat the solder-mask, exposing the fragile traces (not a good thing, at all).
It's not as important to wash a PCB if your just using rosin core solder. But, if you're adding flux from another source and generally 'coating' the PCB in flux, you really should wash the PCB once you're done.
Here's a halfway decent wiki-style guide on the subject. I'm sure there are better ones out there:
Flux Removal - nuxx.net
Agent RayBans
Sr Member
Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build
Looks great! Now it really looks like something Geordi Laforge would wear.
I don't think this will have a direct impact on your build, but as a DP helmet builder I am sure this will interest you.
Looks great! Now it really looks like something Geordi Laforge would wear.
I don't think this will have a direct impact on your build, but as a DP helmet builder I am sure this will interest you.
Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build
Visibility, actually, is very good. My wife and I both tried it out last night, walking around holding the visor up to our face. Its difficult to convey the feeling of wearing it without actually wearing it, but this comes close:
The idea I've got is that one fan will pull air in and the other will push air out. This should keep things circulating nicely in the bucket. If they happen to turn my eyes to sand, I can always turn them off. Hopefully that won't be the case - my experiences in Guy-man lead me to believe fans are a necessity.
A couple more pics of the array laid out. Should start soldering the rows tonight.
Visibility, actually, is very good. My wife and I both tried it out last night, walking around holding the visor up to our face. Its difficult to convey the feeling of wearing it without actually wearing it, but this comes close:
The idea I've got is that one fan will pull air in and the other will push air out. This should keep things circulating nicely in the bucket. If they happen to turn my eyes to sand, I can always turn them off. Hopefully that won't be the case - my experiences in Guy-man lead me to believe fans are a necessity.
A couple more pics of the array laid out. Should start soldering the rows tonight.
Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build
....just trust me on this, okay? Yes, I'll lose some visibility. You have to remember that these are 45º projection angle LEDs. They do not put out very much backlight, and they also do not put out much side illumination either. They will glow somewhat, but once the backsides are painted, this will eliminate a LOT of the backscattering light issue.
I've painted one as a test, illuminated it and looked at the backside and sides of the LED. Everyone seems to be seriously overestimating just how much light these things will project backwards and sideways.
....just trust me on this, okay? Yes, I'll lose some visibility. You have to remember that these are 45º projection angle LEDs. They do not put out very much backlight, and they also do not put out much side illumination either. They will glow somewhat, but once the backsides are painted, this will eliminate a LOT of the backscattering light issue.
I've painted one as a test, illuminated it and looked at the backside and sides of the LED. Everyone seems to be seriously overestimating just how much light these things will project backwards and sideways.
Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build
Yeah, sorry if that came of a bit snappy. After posting these images up last night I've sort of been barraged with comments about how this is a terrible idea which will never work and I'll go blind instantly.
We'll see. This won't be a piece you'd like to go tightrope walking in or wear while piloting an airplane, but I think it will work fairly well for a convention appearance.
Yeah, sorry if that came of a bit snappy. After posting these images up last night I've sort of been barraged with comments about how this is a terrible idea which will never work and I'll go blind instantly.
We'll see. This won't be a piece you'd like to go tightrope walking in or wear while piloting an airplane, but I think it will work fairly well for a convention appearance.
