LED's encased in resin/silicone?

[TFrosst]

Hey guys. I'm going to be wiring up some LED's but need the entire thing to be water-proof. Once I assemble the board with the lights, can I use either clear resin or clear silicon/urethane rubber to encase it and make it water proof? There's no practical way I can encase the entire thing in a shell I can take on and off so I was thinking of of this.

Also, what is my best source for extremely bright red LED's?

 

[ShackMan]

Does this mean the power source (ie, battery) will be encased as well? If so, once the battery dies, the circuit is done?

As for REALLY bright red LEDs, depends on how bright you want. "Standard" ultra-brights are rated around 5,000mcd ... the brightest I've bought were 50,000mcd (blindingly bright if you look at them head-on). Don't recall where I ordered them from, but I do most of my orders from Mouser.com.

Good luck,


ATM
ShackMan

 

[ave4uevoli]

you basically want to do this... http://flickr.com/photos/davidnin/sets/72157603372291689/

they're encasing a much larger thing than led's. but the concept is the same... rather than having the firewire port sticking out of the mold.. just punch two pin holes through the mold and run your power and ground wires out of it which will power your leds.

the resin - and it's viscousity will prevent it from leaking out of the pin holes - but it will completely seal around the wires making the led inside and the wire airtight and thus waterproof.

this is of course assuming that the power supply is not going to be encased as well.

 

[TFrosst]

Thanks guys.

The power supply is external. The board is just going to have the wires running from it.

What's the simplest way for me to make a board for the lights? Print it up and do the whole etching thing?

 

[ave4uevoli]

http://www.scribd.com/doc/7210/How-to-Make-Printed-Circuit-Boards

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/01/how_to_make_printed_circu.html

never made a circuit myself but reading the two links above will probably help you.. kinda makes me want to start making circuit boards.

what exactly are you making? There are some methods for making a circuit board that arent good for a "high powered" unit.... and there may be circuit boards out there that already exist that may suit your needs as well.

 

[stapleton13]

Thanks guys.

The power supply is external. The board is just going to have the wires running from it.

What's the simplest way for me to make a board for the lights? Print it up and do the whole etching thing?

Pick up some Press-n-Peel blue from www.techniks.com.

This stuff is awsome. I myself draw up a design in my adobe, and using a laser printer. Print a reversed image onto the press-n-peel paper. Then using a iron you iron the image onto your copper clad board. Then you quench it in water to remove the paper from the board. If all goes well you should have a board with a pattern of your design on the board. At this point you should be ready to etch. This is done in a ferric acid solution.

That is a quick how too. Check out the web for more reference, and the press-n-peel paper comes with details on how to use it. You can also see the same instructions at their website.

Myron

 

[exoray]

What's the simplest way for me to make a board for the lights? Print it up and do the whole etching thing?

Personally for me I just get them professionally made, the time etching and drilling just isn't worth it to me anymore when I can get them made from my supplier for a few dollars more... It's fun the first few times then it just got old...

As for LEDs, the market is all over the place getting them from electronics supply houses is usually the most expensive but easy... I get mine from overseas directly from the manufacture they are ridiculously cheaper the purchasing them in the US, but I have to purchase in quantity... For small volume LED purchases companies that specialize in LEDs only, usually offer much better rates like www.superbrightleds.com

And yes you can cover LEDs in resin, most motorcycle LED taillights are made this way and I have done it as well...

 

[stapleton13]

I would agree that having them professionally done is a good way to have this done, but doing them yourself is quicker for a board or two. The nice thing is the fact that you can make changes as you go. Also as a hobbiest. I just have fun doing it myself.