Email or username:

Password:

Forgot your password?
Emily Velasco

The AliExpress vendor cancelled my order for 2200K (color temperature) through-hole LEDs, so I'm out here making my damn 2200K LEDs out of SMD LEDs, legs clipped off other LEDs, and resin. Pffftt

14 comments
Zack Stern

@MLE_online are you pressure casting a clear 2-part resin that’s usually for gluing things? I didn’t know that was a thing, what resin is it?

My usual is mixing smooth on bottles, but casting a glue-style resin seems interesting in some situations.

Emily Velasco

@zackstern I am, yeah. It's Devcon brand. I don't know if the pressure pot will remove all of the bubbles because it's much more bubbly than resin intended for casting, but I figured it couldn't hurt

Zack Stern

@MLE_online thanks. Maybe I’ll try similar for fast/dirty casts.

Emily Velasco

@zackstern Yeah, if you don't need a lot of volume, it works. A friend of mine made faux transistors that actually played music like this.

My goal here is mostly to make the LEDs more durable because those SMD packages are really fragile when they have long legs soldered to them. If they come out looking decent, too, that will be a nice plus.

James Akers

@MLE_online nice! Way to get it done! Love the trusty ol harbour freight pressure caster. Never thought to use the SMD LEDs like that🤔

Emily Velasco

@JamesAkers necessity being the mother of invention and all that

Emily Velasco

They are out of their molds. But, do they work?

Emily Velasco

Yes they do. And they look nice!

Don't ever let anyone tell you semi-homemade LEDs aren't possible

Saguaro Lynx

@MLE_online

Yay! Emily has baked up some *light* !!

8- )

I will definitely add this to my To-Do list!

:- )

Emily Velasco

@SaguaroLynx I don't know if I would recommend it necessarily. It was a lot of work for a few LEDs, but if you enjoy the process, go for it!

Emily Velasco

It's late, but tomorrow, I'll finish cleaning the bits of wax off of them and I'll coat them with something, maybe more epoxy, or maybe just clear lacquer spray paint

Shambolic Matter

@MLE_online On the one hand, I'm getting awesome "fuck you! I won't do what you tell me vibes" off this project. On the other, semi-homemade makes me think of

Go Up