ArcTec34 Posted April 6, 2009 Author Share Posted April 6, 2009 haha, I PMed him, and got a little info.. he basically confirmed all of my assumptions. I will be buying a "saw" type bit for the dremel, and from there you make the cuts in the very thin seam between the gray plastic base and the clear lens-you actually cut off a little of a lip on the inside of the clear lens, but it seems like the best method, and it shouldn't be hard to glue back together when done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSiWRX Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 Will the Fein MultiMaster do a better job? <-- I love Winky, my "periwinkle" (ABP) LGT! - Allen / Usual Suspect "DumboRAT" / One of the Three Stooges '16 Outback, '16 WRX, 7th Subaru Family Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArcTec34 Posted April 6, 2009 Author Share Posted April 6, 2009 eh, I don't think getting them open will be that tough.. I've talked to a few members on here who have chopped them up.. now im just still trying to find sufficiently bright LEDs for it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArcTec34 Posted April 9, 2009 Author Share Posted April 9, 2009 All 300 LEDs are in, just waiting on a few other regulators, resistors, and capacitors =) I'll be opening the tail lights this weekend, hopefully will finish the 3rd brakelight next week.. then Idk about the tail lights because then I have finals =( So, final tail light Design: jk I have class I'll post it later. haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSiWRX Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 ^ TEASE!!!!! <-- I love Winky, my "periwinkle" (ABP) LGT! - Allen / Usual Suspect "DumboRAT" / One of the Three Stooges '16 Outback, '16 WRX, 7th Subaru Family Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flander Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 request full write up with photos and diagrams of the LED setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSiWRX Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 ^ If I know brother ArcTec, no such request is needed - he'll have that written-up before the week's over. His "LED Ambient Lighting" walk-through has already been cited many times by fellow LGTers, for many different projects, and IIRC, I've even seen references to it in other Scooby communities. <-- I love Winky, my "periwinkle" (ABP) LGT! - Allen / Usual Suspect "DumboRAT" / One of the Three Stooges '16 Outback, '16 WRX, 7th Subaru Family Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_luv Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Nice job man, me thinks i need to pull out my donar set of tails before the JDMs get the blade. ( So scared to cut into anything thats JDM and glass ) Mr.350 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArcTec34 Posted April 9, 2009 Author Share Posted April 9, 2009 you get a crappy paint drawing :-p http://berzindesign.com/LEDarray.jpg I'll build both of them on perfboard similar that the rx8's array that I mentioned earlier, on the perfboards will be all the resistors, regulators, etc. They'll all be regulated by LM317 regulators at 12V out. Once those are done, I'll use really thin stainless steel sheets, drill out holes for the LEDs and they'll overlay on top. Also, I'll also be using the stainless steel as a heatsink for the LM317 regulators... The bottom section will consist of 36 of the LEDs, or 12 arrays of 3. The LEDs run 2.5V at 60mA each, and each regulator can only handle about 1.5 amp.. so I'll use a few regulators for each section. The top is gunna have 30 LEDs aka 10 arrays of 3 BUT, It might be a while before I can do all that, with finals coming up. So in the meantime I think I'll end up making a few "3rd" brake lights, using about 20 or so LEDs in a similar trapezoid design. I have a few extra of them that I've gotten over the past few months so I think I might sell a few of them. For the one I'll make for myself, I'm also going to re-do the red lens cover thing- and make it just clear, perhaps a bit opaque, and just allow the red LEDs to shine through Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAyala Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 :mad: I thought you were going to do 08 tail lights. There goes my hopes. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArcTec34 Posted April 10, 2009 Author Share Posted April 10, 2009 you can do it! its not hard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAyala Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 I rather pay someone like you to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArcTec34 Posted April 11, 2009 Author Share Posted April 11, 2009 I smell like burnt plastic. :-p I actually ended up buying another dremel, because I forgot mine at college :-p and it was really my father's, so now I can give it back to him.. a year later. haha I also bought a cutting bit that is made for plastics, NOT metals. Around the edge of the tail lights, theres a small gap, and its pretty easy so tell where you should cut- right in the gap. The actual dremel-ing took about 20 minutes for each, dont rush! Yeah I scratched a little bit too much off a few times, but you won't be able to tell . I'll post pics of the edges or what not tomorrow. A little sanding of the edges where I will re-glue them together, and when its done ill also paint the lip in the inside black, and I doubt you'll be able to tell that they were opened. I'd think that to do this mod a 2nd set of lights is necessary, because this isn't one of these quick mods :-p I won't be dont with the curcuits.. untill... a long time.. haha and, oh yeah. wear safety googles! hot plastic flying everywhereeee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSiWRX Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 ^ Pix! Damn, you've started! <-- I love Winky, my "periwinkle" (ABP) LGT! - Allen / Usual Suspect "DumboRAT" / One of the Three Stooges '16 Outback, '16 WRX, 7th Subaru Family Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrjk77 Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flander Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArcTec34 Posted April 11, 2009 Author Share Posted April 11, 2009 so I ended up just breaking the piece with the plastic weld on it.. it really just was annoying me and there are enough screws to make it needless http://inlinethumb43.webshots.com/45162/2944453920090682233S600x600Q85.jpg http://inlinethumb09.webshots.com/43336/2319916270090682233S600x600Q85.jpg you can see the gap where I made the dremel cut as well outer plastic housing- you can see the lip with the melted plastic- I need to sand that down http://inlinethumb57.webshots.com/42744/2543192890090682233S600x600Q85.jpg the red reflector, there are two tiny tabs in the sides of the lights that were glued in and they required a little more pulling that I thought they would http://inlinethumb57.webshots.com/43832/2422736270090682233S600x600Q85.jpg and the actual reflectors: http://inlinethumb32.webshots.com/41759/2185733910090682233S600x600Q85.jpg http://inlinethumb37.webshots.com/40548/2755835740090682233S600x600Q85.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerboa113 Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 huh.. the reflectors are modular too? Thats great.. that gives you a lot of flexibility. ya know if this were 1999 you could just leave the red reflector out and make them clear taillights. "The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." - Plato Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSiWRX Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 ^ 1999! That's very nifty, indeed, darkfox, that the reflectors do appear to be modular. ----- Awesome stuff, Arc ! <-- I love Winky, my "periwinkle" (ABP) LGT! - Allen / Usual Suspect "DumboRAT" / One of the Three Stooges '16 Outback, '16 WRX, 7th Subaru Family Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArcTec34 Posted April 12, 2009 Author Share Posted April 12, 2009 the bottom ones come out, the top and middle are the same piece Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerboa113 Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 oh.. hrmm, wonder why they did it that way? dude.. that wallpaper is horrible. "The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." - Plato Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArcTec34 Posted April 12, 2009 Author Share Posted April 12, 2009 hahahahaha. thanks. aw I love comin home from college.. but yeah, agreed, not my taste :-p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark-V Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 so what kinda attachment on your dremel did you use? Small cutting wheel? The fiberglass cutting wheels seems to tear up plastic beyond repair. I'm looking to do some custom LED tails in the future, but the damn sonic welded plastic bits are what keeping me for continuing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArcTec34 Posted April 14, 2009 Author Share Posted April 14, 2009 it was a fiberglass cutting wheel, specified for "plastics", not metal. I'm sure there are better cutting wheels or what not, but this did just fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark-V Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Where did you get the wheels? All the fiberglass wheels I've seen are mainly used for metal, with very limited use on plastic. I was thinking the smaller cutoff wheels would be better for control and accuracy, as the fiberglass ones are large and pretty rough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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