Homemade headlight reflector with LED

Graff Mar 22, 2018

  1. Graff

    Graff TrainBoard Member

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    Latest project ....
    A reflector with light for my narrow-gauge locomotives.
    The diameter of the reflector is 4 mm.
    The LED is 0.5 x 1 mm!
    The reflector I made out of aluminum from oven trays.
    I took a nut of the right diameter and slowly pushed the aluminum with the rounded top of the hat from a ballpoint pen.
    Then I rough cut the edges and filed it to shape with a needle file.
    I then drilled a 0.8 mm hole in the center of the reflector.
    I glued the LED to the backside of the reflector with epoxy.
    The LED is a bit too white, so it'll get a drop of Tamiya transparent orange.
    Then I'll take Microscale Crystal Clear and fill the reflector so it gets a lens.

    [​IMG]
     
    JoeTodd, Dogwood, Kurt Moose and 2 others like this.
  2. wvgca

    wvgca TrainBoard Member

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    looks good to me,, yes !
     
  3. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    If you have canopy glue, you can tint it (lightly!) with khaki acrylic paint and accomplish your color change, and light dimming to reproduce older incandescent lighting, in one step. Just a dab of the mix on the led and then fill with Microscale.

    I use the tip of a toothpick dipped in khaki, into 3 drops of 560 canopy glue to get a 15-20% physical dimming and color change to a more incandescent color... even on warm white LEDs. Also diffuses it nicely, and makes it look like there is a bulb in there.

    Might be worth the experiment. Worst case you hate the effect, (my first try I actually did too much tint and wound up with a dim orangey fire color!) but 560 peels right off LEDs, so you aren’t out.
     
    acptulsa likes this.

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