This is my first attempt at writing a DIY. If there is any questions or anything that needs to be added/removed just let me know. I will do my best. Enjoy.
Material List: 1/4" Acrylic Rod for 3mm LED's (a 3/8" rod should work for 5mm LED's) Color of Choice LED (2 per ring, 8 total) 220 Ohm resistor (1 per ring, 4 total) Wire Dremel Tool (or something to cut the acrylic and the grooves in the rings) Drill Drill Bits (3/16" for 3mm or 1/4" for 5mm, also smaller ones to start the holes in the rings) Soldering Iron Heat Gun Heat Shrink and/or Black Tape Phillips Screwdriver and/or Flathead Screwdriver Wood Block (for making the ring mold) Screws or Nails To Make the Mold for the Rings: 1. Measure the diameter for the door vent (I got 2 13/16”) and the center vents (since they are oval you might have to measure them yourself, but I got a height of 2 7/16" and a width of 2 7/8" ) and subtract the size of the rod (1/4” which is 1/2" total taken off in this case). I came up with the inside diameter of 2 5/16” for the door vent and a height of 1 15/16" with a width of 2 3/8" for the center vent. Take a wood block (I used a 2x4) and cut out the inside diameter circle or oval. Nail or screw the circle or oval block onto another board to get a crude mold for which you can bend the rod around. Also add a small piece of wood to act as a spacer block to hold the rod in place. https://img.photobucket.com/albums/1...E/100_0155.jpg To Make the Rings: 1. Place one end of the rod on the mold and secure it with the spacer block. You don’t need to cut the rod to a certain length. Longer is better so you have room to pull it around, you will cut the rest off later. https://img.photobucket.com/albums/1...E/100_0158.jpg 2. Using the heat gun, slowly heat up a small section of the rod until you are able to bend it around the mold. Be sure not to heat it up to much or stretch the rod out. 3. Let it cool a little bit then move onto the next section working all the way around until you make the circle/oval. https://img.photobucket.com/albums/1...E/100_0159.jpg When you get back to where you started bring the rod up and over where you started to complete the circle/oval. https://img.photobucket.com/albums/1...E/100_0161.jpg 4. After taking off the mold cut the extra rod off where the ring will make a complete circle/oval. https://img.photobucket.com/albums/1...E/100_0164.jpg 5. Now drill the hole in each end for the LEDs. Using a smaller drill bit to start the hole, and then work to the size of drill bit for the LED, making sure it is centered in the middle of it. Being careful not to get to close to the edge. https://img.photobucket.com/albums/1...E/100_0166.jpg You want to make the hole deep enough so the end of the LED is flush with edge. https://img.photobucket.com/albums/1...E/100_0168.jpg 6. Flatten out the ring between to wood blocks and heat it with the heat gun to make it stay flat. https://img.photobucket.com/albums/1...E/100_0170.jpg 7. Using the dremel tool or a small saw, cut the groove so they are about 1mm deep and about 3-4mm apart. The more cuts you put in it the more dimmer the lights become. Make the cuts all the way around. https://img.photobucket.com/albums/1...E/100_0173.jpg 8. Take the LEDs and bend them in a 90 degree angle so that the negative and positive leads are together. And place them in the holes of the ring. https://img.photobucket.com/albums/1...E/100_0175.jpg 9. Solder the leads together also soldering the wires to them. Make sure to solder the 220 Ohm resistor to the positive lead (the positive lead is the longer one). Use about how much wire you will use, longer is better. That all depends on how you want to run the wiring. Add the heat shrink or tape the wire. I used telephone wire since it is small and already has a plastic covering to keep the wires together. https://img.photobucket.com/albums/1...E/100_0177.jpg 10. The ring will now be done and ready for install. https://img.photobucket.com/albums/1...E/100_0179.jpg https://img.photobucket.com/albums/1...E/100_0180.jpg https://img.photobucket.com/albums/1...E/100_0151.jpg https://img.photobucket.com/albums/1...E/100_0185.jpg |
Brilliant write up. You guys should really try this, he did a great job. Its fun to see what you can come up with. I think everyone should mess with LEDs at least once.
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How did you connected it in you're car? Wich wires? With a switch?
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I wasn't sure if I should add the installation because there is already a DIY for Interior Haloz Install: DIY - Interior HALOZ Install
I could add on how I installed them and ran the wiring. But I would need some help as to how I would go about doing it? Is there a way to edit the first post and continue on or do I have to make a reply to this topic? Also I was wondering if we should keep the questions and comments here or have them on another topic? I just want to make sure that I am doing this correctly before I go and do something wrong and get in trouble. wink1.gif To quickly answer Nightwish, I used quick disconnects near the rings so I could remove the door/dash without having to cut the wires. The wires I used were telephone wire, its small and has a plastic shield covering which keeps it nice and easy to run the wires. I brought all the wires to a location with a switch. |
nice write up. adding to the listing.
if you want to add installation instructions, just make a new post and i will merge it with the first one. for the leds, what made you choose that resistance value? it seems a little low, which may decrease the life of your led slightly. |
sorry newb question: where do you get acrylic rods? local or internet
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Search my noobish friend, search.
fing02.gif wink1.gif Serious, you'd be suprised what a simple google search would find. |
i get all my plastic supplies at www.usplastics.com.
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So you just have to cut grooves on one side of the tube right? Not all the way around...
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^^^ Yeah you just cut the grooves on one side and the smooth side is the side you put towards the vent ( the side you look at). Sorry for not adding that
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (tibby01 @ Jul 2 2005, 10:31 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'>nice write up. adding to the listing. if you want to add installation instructions, just make a new post and i will merge it with the first one. for the leds, what made you choose that resistance value? it seems a little low, which may decrease the life of your led slightly. <div align='right'><{POST_SNAPBACK}></div></div> Well after the holiday I will do a write up for that, Thanks. As for the resistance value, I used a LED calculator that I found at this link: LED Calculator |
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