Building your own underwater Led

[trayson]

Since we can't get the "Black Caps" here in the States unless you order in bulk I found this substitute over the weekend... I will post pics soon but here is the link

http://www.lowes.com/pd_23491-34146-...&facetInfo=Cap

Good idea. I would probably go with a non-flexible one, just a regular pvc or abs cap. Just make sure you don't get the one with the rounded top. Good thinking.

[cjtpilot]

Good idea. I would probably go with a non-flexible one, just a regular pvc or abs cap. Just make sure you don't get the one with the rounded top. Good thinking.

Anything under 3" had the rounded end or else I would of gone with a 2" PVC end cap.

[Sdc77]

Hi guys,
You can go with rounded end cap, but you need to place the led in the round direction. Don't forget to add some oïl or grease on the cup and use it only as a molding piece. Then remove the solid resine piece. I did this test when I built my definitive model with castor holder.

Actually you can use any kind of molding cap or tube. The Cap can be kept for esthetic, but is not necessary, the perfect sealing of the led is the real subject.





Then for a perfect effect you can polish the resin

Becareful with too small caps, you need space between Leds and outside to fit screws. Not sure 2'' is enough ...

[trayson]

I kinda like the idea of no housing required.

Did you do it in a single pour? How do you space the LED's from the front of the resin? you want the LED's to have a few MM of Resin covering them so you wouldn't want them touching the mold when you poured the resin in...

[Sdc77]

You're absolutly right trayson.
Here is how I managed it :
You can clearly see it on pics above : I used some bended metal sheet (welding stuff) to hang the led while I was pouring resin in the cup. There are 2 holes on the PCB, i simply use them to attach my bended stuff.
Here is a scheme :



Green color is the cup, black is the LED PCB, blue is a plastic sheet, red is the hanging bended stuff

[trayson]

Okay, I was thinking of some way of spacing it from underneath, but suspending it from the top would work just as well. You could really use any material to suspend it I would imagine. Good ideas.

I will be doing transom lights on my Moomba XLV over the winter. I still have enough materials to make four of the lights with the caster cups. I am going to supplement that with one of the CREE LED drain plug lights. I liked the output of the six lights I had on the Supra, but I only had caster cups for 4. I suppose using the non-cup method, I could make as many as I liked. (for less money too).

[cjtpilot]

That looks great without the housing!!!

[Sdc77]

Yes you can use any material you want. Just a thought, you can also imagine using screws to suspending it. This way you can use those screws to connect it to the hull, and then no more holes to drill in resin finished led.
And sorry I didn't answer but yes, all my pouring are 1 pass pouring.

[trayson]

Yes you can use any material you want. Just a thought, you can also imagine using screws to suspending it. This way you can use those screws to connect it to the hull, and then no more holes to drill in resin finished led.
And sorry I didn't answer but yes, all my pouring are 1 pass pouring.

Yeah, once you told how you're suspending them, it was pretty logical that it'd be one pass pouring.

The screws might work. I guess it all depends on the diameter of the screws relative to the holes in the board...

[Sdc77]

Guys,
You can imagine every kind of system with 5050 SMD Led. This was my first attempt before I go for the castor holders and round Led.

I took adhesive strip led, glued it on a piece of pvc, then weld everything together and fit it in a tube end cup. Idea was to cut the wings and srew it to the hull from the cup. But the resin can goes out from the cup. And I didn't liked the visible wires, plus, strangely the resin didn't dry normaly, it looks just horrible. I probably can save it with another pouring.
I show you this thing just to let you imagine every king of arrangement with 5050 SMD leds as they are cheap and with resin they are perfectly sealed and will last a long time underwater.

Here are pics :