Sanding LED's for a wider dispersal?

[smusno]

How do I do it?

What are the pit falls?

Does it work?
;D

 

[schweinhund227]

I am not sure if I fully understand your question...

do you mean ! Sanding the Clear bezels to obtain a more DIFFUSED lighting ??

if so ? quite easily, just by sanding the CLEAR plastic until it's no longer CLEAR ( FROSTED ) !

you can leave it Rounded or what ever shape your LED is coming packaged in !

Doing one will give you an IDEA on what sort of effect you will get!

Some LED Have a FOCUS length ! some not so much !!! you can sand the surface or rough it up !

and you can even FILE "DOWN" the tip to an ANGLE but KEEP off the Light Cup ! as soon as you EXPOSE the light cup to the AIR! NO MORE light !!! the magic smoke will leave and well.. you have to start over !

There are many YouTube videos on this....

Even SCOTT G. HERE at SMA has made a small video on this while building his AT-AT diorama !

Remember ! Stay away from exposing the light CUP, near the Anode and Cathode and you will obtain all sorts of Light effects... !!!


Take care !

 

[Grendels]

smusno:

Yes you can sand down the LED. Just make sure you don't sand too far. In other words, as long as you don't sand metal, just keep on going with it. Does it work?

Yes, take a look at the photo:



I did this for a contest entry from two years ago. But there are different types of LED's, some of which disperse the light without modifying the LED. Flat tops, straw hats and Pirannah's all disperse light without sanding. I went over this in this video:

Lighting tutorial: Different types of LED's

 

[smusno]

this was EXACTLY what i needed to know.

Thanks fellas.