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LED and plexi panel
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BigThumbToe:
Question for you guys, for my control panel, I'm wanting to etch plexi and then use LEDs around the edges to light it up. I already have everything designed as far as the etched image and layout goes. At work we have a CNC router that Ive run some tests with and have had some pretty good results so far dealing with small scale. the things a beast and a beauty.
http://www.multicam.com/eng/Products/5000series.html
Heres where Im stuck. I havent figured out a way to get the LEDs around the edges so the whole design gets an even amount of light. The LEDs have to be hidden and in a way where they wont get damaged. at work we carry 1/8, 3/16, and 1/4 thinkness plexi/lexan. Ive thought about going with the 1/4 and drilling holes in the side but ive cracked it almost everytime ive tried that. Is there a safer way of doing this? Im open for any other ideas about LED placement.
Thanks
Franco B:
I'm not surprised you cracked the plastic drilling into the side. It is possible but you would need to get your feeds/speeds correct and the material would need to be held securely at 90 degrees to the table and central to the center of the material which on the whole could be tricky due to the likely height of the material.

If you did end up going down that route you would want to use 3mm LEDs and the Lexan (Polycarbonate) rather than the Plexiglass (Acrylic) as Polycarb machines much better in this type of application. However if you did use Polycarb for your CPO it would scratch much easier than Acrylic as it isn't as scratch resistant. I personally wouldn't recommend using Polycarbonate full stop for a CPO.

Seeing as you have access to a CNC router what I would suggest is to make a coloured bezel for the CP to hide the LEDs underneath. You could then make the inner clear CPO with the exact same profile as the bezels inner profile.

The bezel would want to be thinner than the CPO so the LEDs can shine through the material. I would suggest using the 1/4" clear for your inner and the 1/8" for the coloured bezel.

I think this would look nicer as you would not actually see the LEDs at all.

I can knock up a drawing later if it would help to visualise it.

Just my £0.02
Kman-Sweden:
You could just flatten the top of the LED and mount it pressed against the edge of the plexi.
Can't wait to see the final product.
BigThumbToe:
i think i have a rough idea of what youre saying Franco but a pic sure would help lol
drventure:
I've seen that done before. Use a heating iron or something to flatten out the rounded top of the led, when you do that, it no longer has that focusing "lens" effect and the light spreads out much better, so then glue that (using some kind of transparent glue) to the edge of the plex to "light up" the whole plex panel. Actually, you might even be able to just glob hotglue over the entire led to "fix it" in place around the edge of the panel, then cover that with some kind of molding/lip.

But if you want the plex to go right up to the edge of the panel, that'll be more difficult.

What you might do in that case, is cut some sort of "design" out of the middle of the panel, mount the leds there pointing OUT toward the edges of the panel, and then cover the hole with a decorative plate of some kind (personally, I like brass  :) )

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