5x5x5 LED cube help

CrossRoads:
I've read of people lightly sanding them to diffuse them, dipping white paint, putting a white ping pong ball over them ...

Yea but doing that for 125 leds can get very boring after awhile and it's just makes more sense to buy diffused leds in the first place. They don't carry a cost penalty.

Lefty

i bought 10,000mcd LEDs because i figure i can always make them dimmer with code or resistors, but if i get like 1,500mcd LEDs i cannot make them brighter. CrossRoads also recommended high brightness LEDs. unfortunately they did not come diffused, so i plan on putting them in a drill and using that to sand them down. i know it will be a lot of work, but oh well. i wanted the higher brightness LEDs to be safe and not risk having a super dim cube.

edit: this is the link to the LEDs i bought. i bought 2 lots.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-x-3mm-round-Blue-LED-superbright-bulb-lamp-light-/230634491097?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35b2e30cd9

suicidalacorn:
i bought 10,000mcd LEDs because i figure i can always make them dimmer with code or resistors, but if i get like 1,500mcd LEDs i cannot make them brighter. CrossRoads also recommended high brightness LEDs. unfortunately they did not come diffused, so i plan on putting them in a drill and using that to sand them down. i know it will be a lot of work, but oh well. i wanted the higher brightness LEDs to be safe and not risk having a super dim cube.

But then again diffusing the leds will take the same light output of the led and spread it over a wider beam, so I don't think you gained anything by starting out with 'high brightness' in the first place just to then sand them down Vs getting diffused leds in the first place. However the proof is in the tasting of the pudding so maybe when you are done get a single diffused led of the same size and see if you did indeed gain any overall brightness.

Lefty

Sanding them to diffuse the output I am sure will be a lot less work than the actual assembly and all the lead bending/alignment prior to soldering that is needed for cube stability and overall squareness.

retrolefty:
But then again diffusing the leds will take the same light output of the led and spread it over a wider beam, so I don't think you gained anything by starting out with 'high brightness' in the first place just to then sand them down Vs getting diffused leds in the first place. However the proof is in the tasting of the pudding so maybe when you are done get a single diffused led of the same size and see if you did indeed gain any overall brightness.

Lefty

yeah, that makes sense. but i guess we'll find out when i get the LEDs. they are supposed to come next tuesday. i'll update you guys with my progress throughout the build. but i am expecting to have issues with coding. i know java so c++ shouldn't be hard to learn. ill probably watch a bunch of arduino tutorials on coding, but i may still need help with coding for the shift registers.

Sanding works well... the results are usually better than the real thing. Try a couple and see.

nb Use fine sandpaper.

I bought a bunch of LEDs for several projects, and I got clear ones because I figured that I could make them diffused if I wanted, but I couldnt make diffused clear if thats what i needed.

I have a set of 64 LEDs Im using for a wearable project, and I decided i would try diffusing them with sandpaper. I started with 400 grit, and twisting the LED in it. It took about 5 minutes to get it lightly diffused, I didnt want to spend 5 hours sanding my 64 LEDs, so I tried using the dremel with a sanding drum (about 60 grit or so), and they only took about a minute to do each, they look very opaque, but they are a bit misshaped, and rough. I havent used them yet, and as such, i cant say what way has the best results.

I may try the drill technique, that may just work.

i got 75 spare LEDs so i can experiment with different diffusing techniques. hopefully i figure out something that is both fast and yields good results.

There maybe a quick easy way to use chemically diffuse them (dip in acetone, something) I also considered flat based transparent lacquer, but I just dont think it will diffuse much. I should probably experiment more.

Hippynerd:
It took about 5 minutes to get it lightly diffused

Maybe you're using the wrong sandpaper. I can do then in about 30 seconds each.

Another way is to add a thin coat of hot glue, although it's harder to get them evenly diffused that way. It's good for weird shapes like "candle flames" though.

I haven't tried it myself but people also paint them with nail polish.

Hippynerd:
There maybe a quick easy way to use chemically diffuse them (dip in acetone, something) I also considered flat based transparent lacquer, but I just dont think it will diffuse much. I should probably experiment more.

Hairspray?

It is just some kind of plastic, yes?
I don't see anything about it here as an example source

i have some 10,000mcd blue LEDs that are probably identical to the ones i bought. i only have about five left because i have used the others. but when i get a chance i will experiment with different ways of diffusing them. i will try to mess with them today, but i cannot guarantee that i will be able to,

i tried leaving a LED in finger nail polish remover (acetone) all last night and it did not do anything. the LED is the same as it was when i put it in. i guess sanding it is the only option i have left. anyone else have any ideas for diffusing the LEDs?

How about covering them with a frosted finger nail polish?
If it looks good, have your wife/girlfriend/teeanaged daugther help - probably be way quicker than a guy could do it 8)
Set up a piece of perfboard to drop painted LEDs onto for drying.

I tried acetone (like for painting, or cleaning), and i tried some brush cleaner (it has more aggressive solvents like MEK), I just dipped them, and let them dry, and they had no effect (not even dulling the surface).

I may have some clearcoat with sparkly stuff in it (it seemed really cool, but it turned out horrible when I used it) I may try it on one, if I can find it.

Sandblasting would probably work really well, but Ive never used one, so I can only assume.

brake fluid, plastic glue, brake cleaner dont seem to effect the plastic either. I seem to be out of paint stripper.

Hippynerd:
brake fluid, plastic glue, brake cleaner dont seem to effect the plastic either. I seem to be out of paint stripper.

Try soaking them in Coke, that is suppose to dissolve meat overnight. :smiley:

Lefty

So far, the only thing I can get to stick to the LEDs is model paint, and i dipped the whole LED in the paint.

Ive been searching the web, and I've found that someone had some results with thinning liquid paper with acetone, and painting the LEDs with it.

Im also considering plastic glue or clear paint, and tissue paper, or white powder (like flour or corn starch).

I've been re-thinking the RGB 5x5x5 cube, and it seems that if I change that to 4x4x4 then I need 12 and 8, or 20 total control lines. If I arrange it so that the common lead goes toward the back, and the RGB leads go down, I think it will be a stable structure, but maybe a bit ugly on the backside.
Its so freaking weird, that im seriously considering building it.

haha. ok, this is a completely random idea...but what if instead of trying to add paint and things to the cube, we took a heat gun and melted the LED a little bit. not a lot, but maybe just a little. that will either work well, do absolutely nothing, or make it uneven and look terrible. but it may work.