Coluoring fiberoptic strands?

Chas · Post by **Chas** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 4:06 pm

Ok please bare with me if this is a stupid question.
I'm planning out the lighting for a 22" refit-A & I'm hoping to
use a couple of white leds with fiberoptics for the marker lights.
That's assuming I can colour the fiberoptic strands to the various
colours I need.
So is it possible to colour fiberoptic strands? Has anyone done it? If so how?
Thanks in advance.
Charles.

Underlord · Post by **Underlord** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 4:48 pm

You can get fiber optic cable in color. I've gotten some from an EvilBay supplier "me80". I've yet to find a cheaper source. Happy lighting!! Let us know how it works!

Matty1973 · Post by **Matty1973** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 4:49 pm

You could always try painting a clear red or green on the end, a couple of the coats should work

samusaran · Post by **samusaran** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 6:04 pm

You could also use LEDs from various color to light up your fiber optic cables.

Rondie · Post by **Rondie** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 6:09 pm

With the little experimenting I've done with this I've found that using coloured LEDs instead of colouring the strands gives the best colour. YMMV

Joseph Osborn · Post by **Joseph Osborn** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 6:51 pm

Rondie wrote:With the little experimenting I've done with this I've found that using coloured LEDs instead of colouring the strands gives the best colour. YMMV

I'll second that. I've tried this before and unless your white LED is not very bright (there aren't any that I know of that are not fairly bright), it will overpower the tint at the end of the strand and look more or less plain white.

Pat Amaral · Post by **Pat Amaral** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 9:29 pm

If you're intent on using white LEDs, I suggest you place colored gels in between the LEDs and the FO. You can get gels (basically colored acetate sheets) at most art supply stores.

robiwon · Post by **robiwon** » Wed Oct 05, 2011 4:26 am

I have used Tamiya clear reds, blues, greens and yellows on several builds. It works quite well in my experience. In this pic you can see the richness of the colored FO even when being flooded from above with a white LED that was tinted blue!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/ ... /043-1.jpg

Chas · Post by **Chas** » Wed Oct 05, 2011 7:05 pm

Well it looks lie I've got some tests to run. Thanks for all the suggestions. And thank you robiwon for the pic that lets me know that it can work - now to see if I can get similar results!
And thank you Pat Amaral for the suggestion of the gels, I was thinking about this for a plan b. And for plan c I was also thinking of using clear coloured styrene or acrylic 'buttons' at the end of the FO as sort of a 'light pipe'.

robiwon · Post by **robiwon** » Thu Oct 06, 2011 4:35 am

Your welcome! you can mushroom the end of FO to get a bigger point of light. Hold the end of the FO close to a heat source like a candle flame (be careful!) after a second or so it will mushroom. It will take some practice to get a nice round lens. This also helps to keep the FO from pulling thru the opening when glued in place.

Chas · Post by **Chas** » Thu Oct 06, 2011 6:55 am

Oh yeah! thanks for mentioning that! I was actually wondering, when doing that does one mushroom the end after snipping the FO strands? if so approx how much do I need to leave sticking out in order to get it to mushroom? alternately is it better to mushroom the end first and then, instead of snipping, just pull the FO back into the model and then glue it in place?

robiwon · Post by **robiwon** » Thu Oct 06, 2011 5:57 pm

This works best after the holes are drilled and the model painted, but not fully assembled. Mushroom an end, insert into drilled out window, put a dap of white glue or epoxy an inch or so down from the mushroom and the pull the FO from inside. this should seat the FO just fine. Complete the final assembly.

What model are you working on?

apsilon · Post by **apsilon** » Thu Oct 06, 2011 6:19 pm

robiwon wrote:... put a dap of white glue or epoxy an inch or so down from the mushroom and the pull the FO from inside.

You put the glue on the outside so you're pulling it back through the hole with the fibre?

Going to be doing my first lit model myself shortly so hadn't thought of doing it that if that's what you mean.

robiwon · Post by **robiwon** » Thu Oct 06, 2011 8:22 pm

Yep, that's the way to do it. If you have a fiber sticking out, put the glue in the hole, and then pull the fiber in, there wont be much glue left in the hole to hold the fiber securely.