Lighting Options for Fujimi Spinner

Redshirt 5 · Post by **Redshirt 5** » Wed Jul 03, 2013 4:15 pm

So...after a long absence I'm ready to start tackling my backlog of kits.

First up (probably) is my Fujimi 1/24 Spinner. However, I want to light it, but my options seem pretty limited right now.

The offerings at http://www.policecarmodels.com are interesting, but they don't really fit the bill.

I've stumbled across a kit at http://www.evanslighting.com/spinner.htm, but frankly, I've never heard of this vendor before, nor have I read any reviews about the set.

Can anyone vouch for this product?

Any other suggestions?

Thanks,

Tim

robiwon · Post by **robiwon** » Wed Jul 03, 2013 8:45 pm

No experience with the lighting kit. However, I do have a Fujimi Spinner on my desk. I tried 3mm LEDs and those were too big for the clear domes. I eventually went with SMT LEDs. Oh, and you'll need a lot more than 18 LEDs. I'm up to about 37 right now.

Redshirt 5 · Post by **Redshirt 5** » Thu Jul 04, 2013 8:15 pm

37?! Yikes! How are you finding room in the model for the wires? I figured 18 was pretty low, but I was willing to make a few sacrifices.

Are you using any particular circuit board?

- Tim

robiwon · Post by **robiwon** » Fri Jul 05, 2013 4:45 am

I'm using magnet wire for the most part, especially on all the SMT LEDs for the lightbar. To control the flashing I am using a custom programmed Jupiter 2 Fusion Core board. The eBay seller programmed in several flash patterns at my request. He sold me the bare board, with no LEDs at a discount. All can be sped up or slowed down.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/ ... t19017.jpg

The board will sit behind the passenger compartment.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/ ... t29017.jpg

In this video you can see the pattern I will be using and how I can change the speed. I just have to decide on the speed that looks good.

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/directo ... 5.mp4.html

Of course I'm further along in this build than the pictures suggest. Other mods I have done include my own scratch built rear wall.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/ ... bb342e.jpg

And I opened both doors. Lots of added details as well.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/ ... t15015.jpg

Redshirt 5 · Post by **Redshirt 5** » Fri Jul 05, 2013 7:23 pm

I'm a complete noob when it comes to electronics...looking at that bare circuit board gives me hives! I've lighted several kits in the past using Madman Lighting products quite successfully, so I was hoping to find something similarly user-friendly.

How difficult has it been to wire up your spinner? I've heard horror stories about working with magnet wire and SMTs. Are you just adding flashers, or do you have steady lights as well for the flood lights, etc?

- Tim

robiwon · Post by **robiwon** » Sat Jul 06, 2013 6:50 am

The Fusion Core will handle all of the flashing lights, and yes I have steady on lights as well. Here is a shot of the fitting of the front "headlight".

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/ ... t29020.jpg

I am using a lot of the 1.5mm LEDs for the rest of the interior lighting. These came from the Police Car model site.

Magnet wire is a bit trickier to use than regular wire. The main thing is how to get rid of the plastic coating that covers the wire. I came up with two methods I use. The simplest is to just burn the coating off. Hold the tip of the wire over a flame and you will see the coating burn off. The problem with this method is control. You will end up with a lot of wire that needs to be trimmed off. The other method I use is I have a small wood block I use to solder on and rest me iron on. I have a glob of solder there. When I want to strip some wire, I'll heat that glob up so it's molten and then dip the end of my wire in it. This melts the coating and I can control how much I strip. It takes longer this way though.

I have lit models for many years. The Spinner is one of the most challenging builds I have ever done. It is my Holy Grail of scifi vehicles so I am taking the time to do it right, the way I see it.

Here is how I did the roof lights with the SMT LEDs. First I wired up the LEDs. I drilled a hole in a sheet of plastic and fed the wire thru. I then glued the dome over the LED.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/ ... t26030.jpg

I then cut each light out of the sheet.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/ ... t26031.jpg

The excess plastic was then trimmed away and the base painted silver.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/ ... t26032.jpg

And a test fist of the light in the new stand off on the light bar.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/ ... t26033.jpg

I am making no attempt to "hide" the wires under the bar. To do so would drive me insane.

Redshirt 5 · Post by **Redshirt 5** » Fri Jul 12, 2013 4:23 pm

I'm gobsmacked...amazing work! Of course, it raises more questions for someone like me who has virtually no experience with electronics.

Would you mind sharing sources for your parts? (circuit board, wires, LEDs, SMTs)? Also any other advice/instructions? Do the steady-on lights get wired to the board as well?

- Tim

robiwon · Post by **robiwon** » Fri Jul 12, 2013 5:36 pm

Let me dig out the ebay seller for the Fusion Core board. I checked a while ago and he had nothing for sale at the time. I'll post his ebay user name and you can email him and see if he can make you one.

The steady on lights are not connected to the FC Board. Those lights will bypass the board. I am using a mix of the SMT LEDs, 1.5mm, 3mm, and 5mm LEDs. Magnet wire for all the SMT's and I don't remember the gauge of stranded I'm using for the rest. Pretty small though, may 26 gauge?

SSM does not let you post pictures, just links. The various boards I have posted my build on allow pics, so I never posted the build here. It was easier to copy and paste my posts to all the other forums. Here is a link to my build posted over on Hobbytalk.

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=371862

I need to get back to work on this. I took a break as I worked on this for the last several months.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/ ... a4f6a7.jpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_RKitz4s3U

Now that it's done I get back to modeling!

Redshirt 5 · Post by **Redshirt 5** » Sat Jul 13, 2013 8:52 pm

Thanks very much...I appreciate this!

- Tim

Madman Lighting · Post by **Madman Lighting** » Sun Jul 14, 2013 8:52 am

Hey thats nice work with those LEDs there Robiwan.

And thanks RedShirt5 for the compliment, its very nice to hear I have satisfied customers.

Now I has a question: Just what is this Fujimi Spinner? A quick Google shows it's the police car from Blade Runner (one of my favorite movies).

How big is this thing anyways and do lots of people like to build them? Might be a good subject for me to make a kit for.

To fit one of my controllers in somewhere you would need a volume about 1.5" by 1.25" by 0.25", which is pretty small IMHO.

Thanks.

-John

robiwon · Post by **robiwon** » Sun Jul 14, 2013 3:24 pm

The Spinner yes, is the futuristic police car from the movie Blade Runner. It has been a long requested kit by modelers for years. We have only had some rare resin models to choose from, some good, some not so good. We also had the 1/18 scale diecast "Future Car" from Back to the Future. It was stripped of its lights and painted black. Used as a back ground car in a few shots. Randy Cooper came out with a large scale resin kit a year or two ago. It's proportions in the rear I think are off. It appears too stubby.

The Fujimi kit is the very first plastic model kit available in 1/24 scale. In its own right it's a very simple kit build. The problem is when you try and light it. It has a lot of lights. And I mean a LOT! Several have been built since the model came out with lights. Steve123 is building one as well as I. I saw pictures of two that were built with lights at this years Wonderfest. One had a more complete light set than the other.

Now, adding lights to a kit is not that difficult, for the most part. This kit though, once you start studying the car, you start realizing the shear number of lights it actually has. Couple that with the fact that the standard type LEDs we normally use will not work with this kit. The rectangular and teardrop lights on the roof simply will not hold anything other than SMT LEDs. I tried 1.5mm LEDs and they do not fit.

The next thing is the way the lights flash. In the movie of course the lights rotate inside the domes. But they turned slowly. A blinking LED just does not provide the same effect. They need to fade in and out to simulate that slow rotation of the movie. That's why I love my custom programmed Fusion Core board.

If you want to do a lighting kit it would certainly be a benefit to the modeling community. I suggest studying the flash patterns from the movie and use SMT LEDs for most of the lights.

The model itself is about 8.5 inches long.

Madman Lighting · Post by **Madman Lighting** » Sun Jul 14, 2013 5:01 pm

Hmmmmmm..

Sounds challenging. Yes I remember that car from the movie well and yes, it did have very many lights on it.

I hate to get people's hopes up so I'll say for now the truth: Its too complex a lighting project for the tools I have now. It may be do-able with things I have in mind, but I have very many things in mind and only a precious few actually become products.

Thanks for the info, its appreciated.

Now to have dinner: grilled steak, + fresh from the garden red potatoes with fresh rosemary. Yumm!

robiwon · Post by **robiwon** » Sun Jul 14, 2013 5:23 pm

I understand completely. This is definitely not an easy kit to light. Couple nearly 40 LEDs with adding photoetch, scratchbuilt details and opening doors and building Lamborghini style hinges, and yeah, you will be pulling a lot of hair out. The rest will be grey.

Redshirt 5 · Post by **Redshirt 5** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 7:59 pm

John, I will happily sing the praises of your lighting kits to anyone who asks...so believe me when I say I'm excited at the thought of you potentiallyputting together a kit for the Spinner.

I'm in no rush...like Robiwan, this is my grail kit, and I can wait! ;-)

Tim