Fiber Optics and Super-glue?

Slave1 · Post by **Slave1** » Tue May 31, 2005 7:13 pm

Mr. Badwrench wrote:I've found that CA doesn't allow the fibers to flex. They become brittle at the glue joint, and the tension from the curved fiber trying to straighten itself out is enough to break it off. Some folks have recommended 5 minute epoxy, but as in your case, that wouldn't work for me. So I used hot glue. It doesn't get hot enough to damage the fiber, it works well for attaching single fibers or bundles, you can use it to attach fibers directly to an LED, and best of all it remains flexible, allowing the fiber to bend without breaking.

would you have to use a low temp hot glue gun on it? The heat of a normal glue gun would melt the plastic.

Slave1 · Post by **Slave1** » Tue May 31, 2005 7:38 pm

move along

accidental double post

publiusr · Post by **publiusr** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 1:38 pm

Slave1 wrote:
Mr. Badwrench wrote:I've found that CA doesn't allow the fibers to flex. They become brittle at the glue joint, and the tension from the curved fiber trying to straighten itself out is enough to break it off. Some folks have recommended 5 minute epoxy, but as in your case, that wouldn't work for me. So I used hot glue. It doesn't get hot enough to damage the fiber, it works well for attaching single fibers or bundles, you can use it to attach fibers directly to an LED, and best of all it remains flexible, allowing the fiber to bend without breaking.
would you have to use a low temp hot glue gun on it? The heat of a normal glue gun would melt the plastic.

CA was frowned upon at sci-fi u. Just use some water based glue and bundle fibers in a tube affixed to a LED. If you are fast you might heat the fiber and pull into a hole and let it melt to it, I guess. Best to counter sink and add water based glue--or so it was said.

SGluedMyFingers · Post by **SGluedMyFingers** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 11:45 am

One more classic example: Note the winner of Starshipmodeler's Star Wars Contest in the "Kits" division.

<bad link>

Mr. Wurth states that he lost 20% of his fibers due to damage from CA.

A very nice model - but could have been nicer. OOPS!

starmanmm · Post by **starmanmm** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 8:07 am

I am currently working on lighting the Bird of Prey with FO and I planned on using silcon to hold the FO in place. When I get back from the IPMS is when I would be trying this out.

Darkov · Post by **Darkov** » Sun Jul 17, 2005 9:42 am

Has anyone tried using a 5min epoxy or even Gorilla Glue to hold FO in place?

firemann816 · Post by **firemann816** » Mon Jan 02, 2006 5:35 pm

Marcal wrote:I would definitively do so, better now than when you cannot undo it. When I first fix my very first FO with super glue and I saw what happens I redid it again with epoxy at once.

Marcal -
I read your posts, than jumped to your bench & site!

What a great site -
Im trying to light Star Wars models but your stuff is beautiful & relevant!
Thank You for all the effort you put in photoing your site, and building the models and explaining the circuits & lighting.
I love it...

Thank you

starmanmm · Post by **starmanmm** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 11:29 am

Here is what I got when I used pheneal seal to attach the fiber optics... I had to use globs of it to secure the fiber strand. On the plus side, it was flexable enough to allow for bending, but on the negative side, it had some trouble sticking to the painted surface ( I had sprayed the inside silver for reflectivity). Hence, the need for large blobs of it.

It was easy to smooth onto both the kit and the FO; but I think that the FO should be be slightly buffed to give this chalking materal a slightly rough surface to attach to. I recall having some issue with this stuff holding onto the FO, but it did keep it in place.

firemann816 · Post by **firemann816** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 10:00 pm

starmanmm wrote:... pheneal seal ...

???
Whats that?

karim · Post by **karim** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 10:10 pm

if you MUST use superglue to nail down some fibers (there are some times where it really is the best way), then you can lay the fibers down, cover them with a little pile of microballoons and drip the CA into the microballoons.

starmanmm · Post by **starmanmm** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 5:16 pm

???
Whats that?

Same type of chalking that you would use for sealing windows and doors.

firemann816 · Post by **firemann816** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 7:26 pm

starmanmm wrote:
???
Whats that?
Same type of chalking that you would use for sealing windows and doors.

Thanks