Best way to trap light inside a model is...

[Antenociti]

What's the best way to trap LED light inside a cavity within a model - both so as to allow the trapped light to be piped out via short Fibre to the surface and thus reflect as much of it as possible back into the cavity and also B) to prevent light leaking through the plastic of a model?

I'm thinking its a toss-up between white and silver/reflective/metalic, but which is better?

[jwrjr]

I prefer an undercoat or 2 of any metallic paint (preferably chrome silver) and then enough coats to cover of FLAT white.

[Madman Lighting]

That actually sounds good.

My technique is a thick coat of flat black as a light block, overcoated with a metalic aluminum although I"ve been told that white is better because its more like the insides of ships than is silver/aluminum.

[Kylwell]

Silver paint actually reflects less light than white paint. White paint also diffuses the light better. Becuase silver paint is composed of little tiny flakes of reflective material the light can (and will) get trapped in the paint itself. Stick with white with a nice coat of black underneath.

[karim]

A coat of Black paint, with a heavy coat of White paint over it.

[DMAUL]

Are the LEDs only used to light the FO? If so, I've used heat shrink tubing slipped over the LEDs. Slid the FO inside the tubing right up to the LED and zapped it with a little heat. Everything nice and snug and no light escapes.

[Antenociti]

Maul - yeah in this case I want to flood a compartment with light deliberately (its the exhaust pod at the end of a B5 Starfury wing) rather than trying to feed each exhaust with individual light.

Cheers all, sounds like black followed by white is the way to go.

[Jagdson]

Supercool the model and turn the gas inside into a Bose-Einstein condensate.

[Kylwell]

Supercool the model and turn the gas inside into a Bose-Einstein condensate.

I sit here laughing and trying to type.

Sure, you make it sound so easy. Wonder where I can buy a Super Deep Freezer.

[Less Than Super Ostrich]

And then hook it up to the flux capacitor.

[Bar]

What's the best way to trap LED light inside a cavity within a model?

What i do is this:
Leave the model out in the open(Where it can be viewed easily). Make sure there is an opening in the model(To let the light in).
You must fashion a crude cage-like device around the opening that can be activated remotely by yourself, either on command, or at a pre-selected time.
Then put in some bait(Cheese is good, or maybe a small piece of chocolate), and wait. When you are sure you have tempted some light into your model, trip the cage and: Hey Presto! You have trapped some light...







White paint works too...
Bar.

[rpauly]

[Elmer Fudd]Be vewy, vewy quiet...We'we hunting wight....hehhehhehheh...[/Elmer Fudd] 8)

[dekesdragon]

have a heart traps for photons available at local feed and seed store...

the black undercoat and white paint is good

I have used a plain white paper mask with printed details on the visible side for a model (the 1/48 scale defiant shuttle I scratchbuilt,
used this mask technique for the front deflector dish layout)

Don't know it that is of use....the paper helps to 'mask' a single point source of light such as a light bulb but not light piping, the difference being
how the light radiates spherical vs linear