Drilling holes for fibre optics

[snvl]

hi,

Like the title says, I need to drill holes small enough for the fibre optic cable in my model.
The best I managed was using a needle and pencil tool but this is
too large. Can you guys let me know how you manage to drill these holes.
I searched the forums but no one seems to mention how this is done

thanks,
Kevin

[Madman Lighting]

Its almost as easy as stopping my pet ferret from stealing the TV remote, AGAIN!

I use a pin vise and several #80 drills. I'm installing the super fine 0.25mm diameter fiber that normally comes with the old AMT/Ertl kits, and in my kits too. Why several drills? Cause you break em! Those things are delicate and if you bend em they snap like pretzles.

Go out and get yourself a set of fine drill bits in the #60 to #80 sizes and a good pin vise and you're all set.

-John C.

[Fluke]

Kevin said it... That is the BEST way to do it.

Be careful and don't rush it or you will be going through several bits. Resin can be touchy....you think you have the right size of bit then after you drill....the material likes to close a bit and the optic barely fits through.

To OPTIMIZE light transferance in optics and to get a round 'bulb' like look on consols and panels try this!

If your working with .20 to .40 optics, after threading your optic through the wall, panel or what ever....take a lighter or hot knife and slowly move the optic to the heat scource.....this will make the end of the optic 'mushroom' and it also creates a very HIGH GLOSS .....do this at both ends....that way it increases the light transfer at least 40 to 50% brighter.
This technique will not work well with ten mil optics....they will just melt and curl up.

This technique also is very handy cuz the 'mushroom' effect should be slightly larger than the hole and as your tugging from the backside you can add a drop of CA and it will hold the optics firmly in place.

If you want your 'optic lamp' to be flush in your consol or panel experiment with holes sizes, then you can make it so that the 'mushroom' shape can be pushed in place with a small tool or your finger nail.

Hope this info helps!

[Zen-Builder]

I concur on the pinvise.

Once bought a kit with fiber-optics and and an electronic drill, what a disaster and a pain too boot.

One piece of advise though with the CA, it depends on if you use glass or fiber wires. One of those can crack and react with the CA, think it is the fiberglass ones though.

[snvl]

Thanks for the input guys, will see if I can source some bits here.

[Fluke]

The glass optics should not be used!

Regular model glue will melt the satandard optics. Ca is fine.

Good luck!

What R ya working or planning to do?

[snvl]

thanks for the tips guys.
I just completed a Republic Star Destroyer(pics in forum) and I bought a Star Destroyer (still to paint) and I am planning to scratch built a Super Star Destroyer.

[Madman Lighting]

I love the idea of mushrooming the fiber ends with a little heat, I'll include that in my next project / light up article.

One of the problems with cutting fiber, even plastic fiber, is you get a rough surface on the end of the fiber. Commercial glass fiber optic cutters put the fiber in tension and then cut it with an ultrasonicly vibrating blade. The idea is more to "crack" the glass than cut it to get a smooth end. Even then, polishing is required. We do that at work and the ends of commercial fiber optic cables must be **very** smooth and clean.

Only very smooth ends will transmit light out (or in!) straight. If the ends are rough, each little surface acts like a facet in a stained glass window and the light goes everywhere.

[Fluke]

Thanks! I hope that it works for ya!

When I cut my optics I use a fresh No 11 blade on a thick glass surface...that pretty much gives them a nice end...then I heat it a bit.

I use an old 'copy machine' glass for my working surface....its thick, so its not easy to break it, perfect for keeping things even and straight...not to mention working with photo etch parts, easy to clean... paint comes of with lacquer thinner and glue drops/mounds just scrap off with a straight edge razer blade.

Iv'e been using the same glass now for over 7 years....I painted it black on the underside so working with white and grey parts is niceon the eyes and makes them stand out.

[qc]

i apologize...but i was wondering about a sidenote to this question? what is the process of painting, drilling, inserting optics, and glueing them in?

i'm confused which to do when?

seems if i drill then glue them in, cut then sand/heat the end, then i'll paint over the ends of the optics..
but..
if i paint (even after i drill) how do i insure that the tip of the optics will be nice and flush/melted with the painted surface?

i apologize to going OT, but i've been wanting to ask this question, and this post seems to be in the neighborhood of that question.

many thx

[Madman Lighting]

i was wondering about a sidenote to this question? what is the process of painting, drilling, inserting optics, and glueing them in?

What?? You mean you havent read my DS9 light up article in Modeler Resource or the NX-01 lightup article in Sci-Fi Fantasy Modeler??

PHILISTINE!

Actually its not that hard.

Goes like this:

Plan your light job. Where do you want light and what color will it be?

Before you assemble parts, drill the holes and insert the fiber optics.
Glue them all in using low viscosity epoxy. Super glue makes plastic fibers brittle and tend to break.

Leave about 1/4" of "whisker" sticking outside of your model as you glue them in. More on this in a sec.

Bundle the fibers inside the model and "warm" the bundle ends to glaze them over so light goes in better. Not too much! We dont want to melt them.

Attach LEDs to the bundle ends with heat shrink tube. Power up your LEDs and make sure they work!

Assemble and paint your model, including the fiber "whiskers" on the outside.

The last step is to get some really sharp snips that cut flush to the model and snip the fiber whiskers, exposing clear fiber ends. You might heat these a bit but do be careful! Now light can exit all those lights all over your model.

Go amaze your friends now.

[Slide]

madman, you have anny suggestions on good snips for flush-cutting fibers that are reletively inexpensive?

[Madman Lighting]

Try electronic grade snips or diagonal cutters. Like these:

http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores ... ctId=35482

I try to avoid using a knife cause one little slip and you mar the paint.

enjoy!

-JC.

[Sparky]

Heat blooming on the LED side:
http://www.kc6sye.com/techmages_4_11_04_e.html

Heat blooming on the 'display' side:
http://www.kc6sye.com/techmages_5_4_04_b.html

If you can get some of the parts made in clear that is also a very quick way to make just about any shape area lit. If you need strobes or nav lights, use black CA to lit seal the fiber and LED driver, nearby white LEDs will bleed into the LED even when it's off making the nav or strobe lights appear to be dimly light.

These leds mounted right to a piece of fiber but the general LIght stick in the middle of the model menat you couldn't see the flahsign green very well in a lit room:
http://www.kc6sye.com/techmages_11_10_06.html

These were all hand drilled with a mini bit and pin vice, by several people over the coarse of some builddays:
http://www.kc6sye.com/techmages_1_25_04_j.html
http://www.kc6sye.com/techmages_2_1_04_c.html

[qc]

what is the usual/some ways of mushrooming/blooming the ends?

in one of the sparky's pix the diameter seemed to double..and the end didn't "mushroom" per se, but just got thicker for a small length

thx

[Sparky]

We tried flame, that is not adviseable, since the flame will try to char the fiber as well.

Using Punk didn't work out either:
http://www.kc6sye.com/techmages_5_3_04_b.html

In the end I think we just used a soldering iron with a big flat tip used for soldering lugs onto big power cables.



BTW here's another closeup of drilling whoels with a pin vice:
http://www.kc6sye.com/techmages_4_11_04_d.html