How to: Evenly light gauges w/LEDs

If you sand off the orange and paint it black, a white LED would give it a purple look, almost like a black light wouldn't it? Also, if you paint it black, a white LED showing through will show inconsistancies (sp?) in the black paint more than any other color won't it?

If you just sand off the orange and use either the original light it would probably be bright enough?

I think blue LEDs in the gauges with red needles would look nice. That would eliminate the whole purpose of sanding the orange off the needles. Those needles can't be that easy to sand either, knowing me, I'd break one (hand)
 
I put blue LEDs behind my needles but they were pretty hard to fit in there. I wouldnt up shoving it between the gauge face and motor thing. The gas and temp gauges looked awesome with the blue but the mph and tach didnt work well since the blue didnt shine enough through.
 
Falango said:
If you sand off the orange and paint it black, a white LED would give it a purple look, almost like a black light wouldn't it? Also, if you paint it black, a white LED showing through will show inconsistancies (sp?) in the black paint more than any other color won't it?

You would have to do a light coat of black paint, but then it would just look grey, I believe. You should do a purple paint if that's what you want, but thin it up first, and do a few layers. You will have to test to get what you want. I also have not tested the multi-layer theory either, so you would have to test it.

Falango said:
If you just sand off the orange and use either the original light it would probably be bright enough?

Yes, then it would be white.

Falango said:
I think blue LEDs in the gauges with red needles would look nice. That would eliminate the whole purpose of sanding the orange off the needles. Those needles can't be that easy to sand either, knowing me, I'd break one (hand)

The sanding part is rather easy. It gets a little tricky getting into the base of the needle. Where they tend to break is the very thin metal rod that plugs the needle into the "servo" for lack of better term that turns the needle. It is actually some sort of magnetic field type of thing, a bunch of copper wires bound around some plastic. You can see it in my broken gauge pic above.
 
(moon) I just realized I called the paint "Testes" instead of Testors.... fixing... Btw, if you go to a real hobby shop with lots of paint colors, they make paints just for plastic car light lenses, and are basically clear paints, and would be perfect. Even better would be an airbrush so you can get a real even coat. I hadn't thought of that until I harkened back to my model building days. Just be sure to mask off the parts you don't want painted.
 
Falango said:
Very nice job Rism, I'm impressed. That's a little project I'm going to have to do eventually, I hate how my gauges aren't lit incredibly well. Don't the needles have an orange tint to them on those gauges already? Does a white LED break through that orange or did you have to get different needles?

Blynd_Spy:
Since the gauges have an orange overlay on them, did you have to sand that off when you used the blue LEDs?

There is a color silkscreening (the term Green01LX used) on the back of the gauge plates themselves that produces the color. The bulbs are normally white with a colored "condom" over them. In mine there were white bulbs with green condoms and green silkscreening. Newer models apparently have orange/red.
 
Haha, I was gonna say Testes paint?!? Testors does work great, I use it all the time when I build those plastic models.
 
Mixing up my model rocket engines and the paints and a little Freud in there, too
 
My brain just gave me an excellent idea. On customizing the gauge face-plate:

Sand off the whole little block where the idiot light could show. Use an inkjet printer on a printable transparency to get exactly whatever icon you want. Attach it however it works, glue, tape, whatever (probably glue), and you have a completely custom faceplate! Hell, I'm going to Staples tomorrow! I have been wracking my brain for hours on how to fix my now f---ed up faceplate (since I was testing on it). You could have the blinkers say f--- you! or "LEFT" or whatever. Dude, I'm excited...

And you use #74 led's from superbrightleds.com to get the colors you want. Hell yes!(attn)
 
anyone have LED exterior lighting? I really like the LEDs on exterior lighting (signals, brakes)
 
pdhaudio83 said:
so no new pics rism? damn it be nice looking like that honduh cluster

Nah during the process of adding lights to the needles I messed up a trace on circuit board. At the time I didnt know what the problem was. It turns out the trace was what lit the gauge lights. So I freaked and desoldered everything cause I thought I might have overloaded it. So after driving to danbury to get one of spicymchaggis' extra boards and having that now work I realised the broken trace on my old board and just soldered it back. Now it works again. Right now im just using 1 string LED for the gas/temp and four 6 light LED bulbs.

Instead of using type 74 LEDs in the 2 small holes just solder 2 194/168 type LEDs in its much better since the type 74s do nothing to help light
 
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PDH:
I am building a list in my mod book right now of a complete exterior lighting set up. I plan on starting a thread about LED lighting for the entire car. I am doing everything except headlights. Those are going to be Osram Silverstars. Gotta love tabbed browsing with Firefox.

RISM:
interesting, got a pic of the 194's in their spot?
 
I'll make one, post it, and if you guys like, I'll mail it to you. Cool?
 
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