Angel Eyes comes in a variety from flourescent or CCFL type down to LED type. There are numerous homemade version also, and as a DIY'er. I will post one here , from using an ACRYLIC rod bent to a circle form and put a high flux led at both ends to for a circle of light like in the photo as shown, step by step procedure will be documented for all diy'ers.
ACRYLIC rod is very difficult to find at local store, only sheets are. But do you know that those so called
VENETIAN BLINDS that some houses use to their windows to block the sun have this kind of rod. :-)
There it is, the clear rod hanging from the blinds. It is actually the rod that they rotate to open and close the blinds.
For the materials and tools that we will be needing to perform this DIY are
1. The rod of course
2. heating element, (HEAT GUN, hot air gun or station) note: do not use any flames on the rod or it will produce bubbles inside that will ruin the rod when lighted
3. Led 2 pcs color of your desire
4 shrinkable tube--more on this later
5. soldering iron and lead
6. pieces of long wire for the leds
7. 2 pcs 1 kohm resistor--to limit the current on the leds when 12 volts is used
8. mini drill to put holes and rings around the rod
9. cutting disc, drill bits, or any means that can put holes at each edge of the formed rod--later on this one
Firstly, form the venetian blind acrylic rod to a circle form by using the heat gun, and any means of former like bottle or coffee ceramic cup (what i used), taking precautionary measure not too heat up too close to what i did and get bubbles on the rod that may affect the light output later, shown on the photo is my error.
Another shot of the bubbles, (need to sand it later)
Secondly, after your circle form, the product must look like this, ( the bubble failure still visible at the top right portion of the ring.
Its time to make way for the LED to be fitted at both ends of the ring, just drill down to a led size as shown, to secure the led at the edge, to make it nice and clean do not use electrical tape, use SHRINKABLE tube, this rubber tube shrink when heated, available at local electronic parts supply stores nationwide or you can get it online.
I am not actually pleased with the result with a simple effect on the clear tube since a transparent tube will just waste some of the light being emitted by led by passing through on them, so i decided to put some effect on the rod by cutting small lines along the rod as shown.
closer view of the cut.
when done cutting along the line will look like as shown.
now finishing the other led at the edge with limiting current resistor in place must look like this.
and LIGHTS on..
not as flashy like the CCFL type angel eyes but worth a try.
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