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Supercoley's DIY LED Luminaire Mk III

Looking at that video the flame method doesn't look as good as mine. His edges look like they are rippled slightly. I don't have a blow torch either 🙁
 
Hey supercoley great build,
Could you possibly tell us where you bought all of the materials from?
You've got me thinking about a hung version of this for my 90cm tank...
 
SuperColey1 said:
Looking at that video the flame method doesn't look as good as mine. His edges look like they are rippled slightly. I don't have a blow torch either 🙁
Click to expand...
If it is the pristine glass like finish you want then doing it your way is the correct choice. In the past i've even gone down to P3000 W/D to remove the scratches from a protective display cover i made.
It was purely the speed thing that attracted me to the flame method. That and i like to use the blow torch attachment for my soldering iron wherever i can.
Crossocheilus said:
Hey supercoley great build,
Could you possibly tell us where you bought all of the materials from?
You've got me thinking about a hung version of this for my 90cm tank...
Click to expand...
I'll second this. I have a Rio 180 with standard T5 that i want to replace.
 
jy_oc_hx said:
If it is the pristine glass like finish you want then doing it your way is the correct choice. In the past i've even gone down to P3000 W/D to remove the scratches from a protective display cover i made.
It was purely the speed thing that attracted me to the flame method. That and i like to use the blow torch attachment for my soldering iron wherever i can.
Click to expand...

YEp I want to see through it depthwise. lol. I went to P1200, then moved straight onto car scratch remover, then finished with car polish.

I'll second this. I have a Rio 180 with standard T5 that i want to replace.
Click to expand...

Not where I bought the original acrylic sheet but I've just bought some from these guys as it was cheaper (free delivery)
http://www.theplasticpeople.co.uk

These might nor be the original sellers because that was 2012 but a quick search finds the following:

LED stars:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10pcs-3W-...al_Components_Supplies_ET&hash=item5660ec0ee4

Lenses and holders (I use 120degfree lenses like these):
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20x-LED-L...al_Components_Supplies_ET&hash=item51c3fd8a6e

Long heatsinks (you have to contact them for 600mm long ones.):
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/100-600mm...mponents_Supplies_ET&var=&hash=item3ce9e9942b

Driver running the front and rear series of 12 LEDs ( I think it is this driver. very similar if not):
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IP67-LED-...UK_BOI_Lights_Lighting_ET&hash=item58b478260a

Driver running the centre row of 6 LEDs (can't find the one I bought but this should be OK:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AC-85-265...ing_Parts_and_Accessories&hash=item3a841949d9

Wire is wire, plugs are plugs. Don't need to link to them.
 
stunning result, stunning savings also!
amazing. will also be my next project! will be looking for Arduino controlled led drivers too.
 
Many thanks. It is still working but the 18 LEDs proved way too fast growth. Not algae problems but pruning every other day is not my thing 🙂

I am now running it with just the front and back rows on and it is still growing pretty fast.

I should add just to address the concerns of MDF swelling. The acrylic paint seems to have done it's job of sealing the MDF very well. There is no swelling. The only thing I have had to do is wipe some mould off the bottom of the inside rails once. It was on the surface only so wiped straight off with no stain.

IMG_1380.JPG

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IMG_1384.JPG
 
Looking good. Acrylic paint...thanks for the info I'll use it to paint the new top for my IKEA Besta "aquarium" cabinet.
 
Nice project compliments!! Nice update as well i was already wondering how it turned out after a year, reading this topic about 2 months ago for the first time.. 🙂 Good to know that 18 leds are rather at the high end and 12 will do as good if not better also with the low carpet looking still very pretty. Thanks for the update.. 🙂
 
The carpet is about an inch and a half again at the moment. Have to get the scissors out again. lol
 
Hope I'm not reviving a dead thread but :

I'm looking at making something similar - maybe not as artistic but definitely as functional! I'm considering perspex sides and top along with aluminium heatsinks.

I'm hoping to use some 10W LED's but I'm a bit concerned about wiring and wondered if you'd be able to post a guide of some sort on this as I haven't seen this mentioned in your journal.

A wiring diagram would be very much appreciated!
 
How does the acrylic react with the heat produced by the leds? Is it bending?

Don't you need fans to lower the heat produced ?
 
bonelias said:
How does the acrylic react with the heat produced by the leds? Is it bending?

Don't you need fans to lower the heat produced ?
Click to expand...

The acrylic is bending but I doubt it has too much to do with the heat of the LEDs. I made acrylic lids for my smaller tanks as well as this one and they have bent more than the luminaire sheet. The centre of the luminaire acrylic is about 2mm larger gap between the heatsink than at the ends whereas the lids have bent 5mm end to end. The corners of the lids are 5mm above the tank glass than the centre.

I will show this on the next update.

MedicMan said:
Hope I'm not reviving a dead thread but :

I'm looking at making something similar - maybe not as artistic but definitely as functional! I'm considering perspex sides and top along with aluminium heatsinks.

I'm hoping to use some 10W LED's but I'm a bit concerned about wiring and wondered if you'd be able to post a guide of some sort on this as I haven't seen this mentioned in your journal.

A wiring diagram would be very much appreciated!
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure 10W may well have heat problems however never used anything other than 3W. Wiring these is pretty simple. Its a daisy chain. + from driver soldered to + on first LED, - on first LED to + on second LED, - on second LED to + on third LED etc. - on the final LED to - on the driver. So in series the driver + goes to + end of the series, the driver - goes to the - end of the series then - to +, - to + and you have an LED necklace.

I will update this as I did make a small change to the setup. The lense holders were originally fitted into the acrylic sheet. I decided to alter that and have the lenses on the LEDs themselves and making the holes in the acrylic larger. The heatsinks have some foam spacers on them at the ends which keeps them 2mm off the acrylic.

I also changed the lenses/holders to some clear ones which radiate light out of the acrylic sheet sides now 🙂 The black lense holders are gone.
 
bonelias said:
How does the acrylic react with the heat produced by the leds? Is it bending?
Click to expand...

Depends a little bit on the production process and whatever you make, make it from GS acrylic. If you don't ask or just buy you might as well get XT Acrylic, wich is not realy suitable for machining and more susceptible to bending and cracking because it has internal tensions due to it's production process.

The glass transition temperatur for most acrylic is 105°C, it's getting weak from 85°C to 165°C.. 🙂 A High power led can get fairly hot 60°C is no exception and even more.
So that's pretty close to the acrylics glass transition point. 🙂 where tension releases and gravity slowly start to kick in.. This you have to take in consideration when working with highpower leds and acrylic.

@SuperColey1 If i see correctly i see you constructed it with a little gap between heatsink and acrylic?? The bending probably would have been less or even absend if you screwed the heatsink firmly to the acrylic without gap, the aloy heatsink would function as a support beam preventing the bending. 🙂
 
2mm bend in the middle is OK with me. It isn't getting any worse.
 
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Yes it's neglectable, i have the same with my first acrylic project, where is a gap between sink and acrylic already at a 45°c at 10 hours a day, also about a few mm.. In the second attempt i left out the gap and it didn't bend it stays as straight as the heatsink is.. 🙂
 
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