8 replies to this topic

[allecb]

so the directions say to paint the little dots on the headlights flat white. but ive seen an audi r8 or two posted on here, where they just "blobbed" the dots on, and it looked horrible.

 

whats the best way to make it look precise and clean?

http://www.4pwp.com/...s-1920x1440.jpg

[allecb]

no one?

[Ace-Garageguy]

On the real car, are the LEDs behind the clear plastic cover ? I'd assume yes, in which case painting them on the back, using the brightest titanium-white acrylic you can find, using the tip of a toothpik might get close. Because the things are illuminated on the 1:1 car, you'll never be able to capture that exact look with current technology.

 

You MIGHT be able to come up with something really cool using Electroluminescent tape, either cut-down or masked somehow.

 

[allecb]

yeah on the real car they are. on the model however theres clear dots on the actual clear lens itself, and the instructions say to paint on the lens. i dont expect it to look photo-realistic, i just didnt want to have kindergarten blobs on the headlights. the toothpick idea is a good one!

Edited by allecb, 04 March 2013 - 09:09 AM.

[kalbert]

Can you drill tiny holes in the housing behind the lens and mount a white LED behind it to shine through the tiny holes?

[TurboKitty]

Drilling tiny holes and using fiber optic strands with a single white LED looks great. It wasn't too hard to do but make sure you have a steady hand when drilling the holes & be patient, routing the fiber optic strands was a bit tricky. You can illuminate the tail lights this way too. Look for the Illuminator kit on ebay along with .25 mm clear optic fiber from the same seller.

Edited by TurboKitty, 04 March 2013 - 11:08 AM.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Oh man, the fiber optic idea sounds great. Wish I had thought of that. Very cool indeed.

[blunc]

the fiber optic idea is a great one, I have seen/worked with some of the hair-thin fibers, my wife wanted some sparkly bits added to some angel wing costume she was doing and acquired a cheap fiber optic kit that was battery powered.

 

the new white LEDs are perfect for this application and would run for a long time on a couple "coin batteries" connected in parallel (I have done this for some table centerpieces a couple years ago).

 

the trick will be in getting the fiber optic lines glued in and run to the light source without being seen.

[TurboKitty]

When I did my R8, I used a few brushed on coats of Future to secure the tips within the drilled holes. Once that was dry, I carefully taped the strands flat against the inside of the body with a long piece of masking tape and trimmed it where needed with an xacto blade so the tape didn't show on the outside of the body. Then install the interior tub, and carefully collect the fibers from each side together (leave a little slack) and using some small wire ties or thin strips of tape, secure them together to make 1 bundle so you can install it in the illuminator kit. Because you won't use enough fiber for a snug fit in the illuminator sleeve, you'll need to use a small strip of electrical tape at the end where the fibers join inside the sleeve to build up width for a snug fit. At this time use a sharp razor blade to trim the end of the fibers flush so they are all the same length. You'll need to figure out where you want the on/off switch to go, I cut a small rectangle in the chassis and secured it with a few drops of glue from a hot glue gun. Some clear silicone will work fine too, I just wanted it to be removable. Then connect the rest of the illuminator kit, the battery fits good between the rear of the interior.tub and chassis with a little grinding here & there. I wish I would have taken pics when building it but hopefully you get the idea.