Nice! That Alclad looks great.
For those of us not as savvy, could you elaborate more on the wiring and lighting process? I've often thought that this would be ideal kit for someone who has never tried lighting a model up before.
Looking forward to further updates.
Well CosmicJ, that is one reason I choose this kit to light up, it is my first light job with LEDS and puts me on the learning curve. First, with LEDs you need to reduce the current from the battery with a resistor or you will burn out the LED. A very basic rule of thumb is to take the voltage you plan on using, divide by .02 and there is your resistor value. I'm using a 9 volt battery which gives me a value of 450 so I can use any resisitor of 450 ohm or GREATER. The greater the ohm number the dimmer the LED. I'm using 470 ohm because that was easiest to find. Each LED gets a resistor between it and the battery.
Next is perf board, this is the little IC board you solder everything to. All it does is hold things together and keep things in order. You can buy these cheap at Radio Shack or from All Electronics.com. Now just solder everything together testing at every connection, keep in mind that current flows only one way through an LED, not both like through a light bulb.
The next big thing is light leakage. These little LEDs are bright and will shine right through your plastic so coat the interior with a high density black paint, maybe a second coat of white or silver or glue foil inside the body to reflect the light back and check your work in a darkened room. After that it's basic model construction and painting. This is really simple stuff compared to lighting a starship which takes a boatload more of your time but the same basic principles are in effect. For flashing effects add a divider/counter chip like a 555 chip to your board but that is a little more complex discussion. If you want it fast and easy and don't mind paying the price then Federation Models or VCSHobbies carries a variety of lighting kits to name just a few.
Once I do the build feature for this kit I'll include more details of what I have done.
Nice job in this one, Swanny ... and you too Roy. Swanny, you're attention to detail REALLY shows in the paint job. What you've got thus far as inspired me to put this one on my "to do" list. I have worked a few lighted kits before, but not completed them as they are a little slow to get together, but I think this one is simple a perfect "first" kit.
Again, nice job thus far. We'll keep watching this one!
Great job Swanny ... I will be getting my Iron Man tomorrow I'm going to try this pose. Did you use a lighting kit on yours or did do it yourself?
I used the VooDoo Fx lighting kit but really this is pretty easy to do on your own. I changed the chest LED and should have changed the head LED. The chest was changed over to a 5mm LED and I should have put a wider viewing angle LED in the head. The 30 degree viewing angle on the kit provided piece is not that great for lighting the eyes.
I'm almost done with this one, just have to do the eye lenses, fix the helmet and fix one paint issue on the back and this baby is ready to present.
bilbirk wrote:Nice work to all of you. It makes me want to go out and buy one of these kits
Yes, listen to the voices .... buy more model kits!
Do you have a list of materials you use to light the kit. I am lighting a viper and I am at a loss on what type of batter/LED/Risistors I need.
Thanks,
Jon
Hi
you can find a LED lighting kit for your viper the same place where Greasy in Sic-Fi got his Iron Man lighting kit from!
http://www.voodoofx.com/fiberfx.htm
you will find the viper lighting kit under the NX-01 Lighting Kit, just click on the LIGHTING button.
Swanny wrote: I was considering installing a sound chip to play the intro from Black Sabbath but didn't.
Boba Fett wrote:That is so awesome! I love the paint. Alclad works wonders...