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Fiber Optics 101

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  • Member since
    February 2005
Fiber Optics 101
Posted by TommyHawk on Thursday, March 10, 2005 11:24 AM
Hi! I'm planning to install my first fiber optics, but I don't have any real insight on what works and what doesn't. I've got a bunch of tiny circuit board drills in the right diameters, and I'm putting together some blinking LEDs, but I'd really like your expertise in actually installing them...

What glue should I use? Regular model glue (Proweld or that stuff in the orange tube)? CA? CA gel? A hot glue gun? Elmers?

What tricks do you like?

Thanks!Smile [:)]
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 10, 2005 8:58 PM
If the area is easy to sand, I like to use CA and push about half a millimeter extra through the hole. When the CA is set, sand the ends flush to the surface.

If you use that method, you have to mask off the ends of the fiber before painting.

Otherwise, use fine sandpaper and make a nice flat end on the fiber and push it into the hole. Glue it from the back with a dab of CA or 5 minute epoxy
  • Member since
    February 2005
Posted by TommyHawk on Friday, March 11, 2005 9:56 AM
Thanks Hatewall. I'll use the CA... I think I've heard somewhere that CA makes the fibers "brittle" (from a chemical reaction?), but that might be just because the bond is so stiff. I'm installing these into a cockpit so they'll need to bend quite a bit, but I'll see what happens.

Do you use a syringe with the epoxy?
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 11, 2005 7:31 PM
usually just a piece of wire or stretched sprue.

CA will make them britle, so epoxy may be what you need to use in this case.
  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Oregon
Posted by maxx1969 on Saturday, March 12, 2005 12:56 AM
And what ever you do don't use CA accelerators with fiber optics...Very bad things can happen.

Matt
~Matt T Meyer
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