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Step 3Making the Holder
Perhaps the most time-intensive step is making the polypropylene widgets that will hold the card. There may be a better way to make these, or a simpler, more elegant solution, but this is the what I came up with and it did work.
Before you go making all of these at once DO A FEW TO USE AS A TEMPLATE. Once you've made a couple that work the way you want them to, then go ahead and mass produce the rest. In fact I'd recommend making one full functioning finished card before mass producing any items. You don't want to spend your time making all of these only to find out you messed something up.
First, cut the polypropylene rod into pieces ~7/16". The goal is to be able to have your entire LED fit into the widget up to the small collar on the bottom of the LED and also have room to put a slot for your card in.
Once you've cut the pieces to size. Drill a hole in the middle of the plastic bit with your #11 drill bit. If done properly, the LED should fit snugly into this hole. Do not insert the LEDs until after you have sawed the slot. To hold the tube while drilling you can clamp it to something with your bar clamp or put it gently in a vise or workbench. If you're using a vise, be sure you pad it so that it does not dig into the plastic.
Once you have your holes drilled, you will take your saw blade and cut a notch on one end of the tube to about half its depth. This is the slot where the card will fit in. If done properly you should be able to have the card fit snugly and it will be just about touching the top of a snug fitting LED.
After this point, take your file and clean up any loose plastic. It's OK if these don't look perfect, it won't be too noticeable on the finished product.
When inserting the LED you may want to put a dab of crazy glue for stability, especially if your hole isn't an exact size. When inserting the LED make sure the wires are perpendicular to the slot in the top, this will ensure that the card will be parallel to the base. You can also add a dab of glue for the cards themselves, however we still need to engrave these, so just make sure your slots are the right size by testing some out but don't attach the cards yet.
Before you go making all of these at once DO A FEW TO USE AS A TEMPLATE. Once you've made a couple that work the way you want them to, then go ahead and mass produce the rest. In fact I'd recommend making one full functioning finished card before mass producing any items. You don't want to spend your time making all of these only to find out you messed something up.
First, cut the polypropylene rod into pieces ~7/16". The goal is to be able to have your entire LED fit into the widget up to the small collar on the bottom of the LED and also have room to put a slot for your card in.
Once you've cut the pieces to size. Drill a hole in the middle of the plastic bit with your #11 drill bit. If done properly, the LED should fit snugly into this hole. Do not insert the LEDs until after you have sawed the slot. To hold the tube while drilling you can clamp it to something with your bar clamp or put it gently in a vise or workbench. If you're using a vise, be sure you pad it so that it does not dig into the plastic.
Once you have your holes drilled, you will take your saw blade and cut a notch on one end of the tube to about half its depth. This is the slot where the card will fit in. If done properly you should be able to have the card fit snugly and it will be just about touching the top of a snug fitting LED.
After this point, take your file and clean up any loose plastic. It's OK if these don't look perfect, it won't be too noticeable on the finished product.
When inserting the LED you may want to put a dab of crazy glue for stability, especially if your hole isn't an exact size. When inserting the LED make sure the wires are perpendicular to the slot in the top, this will ensure that the card will be parallel to the base. You can also add a dab of glue for the cards themselves, however we still need to engrave these, so just make sure your slots are the right size by testing some out but don't attach the cards yet.
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Sep 2, 2010. 10:39 PMadrian.robb
says:
Would it have been simpler to use tubing? It already has a hole down the middle.
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Sep 3, 2010. 8:00 AMPaulybo
says:
That's what I plan on getting although I haven't picked it out yet. I am going for a 3/16" ID and 3/8" or 5/16" OD. I don't think the OD is as important as the ID. I will have an update in a few weeks once I have all the parts I need as to whether 3/16" ID (0.1875" vs 0.191" for a #11 drill bit) is appropriate. I have found some online, but I hope to be able and pick up some from Lowes or Home Depot. I am trying to decide between a rigid plastic (hard to cut) and a vinyl tube (strong enough to hold up the card?). I hope to find a material inbetween (like the polypropylene rod that he used).
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Sep 3, 2010. 9:15 AM
JerseyJ (author)
says:
JerseyJ (author)
says:
Rigid tubing was actually one of my first thoughts. The problem is I really wanted to be able to have things fit snugly so it would kinda "snap together" without having to use glue and such because I'm not the neatest guy in the world and I thought the glue could get ugly. I actually tried tubing as well as some of the vinyl/plastic spacers they sell at hardware stores with varying IDs and neither fit to satisfaction. The tubing is definitely an option if you're willing to do extra to secure the LED inside it, but unless the LEDs you get have different casing dimensions it will not be a snug fit.
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