Sourcing components for edge lit acrylic signs.

I want to add edge lit acrylic signs. I have a good source for acrylic but I want to purchase LED components in bulk. To start probably enough to do 10 or 20 signs at a time.

I've found the LED tape that you can cut but it comes in rolls of 5 meters with 1 wall wart power supply, 1 controller & 1 remote to change colors. I don't mind buying spools of LED in different colors if it saves me not having to buy other components. I just want to have the LED match the color on the customers logo.

I have experience soldering smaller electronics so I'm m able to solder the connections.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thank you
Gary

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gary-Wiant

I don't mind buying spools of LED in different colors if it saves me not having to buy other components. I just want to have the LED match the color on the customers logo.

---

If it's the RGB strips you're looking at red, green, blue, magenta, cyan and white are just a matter of how the solder connections are made. Straight connection from power to a section of strip. The single color strips may offer greater intensity (lumens), I've never looked into that. I'm using a cheap RGB strip and in a well lit room the engraving isn't very bright even at a full 12V. Searching Amazon or Ebay for "RGB remote control" brings up a lot of results and that's the easy way to get more variety of color.

If you're new to this here's an opportunity to learn from my mistakes.Attachment 408842
Compare the front and back wheels, that's what happens if the material isn't absolutely level.
Looking at the CAMARO text shows what happens if the cutter runs too deep, to get detail the surface just needs scratching at 0.008" or so.
A 60 degree cutter would have been a better choice than the 90 degree used. And it should be an engraving bit instead of generic v-bit, v-bits often don't come to a true point.
And if you own a drag knife....well lucky you.

I purchase a spring loaded 90° diamond drag bit to use for these. Is there anywhere I can find a list of which connections to wire for the different colors?

Thank you
Gary

If I go single color spools will I still need the RGB controllers?

What do I need for a wall wart? Can I just use the 12v 1amp cheapie ones from eBay or Amazon?

Here is a mid-point entry to using RGB LED strips. Depending on what you want to do. The general idea behind RGB strips is each LED has the capability of providing the three RGB primary colours. By using PWM (Pulse WIdth Modulation) on each coloured LED (3 channels), you can generate (almost) any colour.

https://learn.adafruit.com/rgb-led-strips/wiring

If you only need one colour then just get that colour.

I'd be interested to see some of your work (pictures) as I am also intending to provide LED lighting to some of my acrylic projects.

The RGB controllers provide the 3 channels so to use a single colour does not need such a controller but different colour LED's have slightly different voltage/current characteristics by default.

Be sure to current limit the voltages if you use wall-warts or other power supplies.


Cheers,

Harry E.

Although it would be possible to use independent resistors to limit the current for a particular LED colour/channel and obtain the colour you want, it increases complexity and hinders troubleshooting and makes things more messy. Many modern LED strips are designed to run off a nominal 12 Vdc power supply and the specifications will tell how much current/power is needed per meter of strip lighting.

As an example, if 1 metre of strip needs 15 watts at 12 Vdc, then the power supply needs to be able to deliver at least 1.25A (That's a linear calculation so I'd uprate the power supply to at least 1.5A (about 20W)). But having said that, you now want to set each channel (RGB) so you'd need to limit the current for each channel to get the colour you want so a resistor would be needed to dissipate the excess power for the channels.

Since you are now providing products that have electricity involved, there may also be other factors to consider such as safety, fire hazards and other stuff too.

Far easier to just use a colour controller with matching power supply for needed strip length and set it to the desired colour. The controllers generally have memories or perhaps other patterns that are programmable.

Companies with their own specific colour are often very pedantic about the colour so a precise match would be a lot easier to dial-in with the controller.

But I know nothing about your intended Customers or other specifics you need :-)


Cheers,

HarryE.
===

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gary-Wiant

I purchase a spring loaded 90° diamond drag bit to use for these.

---

Yeah drag bit not drag knife, and there's the proof that I don't own one.

Quote:

---

Is there anywhere I can find a list of which connections to wire for the different colors?

---

On my strip blue+green=cyan correctly but red+green=magenta and in theory that should be yellow. I think the reason for that is the colors run at different currents and that's where the controllers come into play. So far this hackery has worked but for a customer best avoided.

Quote:

---

If I go single color spools will I still need the RGB controllers?

---

For a customer best to use whatever manufacturer allows.

Quote:

---

What do I need for a wall wart? Can I just use the 12v 1amp cheapie ones from eBay or Amazon?

---

My complete roll came with 2A so 1A should be plenty for a section. This roll is cheap eBay 12v 5050.

I'm heading to the local electric supply company today to see if they can get me bulk packs that are safe & affordable. It doesn't matter how many I can get if customers won't spend the money for them.

If anyone is willing to share where they buy the matched components that would be great

Thank you