Jump to content

My Custom Tail light Project READY TO BE INSTALLED


D_Venable
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 120
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

OK, I stayed about 2 hours after work, and got some work done on the one tail (now 99% done, gotta finish sealing it up)

 

Put a little glass on the largest openings (it's messy, I know, but you won't see it), and painted the main housing black

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10030/DSCF5820.jpg

 

 

Painted the spacers black

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10030/DSCF5821.jpg

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10030/DSCF5822.jpg

 

 

Tinted the outer lens with RC car window tint

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10030/DSCF5823.jpg

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10030/DSCF5824.jpg

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10030/DSCF5825.jpg

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10030/DSCF5826.jpg

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10030/DSCF5827.jpg

 

:party0049:

Edited by D_Venable
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your idea is great! I'm an old DeVry guy and we use to make circuit boards as you mention for school projects. Buying copper boards and acid solution and etching templates to build our own circuit boards. I agree it is time consuming for the average Joe. But it is simple to do. But here is a thought for you, patent your idea! Then send your schematics to a circuit board company that uses a program called AutoCad to layout your templates on the copper boards with precision using a wax film to resist the acid. There are a few companies that will do this with ease because they have the professional automation equipment to mass produce this type of item. If I get some time I will try to find one for you to consider. Or do a search for circuit board manufacturers. From this point you set a price and sit back and relax and split the profits with the manufacture when the kits are mass produced. You would be doing us and yourself a favor. My two cents.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks great Derek.. :)

 

Now you'll get the PM's asking to make them for others like I do with the flush mount HID projector headlights I made. I just sigh, and explain that it'd cost $1300-1500 to be worth it.

 

LOL

 

 

I'm curious to see what you plan to do with what I sent you last week. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Making the circuit boards isn't really hard, it's just time consuming. The only tricky part is with the transfer film, since I only have 8.5x11 sheets, I have to split the image for each board into 2, and try to line them up with each other (not too bad).

 

But using the iron on the transfer film poses the "challenge", as with a slightly overlapping piece, you get a small ridge, and you can't apply all the pressure to every spot around it, leaving some gaps when you pull the film up. But you can fill in those gaps with a Sharpie, it's ink will also resist the ferric Chloride, but make sure it's 100% dry before you throw into the ferric chloride.

 

if you'd be willing to do that on your own, I'd be more than happy to share the board layouts (jpegs, or the illustrator files, the latter being more detailed, and will print better) and more detailed images/instructions on the component layout.

 

I still have the 3 main boards to make for the other side/tail, and I'm contemplating adding 2 more lines/boards per tail light to have lights filling in the area better. so I still have a lot of work left to do on mine before I can even consider making any for others, which in all honesty, I don't want to do.

 

Derek

 

 

All you have to do is contact a board company in fact all you have to do is upload the file, they will quote the file

then offer a group purchase.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks great. Do those LEDs come in different sizes? It looks like you'd save a little time using about 1/2in leds and the rows would populate the space better for my eye. I love the way you did it but with a bigger LED the back up light might not have to be two rows, and it might look a touch cleaner. Let me know when you change your mind about producing them too, lol.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The company I bought the LEDs from SuperBrightLEDs.com, doesn't offer the 10mm LEDs, and what they do offer that's bigger (only marginally) gets much brighter, in limited colors, and more expensive. The 5mm ones are cheap (for their brightness), and more than bright enough...

 

All of the pics I've taken with them lit up, are taken while they're powered up by a 9V battery, or 2 lantern batteries (wired in series for 12 volt) and they aren't as bright as they will be, close, but there's a noticeable difference.

 

I probably would have been fine with just the one line of the white LEDs, but I'd rather be safe than sorry, I want to be able to light things up with them at night :thumbsup:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ok, a tiny bit more done to the one tail tonight. I got the hole where the wires go through the back sealed up now.

 

I started off by opening the hole in the back of the housing larger

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10030/DSCF5832.jpg

 

 

Then cut a piece of plastic to cover the new larger hole, to bolt to the back. Also picked up some split wire loom, and some rubber grommets.

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10030/DSCF5831.jpg

 

 

The boards all together OUT of the housing :ylsuper:

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10030/DSCF5830.jpg

 

 

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10030/DSCF5834.jpg

 

 

Some silicone sealant/glue applied to seal it up

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10030/DSCF5835.jpg

 

Bolted on

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10030/DSCF5836.jpg

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10030/DSCF5837.jpg

 

Now this side is done, time start on the other side.

 

Derek

Link to comment
Share on other sites

are you worried about moisture getting through the grommet? I figured with all the sealant maybe you should got to an electrical supply store or lowes and get a chord-grip. they have panel mount ones that are NPT with a gasket and a spanner nut you put on the inside. I dont think your connector will pass through is the only bad thing.

 

Looking Good

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No, not worried about the moisture, if any does get in, I have the boards coated with clear lacquer to act as a conformal coating.

 

BUT, the split wire loom BARELY fits through the grommet, and the loom is also wrapped in electrical tape, which makes it fit even tighter in the grommet.

 

The grommet also fits TIGHT in the piece of plastic, it took a good amount of effort to get it in the hole, and the plastic is thick enough that it seals tight against it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While out helping boostandmuscle strip a parts car down, he let me grab a few parts myself, some of which included the tail lights, I just wanted the Starion lenses. The one housing with the good lens is trash (passenger side) and the other side (driver's side) has a ok housing, but the lens is busted.

 

BUT I like the Starion lens

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10030/DSCF5841.jpg

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10030/DSCF5842.jpg

 

Anyone want to trade a Driver's side Starion lens for both Conquest lenses (one is cleared of the black lines and tinted, the other is still untouched, but I'd clear it of the lines and tint it as well if you'd trade.

 

Derek

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Made some more progress today. Stayed after work and finished "hacking" the driver's side housing out.

 

tried to take better pics of this one than I did of the finished side, to give a better visual understanding of what had to go.

 

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10030/DSCF5844.jpg

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10030/DSCF5845.jpg

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10030/DSCF5846.jpg

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10030/DSCF5847.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, got them transferred over to the copper clad board

 

one down, you can see the "joint" where I have to use 2 pieces to make the entire image

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10030/DSCF5853.jpg

 

2 down, and touched up

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10030/DSCF5854.jpg

 

to touch up where the image doesn't completely transfer, you can use a sharpie, it will resist the ferric chloride (etching solution)

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10030/DSCF5855.jpg

 

all 3 and the reverse light boards down and touched up, ready to be cut out

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10030/DSCF5856.jpg

 

B)

Edited by D_Venable
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 Share


×
×
  • Create New...