LED moding scale model semi and trailer

[Melvang]

Alright guys I have a friend of mine that wants to add some LED's to a scale model truck and trailer.  He is wanting some 1mm LED's.  Any suggestions on where to find red, amber, and white in this size?

All of these are going to be hand wired so through hole mount style would make this tons easier. 

[dorkvader]

Finding through-hole LEDs in that size might be the biggest issue: I just did a quick search and only turned up a few hits on mouser.

You may be able to work with SMD LEDs and just be really precise and careful. I have soldered a "pigtail" to a SMD board before, and the process is similar for adding leads to an SMD diode, you'd want to reflow or have a really fine tip, though.

I'll buy some small LEDs next time I mouser (they're cheap enough) and play around with them.


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Usually for small holes, you just get a bigger LED and mount it internally with a small lightpipe to where the light needs to shine out. This can be combines with different optics to get a spread out headlight effect, etc. Depending on the model, this may be the easiest way.

0402 leds are somewhat uncommon, but 0608 are really common. Both are probably smaller than you'll need.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/SMT_sizes,_based_on_original_by_Zureks.svg/330px-SMT_sizes,_based_on_original_by_Zureks.svg.png

[Melvang]

thanks for the info DV.  I will pass that along.

[HoffmanMyster]

If you do use SMD and just attach leads, it helps to then throw some hot glue on the joint to give it some structural rigidity.  Otherwise it'll be very easy to break the joint.  Really frustrating.  Not sure how obvious or helpful it is, but I just thought I'd throw it out there.

[Melvang]

If you do use SMD and just attach leads, it helps to then throw some hot glue on the joint to give it some structural rigidity.  Otherwise it'll be very easy to break the joint.  Really frustrating.  Not sure how obvious or helpful it is, but I just thought I'd throw it out there.

Not a prob Hoffman.  I am not the one doing the model modding.  Just the guy with a half ass understanding on the electronics side of what he wants to do.