I wanted to make glowing tokens for tracking fear points in the game. How creepy would the pieces be if they lit and dimmed in a rhythmic pattern? The typical method is casting the parts in resin, but that's a messy endeavor, so I decided to prototype with hot glue, which disperses light naturally.
Token-making supplies
I bought some silicone molds from a hobby store since they should withstand hot glue temperatures without a problem. I positioned my LEDs in one and held them with a dab from the gun.
Positioning with glue
The gun had a high and low setting, and I kept it at the maximum. Some of the larger molds needed me to add a couple of layers while the sticks heated up. While hot, the glue was mostly clear but became cloudy as it cooled.
Adding that stuff like it's cheap. Because it is
In some tokens, I added tiny clear beads to diffuse light and hide the lights, which was the same concept for building a chandelier. Diffusion through dissimilar materials should also work if I move to clear resin.
Beads to diffuse light?
The first test with the beads wasn't great because the LEDs had to face inward and light up best when upright. I filled a small mold with the emitters and another with spheres, then stacked them.
Perhaps two layers will succeed
A big problem was getting glue into all the crevices before the cast cooled. Some of the bubbles were so troublesome that beads fell out after demolding. I placed a test that was likely to fail on my cooking range at low temperature, and the glue became fluid while a couple of bubbles tried to escape.
Heating a silicone mold on the range works
Some of the designs worked better than others. I hoped I could make a small bauble that lit up almost uniformly and produce enough for a four-player game. Because orientation is so important, I couldn't make something I was proud of.
The best results were too large and had three or four lights, so they weren't great for the game. As a futuristic e-money prop, they might work.
Daily winners
The rest of the posts for this project have been arranged by date.
First time here?
Completed projects from year 1
Completed projects from year 2
Completed projects from year 3
Completed projects from year 4
Completed projects from year 5
Completed projects from year 6
Completed projects from year 7
Completed projects from year 8
Disclaimer for http://24hourengineer.blogspot.com and 24HourEngineer.com
This disclaimer must be intact and whole. This disclaimer must be included if a project is distributed.
All information on this blog, or linked by this blog, is not to be taken as advice or solicitation. Anyone attempting to replicate, in whole or in part, is responsible for the outcome and procedure. Any loss of functionality, money, property, or similar, is the responsibility of those involved in the replication.
All digital communication regarding the email address 24hourengineer@gmail.com becomes the intellectual property of Brian McEvoy. Any information contained within these messages may be distributed or retained at the discretion of Brian McEvoy. Any email sent to this address, or any email account owned by Brian McEvoy, cannot be used to claim property or assets.
Comments to the blog may be utilized or erased at the discretion of the owner. No one posting may claim property or assets based on their post.
This blog, including pictures and text, is copyright to Brian McEvoy.
2022-08-04
I bought some silicone molds from a hobby store since they should withstand hot glue temperatures without a problem. I positioned my LEDs in one and held them with a dab from the gun.
The gun had a high and low setting, and I kept it at the maximum. Some of the larger molds needed me to add a couple of layers while the sticks heated up. While hot, the glue was mostly clear but became cloudy as it cooled.
In some tokens, I added tiny clear beads to diffuse light and hide the lights, which was the same concept for building a chandelier. Diffusion through dissimilar materials should also work if I move to clear resin.
The first test with the beads wasn't great because the LEDs had to face inward and light up best when upright. I filled a small mold with the emitters and another with spheres, then stacked them.
A big problem was getting glue into all the crevices before the cast cooled. Some of the bubbles were so troublesome that beads fell out after demolding. I placed a test that was likely to fail on my cooking range at low temperature, and the glue became fluid while a couple of bubbles tried to escape.
Some of the designs worked better than others. I hoped I could make a small bauble that lit up almost uniformly and produce enough for a four-player game. Because orientation is so important, I couldn't make something I was proud of.
Results from the workshop
The best results were too large and had three or four lights, so they weren't great for the game. As a futuristic e-money prop, they might work.
The rest of the posts for this project have been arranged by date.
First time here?
Completed projects from year 1
Completed projects from year 2
Completed projects from year 3
Completed projects from year 4
Completed projects from year 5
Completed projects from year 6
Completed projects from year 7
Completed projects from year 8
Disclaimer for http://24hourengineer.blogspot.com and 24HourEngineer.com
This disclaimer must be intact and whole. This disclaimer must be included if a project is distributed.
All information on this blog, or linked by this blog, is not to be taken as advice or solicitation. Anyone attempting to replicate, in whole or in part, is responsible for the outcome and procedure. Any loss of functionality, money, property, or similar, is the responsibility of those involved in the replication.
All digital communication regarding the email address 24hourengineer@gmail.com becomes the intellectual property of Brian McEvoy. Any information contained within these messages may be distributed or retained at the discretion of Brian McEvoy. Any email sent to this address, or any email account owned by Brian McEvoy, cannot be used to claim property or assets.
Comments to the blog may be utilized or erased at the discretion of the owner. No one posting may claim property or assets based on their post.
This blog, including pictures and text, is copyright to Brian McEvoy.
2022-08-04
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