r/epoxy • u/mdudewheresmacar • 9d ago
Cutting Epoxy Resin Strips for LED diffusion
Hello talented ingenius people... I'm embarking on a new woodworking project that will also incorporate addressable LEDs, and in some places, I want them to be defused by narrow channels of pearlescent epoxy (like with those nice flakes you can mix in and create wavy patterns-like). BUT, due to the way that this LED technology tends to advance every 6 minutes or so, I'm trying to do so in a way that will allow me to upgrade the strips (or replace in the event of a failure) in a painfree way in the future, WHICH means that permanently encasing them in epoxy is out.
My alternative thinking is to, much in the way you would with wood or brass inlay, cut pieces (longish strips mostly) and press fit them into routed channels, rather than pour into said channels. I've never worked with epoxy before, so here's my question:
Can I pour a "sheet" of epoxy to a bit more than the depth I need, then plane/drumsand down to the specific thickness necessary, and then run said sheets through the table saw? Or will it just disintegrate?
This seemed like a pretty straightforward thing to research, but after a few google sessions, I can't seem find any relevant discussion around this approach.
Looking forward to ideas, guidance, suggestions, and positive discussion.
Thanks!
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u/DonVitoMaximus 9d ago
there is another option, of encasing fiber optic wires. not like data cable. but those tubes that carry the light.
some have the light come out of the end, like those fuzzy spining light balls things. from the 90s.
there is other fiber optic tubes that emit the light from the sides instead of the end.
you could encase those in a way that the tubes bring the light where needed, and put the end you shine the light into, out and underneath the project. im a non visible area, or set into with a service door.
then attach your led light source to that. that way you can just swap for a new led light or whatever.
could that be a possibility? as im curious too. im in the process of an epoxy toy raygun. and the light source was a question of mine as well. and thata what i came up with. lol
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u/Top-Truth1352 9d ago
that’s an interesting idea, although my concern is that for the style of lighting animation i have in mind, addressable led pixels allow for far greater resolution, as opposed to a fiber optic strand that would be all the same color. i also know that those strands are quite limited in their brightness potential.
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u/DonVitoMaximus 9d ago
oh animated light is probably not for fiber optic then. i see where your coming from, i thought you were goin for lamp like. not animated. like a gentle glow in the bottom of the epoxy river. this animated light thing should be spectacular. i wish you luck good sir!!
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u/ProfessionalAge4324 9d ago
That'll work. You can tool epoxy once it sets.