Need LEDs for your clothes?
2010-Apr-08, Thursday 12:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chebeTo attach an LED to your clothes you need to think about how you're going to do the wiring. If it's the old-fashioned wires and heat-shrink, you're set. If you're thinking conductive thread, then your LEDs will need something the thread can attach to.
The easiest way to grab some regular LEDs, and twist the legs into loops. They will end up either pointing straight up (perpendicular to the fabic), or laying on their side along the fabric. But they tend to be bulky, catch often, and not look very nice.
So, you want something smaller... do I hear the words 'surface mount LEDs'? Well, you can buy some of the Lilypad ones, they come ready to sew on, but sadly only come in very bright white.
If you want more variety and control, you're going to have to make your own 'surface mount LED beads'. Here's how.
One, get some surface mount LEDs. These can be very pricey, so look around before purchasing. It also helps to know about things like forward voltage and the rest, and if I ever properly figure it out I'll share, promise. Main thing is ensure they can be powered with your power source. Usual battery options are 1.5V, 3V, and 9V (though not with the Lilypad). They may light with a lower power than they like, but it will be dim, and if you're going to attach them in series you will have problems. And if your power source is too high you will burn out the LEDs quickly.
Surface mount LEDs (sm-LEDs) are small. Very small. This is the top, the bit that lights up. Notice the two metal strips at either end.
This is the back. Notice the marking? The side next to the flat line (|--) is the positive end. The other the negative. Just like regular LEDs.
Next you're going to need crimp beads. Metal ones. Lots of them. You will end up destroying many, especially if it's your first attempt at this.
The idea is to solder a crimp bead to each end of the sm-LED, so that you can sew through the beads to attach them to the fabric and carry current to the sm-LED.
This is tricky, frustrating, annoying, and time-consuming. I've tried a few different approaches and this is what worked best for me.
First, get a piece of scrap wood. Now, gouge a small indent in the wood, the size of one of your crimp beads. Lay your sm-LED with one of the metal ends right up to the side of the hole. Tape the sm-LED in place.
Pick the crimp bead up with the soldering iron (for this reason a regular round tip, slightly smaller than your beads diameter, is best) like you would any bead with a beading needle. Make sure the soldering iron tip is really clean. Any excess solder will result in the bead getting stuck.
Now bring the bead to the sm-LED. Add solder. Do this quickly, only a couple of seconds, and be wary of scorching your sm-LED. To take away the soldering iron, pull it out to the side quickly, with a slight downward motion. So that you are in essence scrapping the crimp bead off. With the heat removed the solder will harden.
Allow to cool, untape, and turn the sm-LEDs around. Repeat for this other end.
After you have finished put the beads through quality control. Check the crimp beads haven't filled up with solder (you won't be able to get the thread through if they have). Hopefully the two crimp beads will lay in the same plane, meaning flat. If not don't worry, it's mostly an aesthetic thing. Next, test with a power source to make sure the connections are good and you haven't scorched the sm-LED.
Word of warning, these are fairly delicate. We are using solder the way we shouldn't, as a mechanical, as well as electrical, connection. If you play around with the finished beads a little bit any weak ones should come apart. But be careful, if the metal strips on the sm-LED comes off with the crimp beads it won't be usable again. And finally, try and see to it that the sm-LED beads won't be under a lot of pressure/friction on your clothes. Otherwise you'll end up replacing them often.
Credit for the surface mount LED technique: Leah Buechley's LED-top project in Craft magazine, volume 1. From back before she came up with the Lilypad system. A version of which you can find here.
The easiest way to grab some regular LEDs, and twist the legs into loops. They will end up either pointing straight up (perpendicular to the fabic), or laying on their side along the fabric. But they tend to be bulky, catch often, and not look very nice.
So, you want something smaller... do I hear the words 'surface mount LEDs'? Well, you can buy some of the Lilypad ones, they come ready to sew on, but sadly only come in very bright white.
If you want more variety and control, you're going to have to make your own 'surface mount LED beads'. Here's how.
One, get some surface mount LEDs. These can be very pricey, so look around before purchasing. It also helps to know about things like forward voltage and the rest, and if I ever properly figure it out I'll share, promise. Main thing is ensure they can be powered with your power source. Usual battery options are 1.5V, 3V, and 9V (though not with the Lilypad). They may light with a lower power than they like, but it will be dim, and if you're going to attach them in series you will have problems. And if your power source is too high you will burn out the LEDs quickly.
Surface mount LEDs (sm-LEDs) are small. Very small. This is the top, the bit that lights up. Notice the two metal strips at either end.
This is the back. Notice the marking? The side next to the flat line (|--) is the positive end. The other the negative. Just like regular LEDs.
Next you're going to need crimp beads. Metal ones. Lots of them. You will end up destroying many, especially if it's your first attempt at this.
The idea is to solder a crimp bead to each end of the sm-LED, so that you can sew through the beads to attach them to the fabric and carry current to the sm-LED.
This is tricky, frustrating, annoying, and time-consuming. I've tried a few different approaches and this is what worked best for me.
First, get a piece of scrap wood. Now, gouge a small indent in the wood, the size of one of your crimp beads. Lay your sm-LED with one of the metal ends right up to the side of the hole. Tape the sm-LED in place.
Pick the crimp bead up with the soldering iron (for this reason a regular round tip, slightly smaller than your beads diameter, is best) like you would any bead with a beading needle. Make sure the soldering iron tip is really clean. Any excess solder will result in the bead getting stuck.
Now bring the bead to the sm-LED. Add solder. Do this quickly, only a couple of seconds, and be wary of scorching your sm-LED. To take away the soldering iron, pull it out to the side quickly, with a slight downward motion. So that you are in essence scrapping the crimp bead off. With the heat removed the solder will harden.
Allow to cool, untape, and turn the sm-LEDs around. Repeat for this other end.
After you have finished put the beads through quality control. Check the crimp beads haven't filled up with solder (you won't be able to get the thread through if they have). Hopefully the two crimp beads will lay in the same plane, meaning flat. If not don't worry, it's mostly an aesthetic thing. Next, test with a power source to make sure the connections are good and you haven't scorched the sm-LED.
Word of warning, these are fairly delicate. We are using solder the way we shouldn't, as a mechanical, as well as electrical, connection. If you play around with the finished beads a little bit any weak ones should come apart. But be careful, if the metal strips on the sm-LED comes off with the crimp beads it won't be usable again. And finally, try and see to it that the sm-LED beads won't be under a lot of pressure/friction on your clothes. Otherwise you'll end up replacing them often.
Credit for the surface mount LED technique: Leah Buechley's LED-top project in Craft magazine, volume 1. From back before she came up with the Lilypad system. A version of which you can find here.
Re: Thank you!
Date: 2011-04-16 09:19 pm (UTC)Also Aniomagic do their own versions in red, white, green, and blue. They also do a very lovely sequin-LED-bead like I described above, but re-enforced with an epoxy for strength.
And thank you, glad you enjoyed!