A better or your best LED bezel?

[Focalized]

I have used metal LED bezels mostly but never figured the best way to keep the rig together. Or missing something.

The ones with the little black or clear plastic insert. It seems they'd be designed to fit into the metal tight enough to stay put. The clear ones do some but it's too easy to pop it loose. The hard plastic ones just fall out. I've had some rubber ones that worked well.

I end up using clear glue or a glue gun to secure them. I bit of a squeeze with pliers on the metal can hold it together. But I always want something I build to be able to be easily taken apart if I have to replace things. LEDs are something that can commonly blow.

Just wondering about peoples ways for their LEDs. It's often hard to see them in the build pictures.

[mistahead]

Plastic black ones - cheap as can be and most of them allow the normal cheapest LEDs of the same size to "clip" in well, around three quarters of them are great fits and I don't have another potential shorting surface in a tight place.

Cheap and simple, just like my mum raised me.

[Focalized]

I've used the ones I think you mean. It has a ring that fits on inside and tightens things together. Some still didn't feel very sturdy. I remember it being hard to remove the LED once you press the ring on.

[deadastronaut]

my best bezel is no bezel at all...i mostly use 3mm leds , drill a 3mm hole, put a tiny drop of superglue around the (inside) hole and drop it in..

heatshrink, done...uses a lot less space..if they ever do blow, they have to be drilled out and replaced, but luckily ive never had one blow..

i just had to do it once as a guy wanted a different colour ...the awkward f............

[bluebunny]

I'm with Rob on this one.  Tried all sorts: plastic, rubber, chrome, chromed plastic, ...  Drill and superglue is the way to go.  In terms of dollar/pound to satisfaction ratio, nothing beats it.

[mistahead]

Sound about right re the black plastic ones above.

Drop of epoxy over a drilled hole without bezel diffuses light well and is a little more pricey and durable than super glue.

[pickdropper]

I still prefer the plastic VCC fresnel lenses.  Adds a nice polished look.

[armdnrdy]

I'm with Rob as well.

I went from 5mm LEDs and a metal bezel to 3mm and no bezel.

I think it has a cleaner, more professional look to it.

There are other ideas I've been entertaining for securing the LEDs besides super glue but have yet to give them a try.

One idea is to make a small circuit board with a hole large enough for the LED to fit through to it's stop. The trace side will be on the inside of the enclosure with four pads. One for the anode, one for the cathode, one for the ground wire, and one for +voltage wire.

The current limiting resistor can go on this board as well. The surface area of this board allows for good adhesion (epoxy, gorilla glue, etc) to the enclosure.

The combined depth of the circuit board and the enclosure makes the LED protrude past the enclosure just about the right amount.

[rousejeremy]

3mm hole, 3mm LED. No bezel. I use hot glue instead of superglue though.

[PRR]

> LEDs are something that can commonly blow.

They shouldn't. I can't remember a dead LED (except one which I took past 20mA to 50mA and 100mA...).

> a guy wanted a different colour

There is that.

[peterg]

http://doctortweek.co.uk/shop/article_24/3mm-Metal-LED-Bezel-Mount.html?pse=apq

I've been using a metal bezel that is held in place with a nut - see attached - and have had no issues. There is a plastic sleeve that needs to be installed on the led before sooldering and heat tube shrinking. It  might melt slightly when heating the tube but it still provides a snug fit in the bezel.

The hole and glue method sounds good though....

[Jopn]

One idea is to make a small circuit board with a hole large enough for the LED to fit through to it's stop. The trace side will be on the inside of the enclosure with four pads. One for the anode, one for the cathode, one for the ground wire, and one for +voltage wire.

I actually did just this last night and it worked well, although I did it as a "two birds with one stone" solution to holding the LED firmly in place plus dealing with my frustration with dangling LED resistors.  So I just took a small scrap of vero (although I would have grabbed perf if I had a small enough piece handy).  I might try next time to use vero again and also incorporate a ground connection strip to tidy that up too.

[digi2t]

I picked up 20 of these red ones on a sweet deal not too long ago...



Spaceman Effects uses them on their limited edition pedal. Just cut the bottom off, and stick a super bright white LED inside. Adjustable dimmer bezel, gonna use one of them one day. I always liked the look of them.

[tca]

my best bezel is no bezel at all...i mostly use 3mm leds , drill a 3mm hole, put a tiny drop of superglue around the (inside) hole and drop it in...

+1

[Liquitone]

I picked up 20 of these red ones on a sweet deal not too long ago...



Spaceman Effects uses them on their limited edition pedal. Just cut the bottom off, and stick a super bright white LED inside. Adjustable dimmer bezel, gonna use one of them one day. I always liked the look of them.

I had an idea of inventing an adjustable bezel, but it already exists lol.
I thought of a 5mm size bezel for 3mm led but with 2 settings in a quarter-turn and 2 anode connections at the bottom for different value resistors.
That way you have a bright and dark setting and still keep it compact. maybe I will still look into designing one, but it less fun now!

I've been using these the last couple of years and never had any problems with them, the never became loose but still easy to remove the LED when needed.
Well to be honest, it doesn't come with a tooth-lock washer so the screw underneath may come loose, but those washers are easy to get.

[Derringer]

my best bezel is no bezel at all...i mostly use 3mm leds , drill a 3mm hole, put a tiny drop of superglue around the (inside) hole and drop it in..

heatshrink, done...uses a lot less space..if they ever do blow, they have to be drilled out and replaced, but luckily ive never had one blow..

i just had to do it once as a guy wanted a different colour ...the awkward f............

I do this, 3mm and all, and don't even bother with the glue, they stay put just fine for me

and my favorite LED to use is a superbright purple ... I got a strip of about 20 of them out of a cheapy light-up sword one of my kids won at a boardwalk game and subsequently broke

[davent]

Generally don't use a bezel, hole friction and stiff wire is enough to keep the led in place. For 3mm LED's drill a 1/8" hole, chamfer it,  paint and finish the enclosure, the hole will get painted up and be considerably smaller then 3mm, redrill with a 3mm bit and that's usually enough. The LED's are located in spots where it's unlikely they will get pushed/bumped. Also i put a 1/8" nylon washer around the LED before inserting in the hole and that gives you almost a flush fit.

Sometimes board mount them as well.

dave

[psychedelicfish]

Thanks for this thread, it just gave me a cool idea for a diy stompswitch...

[Focalized]

I thought of the mini board fir LED. Cut up a few six pad pieces but haven't tried them yet.

[gtrgeo]

davent - What are you using to solder the LED leads to the board? They look like the metal part of the socket that have been soldered in, and are the ends cut off?

Thanks,
  George