Attaching LED

[Mujician]

I'm trying to install an LED in my pedal build. From the PCB, I have a wire, which attaches direct to the LED leads. This obviously leave the two leads on the LED bare. Do I just leave them bare or should they be covered with something? Electrical tape for instance?

[bluebunny]

I'm trying to install an LED in my pedal build. From the PCB, I have a wire, which attaches direct to the LED leads. This obviously leave the two leads on the LED bare. Do I just leave them bare or should they be covered with something? Electrical tape for instance?

You could put a bit of heat-shrink around the bare parts.  But if the LED is securely fixed, and there's nothing else nearby that's likely to move against it, leaving it bare should be fine.  And tape would work too.

[tubegeek]

Heat shrink tubing, or if you don't happen to have any, you may be able to use the outer insulation you've stripped from a larger wire to cover and reinforce the LED legs and solder joints.

PS: you may as well keep everything in the one thread.
PPS: check out the "Pictures" forum area for some gut shots to see how others have done this.
PPPS: search is your friend here, also FAQ, you will find many of your problems have been solved before.
PPPPS: Welcome!

[duck_arse]

I rekon you are asking for trouble if you leave connections like leds un-insulated. electrical tape if that's all you have, second hand insulation from wire ^ next best, heatshrink if you want it to last ^ and look neat.

although it's not that hard for me to make something look a real mess just by adding heatshrink.

[Pojo]

I like to use a little 3X4 piece of vero for the led. Figure out a simple layout so that it's electronically correct and solder the led leads (test fit to figure out how long to keep the leads first), CLR and external wiring directly to it. Then maybe some hot glue for added security and you're good to go. May not be the best method but works for me!