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TigzStudio
n00b
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2005
- Messages
- 30
needing to match my Paradigm custom speaker stands i made (with white lit plexi underneath) I decided to paint my viewsonic keyboard white and make it glow.
Before mod it was silver and pretty kool looking.
what i used and did:
i had an extra white led Fan laying around ... thought, man those r bright white leds. So i took all 4 of the 3mm white leds from the fan and decided to make my keyboard glow underneath.
i found a nice voltage source in the keyboard with a voltmeter (10.0 volt for some reason). put a 220 ohm resistor on all the leds and wired it to a 3-pos switch. I drilled holes for the leds and glue gun'ed them in. (all leds in array ended up getting like 5.7 volts each making them a lil brighter then they r supposed to be) they are 5 volt leds.
For the keyboard I used gloss white krylon and a protective enamel. I also painted the number pad keys with same spray paint (by masking with painters tape). I will be printing small images on computer onto some transparent sticker paper and placing them on the number pad keys.
The final step of the project i have not completed and will post when im done. I am going to tap plastics to get a custom plexi cut and I will use 1500 and 1800 grit sandpaper to polish the edges of the plexi and mount to the bottom of the keyboard (letting the leds go halfway into the plexi (this I have found gives the most light into the plexi). Also you need to take some 1500 grit sandpaper and sand the tips of all leds so they arnt quite so directional and spread out more.
I will post the final pic with light on and plexi on tomorrow! Thanks for lookin.
After its a little kooler.!
Before mod it was silver and pretty kool looking.
what i used and did:
i had an extra white led Fan laying around ... thought, man those r bright white leds. So i took all 4 of the 3mm white leds from the fan and decided to make my keyboard glow underneath.
i found a nice voltage source in the keyboard with a voltmeter (10.0 volt for some reason). put a 220 ohm resistor on all the leds and wired it to a 3-pos switch. I drilled holes for the leds and glue gun'ed them in. (all leds in array ended up getting like 5.7 volts each making them a lil brighter then they r supposed to be) they are 5 volt leds.
For the keyboard I used gloss white krylon and a protective enamel. I also painted the number pad keys with same spray paint (by masking with painters tape). I will be printing small images on computer onto some transparent sticker paper and placing them on the number pad keys.
The final step of the project i have not completed and will post when im done. I am going to tap plastics to get a custom plexi cut and I will use 1500 and 1800 grit sandpaper to polish the edges of the plexi and mount to the bottom of the keyboard (letting the leds go halfway into the plexi (this I have found gives the most light into the plexi). Also you need to take some 1500 grit sandpaper and sand the tips of all leds so they arnt quite so directional and spread out more.
I will post the final pic with light on and plexi on tomorrow! Thanks for lookin.
After its a little kooler.!