Show your DIY aestheticly pleasing LED's

[Gamepro_inc]

Hi all, I am wanting to build my own DIY LED fixture and I finally convinced my wife to let me do it I think. The only catch is she wants it to look NICE. She doesnt want some ugly looking heatsink with wires everywhere, oh and she also has to approve the design...:worried: So I need your help, please post some pics of your LEDs that would look good over a rimless tank with no canopy. I was thinking of doing something with white acrylic for a Mac/Apple look but im open to ideas.

 

[redfishsc]

Build a wooden canopy with birch or maple plywood (ie, very smooth) and paint it with a nice silvery Rust-O-Leum. The hammered-look Rust-O-Leum looks quite nice. Top it off with a coat of clear Rust-O-Leum if you want a touch more durability.


The trick will be getting the primer coat nice and slick--- prime it up good with Rust-O-Leum primer (or whatever brand you go with but get a good oil base)--- and let it dry for a good 10-24 hours. Sand it nice and smooth with 320grit sandpaper, and put on a couple coats of whatever color you want.


I'm about to build (in the coming months) one of these holding a small 7X12 LED array. I'll put in a couple holes in the back (2" holes) for ventilation and the drivers will sit on top of the heatsink, in a way that does NOT impede the cooling fans--- I'll have a LOT of LED power on this small heatsink.

 

[Gamepro_inc]

Thanks for the reply, post some pics when you get it done.

 

[Gamepro_inc]

Anyone else.

 

[edsreef]

Build thread here:http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1957396
If you find it useful give it a bump to share w/others.

 

[Gamepro_inc]

Wow that looks very clean! Thanks

 

[KafudaFish]

This is one of the bigger headaches for going DIY leds.

Not everyone has a computer based CNC to experiment with to get that apple clean look.

good luck.

Ed: nice work.

 

[edsreef]

Thanks! And FYI, I cut all the alum angle with tin snips...built the fixture at home in my home office.

 

[Gamepro_inc]

Anyone else has pics of theirs

 

[Eurobeaner]

the one the guy built with the outside being leftover 1" plexi on a small tank comes to mind. it was smoked, looked SICK for a DIY. not sure where i remember seeing it. i even think he sold that one if i remember correctly

 

[Gamepro_inc]

Man I have been searching the forums for some good pics but nothing. Wish I could find that one.

 

[KafudaFish]

Sammy from PR has down exactly what you are thinking now that I think about it. Look in the nano forum for his 20.

He built an ELOS system pretty much.

His login in name has some numbers too.

 

[Gamepro_inc]

I looked for sammy in the Nano forum but couldn't find it. What is PR? I did find a nice thread in the DIY section but he just started his build looks promising.

 

[TEKWRX]

A lot of people gut and existing fixture to install LEDs. My plan is to gut my 36" Outer Orbit and remove the HQI. I'm going to run LEDs/T5 and it'll look stock.

If you don't already have something, look on Craigslist for a deal on a cheap PC fixture that fits your tank dimensions, or ask around here if somebody has a broken fixture you can get cheap.

 

[Gamepro_inc]

Thats a possibility and I will keep that option open, however I would really like to say I built it myself from the ground up. I figure if it doesnt look right afterwards I will do as you say. My wife may like this option better than me building something myself she already is scared im gonna burn our place down in a electrical fire. Man I tell you 1 electrical mishap with a clothes dryer and they never let it go.

 

[KafudaFish]

Thats a possibility and I will keep that option open, however I would really like to say I built it myself from the ground up. I figure if it doesnt look right afterwards I will do as you say. My wife may like this option better than me building something myself she already is scared im gonna burn our place down in a electrical fire. Man I tell you 1 electrical mishap with a clothes dryer and they never let it go.

Or natural gas.


Justsayin.

 

[Gamepro_inc]

Im pulling this back up to see if anyoone has more input.

 

[henrystyle]

My diy 23 Bulb cree led fixture. Over my diy 30g rimless cube.

 

[Gamepro_inc]

Thanks Henry. Was there a reason you decided not to inclose it in a housing? I am going to be building one and either putting it into a old T5 housing or making an acrylic housing like the AI fixtures have.

 

[henrystyle]

Thanks Henry. Was there a reason you decided not to inclose it in a housing? I am going to be building one and either putting it into a old T5 housing or making an acrylic housing like the AI fixtures have.

no reason. Just keeping it simple..