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Advice - How to make a standard LED light red?

Pages: 1 8 replies

E

Hello

I've recently purchased these LED lights from Ace:

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3266862&cp=2568454.2632231.2632298.1259144

After installing the lights, they give off this "dull" glow. I'd like to make them red. Was thinking of adding a red filter over the lights. Was hoping some suggestions could be given on how this could be accomplished.

Mahalo

TT

Most sign shops would have some scrap translucent (lightbox) adhesive vinyl you could apply to the face...

[ Edited by: tiki trav 2011-02-28 23:38 ]

H

Another source for red translucent tape would be at auto parts stores like Pep Boys. They sell it for "repairing" brake lights.

E

Cool, thank you for the replies. I'll take a look and see which one i can acquire locally.

How red do you want it?

You can take a red sharpie and 'paint' the lens covers. It won't give you a 'red' light but it will warm up the color from the basic blue/white.

If you have a good art supply house around look for Rubylith. It is a red film that print makers and printers used for masking out printing and photography plates.

The red repair tape is quick and easy, but will have a tendency to peel away from the plastic lens after not too much time which gets annoying because it has that uncanny ability to look great until you have guests over when the whole thing decides to give up its adhesive qualities all at once and fall off and manage to make it into someone's plate of appetizers.

Michael's sells transparent paint for faux stained glass, that might be worth a shot.

T

Theatrical supply stores and some DJ supply places will sell what's called a 'gel'. Gels are transparent colored plastic sheet, very thin but not crushable like colored cellophane - strong enough to be used for their intended purpose, which is coloring stage and nightclub lights.

Gel comes in about a billion different shades - a subtle shade difference can make or break stage lighting designs. Bring your lights to a theatrical supply shop and see how different colors look over them; most have these in sliding trays or rows of folders, where you can easily leaf through them.

B
Bonj posted on Mon, Feb 28, 2011 4:40 PM

If you are confident with soldering, you could replace the white LEDs with high intensity red ones. With 5 LEDs in series running off 4.5V (from 3x AAA cells), you're aren't likely to even need a current limiting resistor, so no need to worry if the original circuit has one or not.

P
Polly posted on Wed, May 4, 2011 7:14 PM

You can wrap it with a red plastic paper bag.

Pages: 1 8 replies