Further adventures in making blinkies

by Les Pounder

Blinkies
*noun* [blin-kees]

A word made up by Les to make LEDs sound even more fun.

I love LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes), they are the gateway to starting your adventures with electronics.

If you can...

  1. Control an LED
  1. Then you can control a motor
  2. Then you can build a robot
  3. Then...World domination?

Seriously, your path to world domination starts with an LED.

Recently I have been experimenting with creating LED blinkies made from common adhesives formed into moulds.

The goal of this adventure is to create a safe, cheap and efficient way to make lots of blinkies so that schools can make cool custom LED figures / decorations.

I had great success with using hot glue

Which LED (get it?) me to experimenting with other adhesives, specifically those that are commonly used in schools, and can be left to dry in large batches.

One of the most common adhesives in school is PVA (Polyvinyl Acetate) glue. It's really cheap and can be easily bought / found in large quantities.

So I dug out my Lego minifig mould and tested it out.

So I squirted the mould with PVA glue, put in an LED and waited...and waited...and waited!

F.A.I.L First Attempt In Learning

So PVA glue has a few issues

  • It forms a skin
  • It shrinks
  • It warps
  • It never dries in large quantities
  • It's still not dry after 24hrs

So this was a FAIL, which is great news as I can pass on that information to you.

Pablo is quite correct! :)

Becky is also quite correct and her idea to use layers with a hair dryer is great

Next steps?

I need to use other adhesives to see if there is a way to make lots of blinkies quickly, cheaply and safely.

Next test silicon sealant, as used to seal your kitchen sink / shower.