Looking for ideas on how to make kitchen counter lights?

[ken2400]

Hi I am looking to light up my kitchen counter with LED lights. I have some 5mm ones sitting around BUT would buy more if need be.
Please look at

The counter.jpg one.

I have made some night lights and am good at basic electrons.
Any ideas/examples would be GREAT!

Thanks

What I have so far.
5mm LEDs in wire molding.

 

[DonShock]

You might find this 120 Vac Input / 350mA or 700mA constant current driver useful.

 

[ken2400]

It time I get to this project going. I have a power supply that will put out 5.9 V DC at 2 Amps. It is an CASIO Casiapeo(sp) PDA power supply AD-C59200U,

What is the best way to connect say 12 to 20 5mm LEDs? I was thinking parallel with a resistor? I was going to drive them at say 20 ma each and use a multimeter and a pot to figure out the right resistor?

Am I thinking right?

Thanks

 

[ken2400]

Bump

 

[Bandgap]

Buy them from Ikea - it does strips of 5mm leds and a power supply exactly for this application.

Steve

 

[65535]

LikeWise I think cutter.au sells higher powered strips of lux's or cree's with pre installed or not optics. Might take a look there.

 

[mchlwise]

It's not near as fun, but two words:

"LED ropelight."

:rock:

 

[Ken_McE]

Can you say a little about how you want it to look, and what you want it to do?

 

[hotbeam]

5mm and rope lights will give you a glow. Just an effect only. Power leds will be bright but you need a good heatsink and the may add to the height of the fixture. Also unless you put them quite closely spaced, you will get the scalloping effect which may be quite unsightly. You should use lower intensity LEDs and space them evenly so the light is even.

 

[ken2400]

Thanks for all your ideas so far. I am trying to light up the counter under the cabs in picture. I did look at one from Lowes, round disks for like $16. Did not find a picture of them on the internet.

 

[ejor]

I used an old tracklight track [about 3/4 thick] upside down, for heatsink and ran wires and resistor inside used appropiate wall transformer. I cut aluminum track to lenth with carbide skillsaw blade. epoxied 3 k2's to it. lots of light.

 

[Brocken]

I'm working on one right now with 5 Cree LED's, mounted to aluminum heat sinks made from 5 or 6" round stock, 3/4" thick, using a Xitanium transformer. Still waiting for the LED's to arrive, have got to spin up the Al yet and order the transformer so it will be a couple of weeks before it is all done. McGizmo has a set mounted under his counter and that is what I'm trying to do, he has pictures and a write up also.

Dave Brock

 

[cutlerylover]

check out lowes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was there the other day buying rope lighting for a bar that my father and I are building...they have exactly what your lookign for, both incandescent and LED "pods" that can be attached underneath cabinets for accent lighting...they have a test area and they are bright lights! Im not sure how much they cost though...but I can tell you I had fun playign with them in the store...

 

[greenlight]

I'd like to remove these lamps and replace them with a strip of leds.

 

[Sway]

4 T-Bin LuxIII's, flat stock aluminum heat sinks, nFlex driver. This set up has been updated since the pic's were made, another LuxIII was added over the coffee maker for a total of 5 LED's and MaxFlex driver is use with a 12V 35Ah SLA.

Later
Kelly

 

[ken2400]

Thanks cutlerylover. I have been to Lowes and use to have one of the lights you are talking about. I played with it for a while then returned it. That was before my wife asked for the lighting. I wanted to buy another one BUT they were out. Need to go back. In the mean time I wanted to use the 5 mm ones I have to make something.

check out lowes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was there the other day buying rope lighting for a bar that my father and I are building...they have exactly what your lookign for, both incandescent and LED "pods" that can be attached underneath cabinets for accent lighting...they have a test area and they are bright lights! Im not sure how much they cost though...but I can tell you I had fun playign with them in the store...

 

[ken2400]

What is the best way to connect many leds together. I have a 5V DC power supply and need to connect like 10 + LEDs to it. Should each LED get it's own resistor?

Thanks

 

[ken2400]

Well I made some progress. I made two strips that use my 5mm LEDs. I still need to get some resistors since I think each LED needs it own resistor? Something about one could pull more current then the other 3? I am going to go for 20 ma, maybe less if they give off enought light at 15 ma.

Well I will keep working on it and post some results later.
Thanks for all the help so far guys.

 

[roadie]

oh do note on also easy cleaning on the led area when its spring cleaning of the year.

in real world, dust, oil , water vapor do attach to fixtures in the kitchen.

happy modding

 

[cutlerylover]

Thanks cutlerylover. I have been to Lowes and use to have one of the lights you are talking about. I played with it for a while then returned it. That was before my wife asked for the lighting. I wanted to buy another one BUT they were out. Need to go back. In the mean time I wanted to use the 5 mm ones I have to make something.

No problem...Sorry to hear they were sold out when you went...To save yourself a trip you cna call before hand and find out if and when they will have them in stock...