Cutting down 5mm LEDs...

Can a 5mm LED be cut down like the MJLED for use with a reflector?

I was wondering how those new Nichias would work...

Bob

YES they can. 26k and 33Kmcd's work well for me. One is in a 2AA with a Li_ION and a resistored spacer, and the others is a 2AA with alkys (for the boys), it is bright enough for them.
Jeff

yep, i have a few i made... nicha cs, 26k, 35k... the only thing is the phosphor area is tiny compared to 100mA 5mm's (MJLED)

Yes, have a cut Nichia on an older Legend 2AA light with 3 N cells + resistor (had several N cells left over from previous garage door opener)

Excellent!

So, you basically flatten the top, and lightly bevel the edges, right?
I suppose I can use the MJLED as a kind of template...

Bob

How exactly can you cut a 5mm LED? Are special tools required?

Well, you can use a dremel rotary tool, and one of their cutting wheels to slice off the dome. Then use a conical or bullet shaped grinding stone at high RPMs and it puts a nice "inverted cone" in the epoxy casing of the led. I've done that with four Nichia CS's in my solar garden lights, and the difference from the stock leds was just amazing.

Anyway, there's probably a better way, but that method worked best for me.


Hope that helps,


Abbie

How about light pattern. Is it more wide angle than dome shape.?

Krit said:

How about light pattern. Is it more wide angle than dome shape.?

Click to expand...

yea, think of it as a weak lux1 hd....
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those 2 sided fingernail buffers work great for polishing the led...
i've gotten kinda good at it

i thought about buying sum 100mA 5mm and make MJLED knockoffs

I made a 5mm led holder from Delrin for cutting down the MJLEDs in my mini-lathe. I basically made a press-fit donut that allows me to chuck the 5mm LED in the lathe. I press the LED into the holder from the rear by gripping the leads with needle-nosed pliars. The holder self-centeres the LED pretty well.

I then use a small medium-grit sanding drum in the Dremel to do the initial shaping, then I dust it off with some steel wool. Next, I do the final polishing with the buffing compound and the cotton polishing wheel in the Dremel. I used a cut-down MJLED as a pattern and eye-balled mine to a similar profile.

The first one I did went into a River Rock 2AAA and it turned out fantastic. The second one went into a RR 2AAA headlamp and it also turned out fantastic.

I'll be cutting down more of these as my weekend time permits...

Happy modding - John

So the beampattern liiks much like an MJLED?

Excellent!

Bob

all a MJLED is, is a cut down 100mA 5mm

Good data, I will try to cut for one.

Just trimed a MJLED's base down and drilled the reflector to fit in a 2AAA mag works just fine