Clear Putty

[Mudface]

Hey, I have come up with an idea for a great mod (as i'm sure most people on these forums have :P) but it requires some quite detailed LED patterns, i'm not sure what to call it, where you shine and LED into some clear plastic to make it glow. To do this i really require some form of clear putty as just using sheet perspex won't be at all practical within the shapes of my design.

Wondered what you guys would suggest?

Thanks for any advice given
Mud

[Cagedconnerman]

well, i'm not entirely sure as to how clear this will really be, but i like elmer's glue, it dries perfectly clear in small amounts, but if u were to layer it or make it very thick, i dont know bro. please post ur results if u try this, i'd love to know

[CanaBalistic]

Would a clear scilicone work?

[opengswede]

I've been dealing with the same problem. It really depends on how much you need. THere are clear glues out there that can do the trick, the only problem, as with clear plastic moulding, is that it will form bubbles and you need a vacuum board to draw those bubbles out (this is what the plastic person at our local design school told me, he tried it himself).

I, personally, have decided to go back to my original idea with sheet plexi and bit by bit shape them the way I want, tybrenis had some great advice for this somewhere in a plexi-guide thread around here.

For small projects glue will work though.
If you find a way, please let me know, since shaping lots of tiny pieces is taking its toll on my patience.

-.erik

[.alchinko.]

well i siliconed one of my fans to my case and it dryed clear and it was really easy to apply.

[Mudface]

Cool, the silicone idea is a good one, how hard does it dry though? the only silicone i have ever used is the rubbery stuff you seal bathrooms and windows with.. Maybe if you used silicone for the main bulk of the clear areas and then coated it in a few layers of glue to give it a hard surface... hmmm

Thanks for all those suggestions btw guys :)

[Aero]

Hot glue works amazingly. I would recommened it, it drys fast, will hold, and diffuses light very well.

[.alchinko.]

yeah mine wasnt hard it is kinda like a soft rubber. what you could do it have silicon and the get thin plexi to put over it.

[.Maleficus.]

The hot glue idea sounds pretty good. I think I'll try that sometime.

If the hot glue or silicon is still rubbery feeling and not hard, could you bake it to make it hard? Or would it burn and stink and get brown?

[Mudface]

Baking probably wouldnt go too well, especially with my design as the clear stuff would be going straight onto the rest of the case...

Hot glue is a very good idea.. depends how clear i can get it or some silicone, i shall experiment

[.alchinko.]

ok just though of this. make a design on a board cutt it out then set it in the place where your gonna silicon. put silicon around it and then when it drys take the board out. not sure what it would do but you shoiuld experiment.

[Mudface]

I have NO idea how he knew i was plotting this but my dad just came back from wherever it was he went too with some clear silicone... what a legend... i think he is stalking me or at least bugging my pc... I'll do some tests and things :)