Panel LED lessons learned

Even with masonite for the fascia, a small hole will work for the LED. It’s just not as pretty as using a bezel of some sort. My friend’s layout is that way, just the plain masonite with chart tape lines, toggles and LEDs directly mounted in it. Some have a drop of CA, some white glue - all will come out if you push againse the outside of the LED. CA doesn;t really hold that well to wood or masonite, unless first you put a layer of it on and let that dry, they glue on whatever it is you want to attach with a second application. In this case, the fact that it doesn;t ‘permanently’ stick is actually an advantage. However, I would go with white glue. No chance of it making an unbreakable bond, and if any gets ont eh front of the LED it’s clear.

–Randy

Peter,

Yes, that is yours truly standing on the side step of my freightliner in 1993, I was 51 yrs old at the time. Leased to CSX Intermodal. That is the same truck, that was in that snowy pic. in PA, in the other Avatar pic, I showed for awhile. Jefferey Wimberly has the full size pic. of that when, I sent him his first aid kit. I can’t believe sometimes, that is 22yrs ago. I’m still the same handsome devil, all white hair and beard now. [swg] [swg]

Btw: My 40yr old son, who lives with me, His name is Peter.

Still,

Striped

The material called hardboard at the big box home improvement stores is lighter in color, softer and more flexible than Masonite. Being a harder material I’m guessing that Masonite might give better holes when drilled. Come to think of it I’ve not seen Masonite for sale in quite some time. Maybe Masonite is made in different grades, thickness and temper and sold at real lumberyards?

regards, Peter

Frank,

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, time is flying and seems to be picking up speed. “Keep on truckin’”.

regards, Peter

Well, there is no true “Masonite” anymore, the name is now owned by a door company, who makes steel and fiberglass doors. The Mason process may or may not be used by other hardboard makers, but there are two kinds, one has just one side tempered, the other has both sides tempered. The brown stuff I get locally has one smooth side and the other side is rough finished, like traditional Masonite. It’s pretty flexible, at least in the thinner versions. I think I have 3/16 I was using for fascia. Since my turnout controls are Tam Valley Singlets, which have the buttons and LEDs righ on the circuit board, with a single screw in the middle to mount them, they’re just attached via that screw, with 4 holes drilled using the supplied template to allow the buttons and LEDs to poke through. The stuff I used is the same as what my friend has, where he drilled holes of the sixe of the 3mm LEDs and pressed the LEDs in from behind (wires on the non-smooth side) and hit them with a drop of white glue to retain them.

–Randy

Here is where I get my LEDs and holders…I use the multivoltage ones and connect them to a separate power supply. They are more expensive than bare LEDs, but they are high quality and I don’t have to bother with “which lead is which” or “what thickness of surface do they mount in?”; they snap in place.

http://www.modeltrainsoftware.com/3mm-led-clips.html

Dan