Source for metal or plastic bezels?

I have to retain some little LED panels to a flat surface. The 3M doublestick adhesive foam is proving to have less than stellar performance after they warm up for awhile.

I sourced these panels from China and none of the sellers have any clue for bezels. I don't think their translators handled that conversation very well.

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Retainer depth of about 3mm. Opening for LEDs: 52-55mm W x 36-36.5mm

Qty needed: 1 dozen. Budget for this project: $10. ;)

Reply to
Larry Jaques
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Find a pallet with some good looking wood. Put it on your CNC router; cut out a bunch of nice looking and precisely fitted frames. Cost of $0 (aside from time to program the CNC and/or any broken router bits).

Reply to
James Waldby

Take the cheap foam tape off and buy some good 3M automotive trim tape. It will be gray thin foam with red peel strip.

Auto parts store has it in various widths. It is the stuff that holds the trim on most cars these days.

Reply to
Steve W.

An array of high brightness LEDs on an aluminum core board like that usually wants to be heat sunk pretty well to get optimum lifetime. Either the board is screwed to a heatsink with thermal grease in between, or it is attached with thermally conductive double-sided tape like this:

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Not sure where to find small quantities of this stuff.

You probably will not find bezels made for these since they are usually put behind diffusers to make uniform panel lights or backlights.

Reply to
anorton

And I don't think that's an actual 3M logo on the tape. Chinese ripoff probably.

Pete Keillor

Reply to
Pete Keillor

This, replace the knock off "3W" tape with real 3M high bond tape and forget about ever removing it.

Reply to
Pete C.

     -- Louis L'Amour

Have you looked a the usual suspects for such, like Mouser or Digi- Key? Even Jameco had them decades back. Probably more like $10@, though. $10 will just about get you a roll of aluminum tape and an Xacto knife...

Stan

Reply to
Stanley Schaefer

RTV caulk/adhesive usually handles heat pretty well. There are more expensive high temp versions too. Lay a thick bead along the outside edge and use the original tape to hold it in place till it sets up.

Looks like there is already one hole through it. Can you drill another in the opposite corner and just screw it down?

Reply to
Leon Fisk

Thanks for the thoughts, guys. Another reason for the bezel was crash proofing, protecting the teensy LEDs. These are going on flashlights.

Reply to
Larry Jaques

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Thanks, Stan. I hadn't thought of those sources and will check with 'em.

Reply to
Larry Jaques

How about a light switch cover? Cut out the correct size square & Bob's your uncle.

Reply to
Steve Walker

Or cellular PVC trim board i.e. Azek or it's clones, cheap and easy to machine.

Reply to
Pete C.

If no CNC router, time to learn the joys of low-budget 3D printing the old fashioned way. Which is secret code words for less than $10 worth of hot glue - popsicle sticks optional but can be very useful, and hopefully you already have a hot glue gun, because the sub $10 models are not that nice. In low budget, there is no printer other than you manipulating the hot glue gun....

If you want to bolt them on, insert nuts and bolts before applying glue, and capture the nuts.

I've remanufactured quite a few laptop power supply cords using nothing more (after cutting the old plastic down to find the plug, cutting out the shredded section of wire near the plug, and resoldering the wires to the plug.) Sections of popsicle stick provide some non-melty linearity and a bit more strength.

You could also use RTV Silicone, or polyurethane, in the "aka Caulk" form. Just takes longer to harden.

Reply to
Ecnerwal

Cut the male and female patterns from ply and stack pieces of Formica and rout them out with a bit with a roller to follow the pattern. Hold the parts with screws and washers clamping them in place. Zing!

Reply to
Tom Gardner

Tom, did you notice how small the LEDs were?

Reply to
Richard

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Mouser, DigiKey, Allied Electronics, All Electronics - all NOGO. Jameco website under construction, site down. (really stupid, huh?) PRDproducts.com has potential. Email sent.

Thanks again, guys.

Reply to
Larry Jaques

Great sig, Larry.

Reply to
Richard

Just the whole panel, about 2x3

Reply to
Tom Gardner

I thought the problem was that the LEDs were coming loose when they warmed up.

Reply to
Richard

Make your own?

Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

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