30cm Flexible LED Filaments: www.aliexpress.com/item/4000857781901.html USB power supply: amzn.to/3agwS20 Adjustable AC/DC Adapter 3.5V-24V: amzn.to/3oGaSWE Disclaimer: Tested may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through the links here
There's also wall warts that have regulated voltage supplies. I have one that goes up to 12V. That's another option if you're looking for something in a smaller form factor than the "laptop brick" style of supply.
@chrishechtl8330 I think inspired by thr methods used is more accurate. even if you don't work in the same genre you can appreciate the methods people use in a similar hobby.
I'm thinking this may be a way to save old neon signs, like movie theatre marquees, which are hugely expensive to run--replace the glass tubes with LED wires. The energy savings would be immense.
@@dsolosan Sign makers are way ahead of you. They already do this for small signs such as those in restraunts. Current LEDs aren't bright enough for larger signs but I'm sure they will be soon.
The 1.2M filament I bought gets uncomfortably hot to hold, but not enough to burn you. I went down to 22.8V from the rated 24.0-24.5VDC Thanks for the video!
It’s interesting that you would have had to use fine metal wire to hold the filament in place. Isn’t that how glass neon tubes are traditionally held on their signs? The channels were a fantastic work around as well.
I am suprised he did not also wire electrically like real NEON signs and ' color ' where wires would have been routed inside the backing to hide the tube going into the sign. I LOVE what he did, it could have looked more like an actual sign with alot more time and really mindknumbing detailing.
You can't even just buy them in Germany it seems. Did not swap over yet. Awesome. Norm makes great tutorials though! Always fun to watch and informative.
This looks ideal for an outdoor fishpond project I'm working on. The lighting, for the project, is hidden (indirect) is not submersed and is not exposed to the elements. The regular LED strips are not so good due to 'shadow effect' caused by the spaces between the individual LEDs. My initial solution was going to be to run two, overlapping LED strips. However, this seems like a much better idea. Thanks for the heads up on the flexible filament. Edit to add: ships to Thailand, excellent!
@@Max.Mustermann. - what I have sourced locally (remote northeastern Thailand) does not produce the desired result. Have tried domestic and automotive LED strips. With both, there are noticeable bright and dim points in the lighting scheme. Space is limited so double wrapping would have resulted in refabricating the light holder's. Thanks for your feedback. I've already placed an order for the featured strips. The entire system (lighting, water features, pumps, valves, filtration, aeration etc.) is 12Vdc, run from solar and deep cycle batteries. It's currently operating on timing switches (with manual overrides). However, I'm learning and experimenting with writing software (applications) to operate the system remotely via Android phone.
Maybe a micro lED like those in TV and monitors alltough , a so called high density filament exists. instead of a normal led filament when you see clearly the individual Led emitters these HD filament the emitters are so close you need a microscope to see it. ofcourse, not fully lit😅😅
Does the manufacturer integrate the correct amount of resistance in this LED filament wire so that you only need to hook up 3 volts? That would probably explain the fixed-length of the wire. Normally, we add a current-limiting resistor in series to LEDs, even near the minimum driving voltage.
Seconds into that opening sequence had me thinking about a Big Trouble in Little China diorama, with Lo Pan descending the stairs/escalator. Thanks for the inspiration Norm!!! P.S. love your dragon!
@@BKMakes Talking about the anime? The one I watched was the extremely limited version of anime where there's virtually no movement except the mouth for LARGE stretches of time, and it's only a few frames per second. That being said I have definitely seen anime that is fluid and awesome.
This is so cool and makes me want to make some neon signs for my home! I've always thought they are cool but the scale with most previous materials would be just way too big, this is the first time I've seen something that makes me interested in making scale signs. Thanks for the inspiration!
I am definitely going to look into these for projects for my vehicle and elsewhere, one idea for holding it down is to basically add small bumps that protrude into the channel and so that way it holds into place without using wire and the like
EL Filament is great for custom lengths if the LED's fixed length are causing you issues; downer is it requires a driver circuit and is a bit more fragile.
I was about to ask how LED wire compares to EL Wire and EL strip. I like the soft glow of EL strip for use as ground effect for some of my electronics. I have been wanting to play with EL sheets to see how they work as soft backlights for images. AKA, light up skins for PCs.
Wow Norm, that looks amazing!! I was working on a project at my last job where we had to secure a bunch on LEDs inside small sections of silicone tube. A dab of hot glue is the best thing to hold this kind of thing in place. It will conform to the round profile and lock it in place, but since it is silicone based it is easily removable.
OMG, thank you! I am tinkering with a design for a light up “pedestrian safety” cane and was almost sold on filament LED for lighting but was wondering how to secure it. Hot glue, of course!
You could also make really small holes, like 1mm or smaller if you can, and use some fishing line, knot it at the back, it's mostly see through, you could also use the flexible stretchy wire sometimes use for bracelets, mostly on those semi-precious stone bracelets, also see through, is a bit thicker than fishing wire though. But it will not be as visible and thick and hard to work with compared to copper wire. Although the copper wire could also have a somewhat authentic look to it.
Could you use a PWM controller inline to do some dimming so you can tune your exposures more to your liking? Not sure if these "elements" allow dimming like that.
i actually made the Nürburgring Nordschleife like this .... first a 3D print in many parts and then a led strip inside. Against a wall it looks awesome.
That’s amazing Norm! I’m a huge Blade Runner fanboy and even built myself a live-firing Blade Runner Blaster, it really gets other shooters freaking out at the gun range. Very nice work and would love to see you do the “Origin” neon sign next? Thanks.
Can you make a video on how you connected the wires in series? Where to cut the filament and exposing the wire. I havent seen this anywhere in youtube.
Thanks for showing this Norm, I just went and bought some to play around with 😀 To glue the silicon coated filament in place, use... silicon! Straight out of a caulking gun.
Have you seen any led strips like this that are addressable? The form factor is great (round cross-section, emits diffuse light in all directions), but I'd love to be able to animate it.
I know this video is a couple years already, but wanted to suggest something in case you see it still or others like myself that only recently view it may find useful. For anchoring the wire, what about a dab of silicone Caulk? It should bond to silicon tubing, and it is relatively strong for holding down objects. It's not completely permanent either if the need to relocate or replace. Any components Not certain if it works for sure, but my guess is that it twill indeed
Brilliant use of these! I wonder if hot glue would work? I mean with your channels. Putting hot glue over the filament and down it's sides to encase the filament in the channel. Basically acting like a strap. The glue sticking to the acrylic.
Would be nice to see what happens when you start to ease the voltage down.. You should be able to crank it down a bit before it starts to flicker or shut of.
BOYLAI HOBBYTIME is a f***ing monster bro - his work is just stupid amazing. Made me start in the hobby…. and I’m a lazy ass Cuban so that says a lot! Lol
Not quite. Their dotstar and neopixel strips are much wider. Even the narrow version of the Neopixel is 7.5mm wide. The ones Norm showcases seem to be 2mm wide at most per my estimate. Though I would love it if Adafruit did carry these filaments. Much rather give my LED money to them haha.
You should look into the USB C Power Delivery trigger boards, very convenient for up to 100 watts at 20v but they're selectable between 5,9,12,15 & 20 volts. I used one to power 12v leds for my helmet and run a power bank in my backpack.
100% silicone should work. Because as we all know nothing sticks to silicone but silicone. Looks like we had the same idea. Ohhh and if the caulking is way to thick you can use naphtha to thin it out.
Very cool! I've never made anything with the flexible LED filament. But, you mentioned that it's encased in silicone and cannot be glued. I was wondering, will 100% silicone caulk hold it in place? Since they're both silicone? Just a thought. Your piece looks amazing!
This is a fantastic find!!! I'm going to see what lengths I need to maybe light up my LEGO Technic models. I'm thinking DRL on the Raptor, tail/brake light bar on the Chiron, tail/brake on the Charger (F&F), let alone any old sets I'm not thinking of...
Good day Adam, i am currently trying to make Neon flex signs and would like to know where i can get hold of this shoelace size LED strips shown in your test program. I reside in South Africa, would you be able to send some to me from your side as we dont have to many options here many thanks Wayne Nicholson
Hey there master of electrics im wondering if i can power these filament by using the usb c powersupply attatched to the daughterboard of my keyboard? Any thoughts? Was thinking of trailing these around the edge of my custom keyboard to add some light
Great project, Norm. Looking at this from the point of view of a "real" neon sign, traditionally the neon tubes are held in place using thin wires that are twisted around the tubes. Maybe try that instead of those thick copper wires?
If the filament can‘t be shortened, what do you do with oarts of it that are too long to make sure there‘s no „bleeding“? Just wrap it in black tape? I have a project where I‘d need to mount the LED on clear acrylic glass, so too long pieces are kind of a concern
30cm Flexible LED Filaments: www.aliexpress.com/item/4000857781901.html
USB power supply: amzn.to/3agwS20
Adjustable AC/DC Adapter 3.5V-24V: amzn.to/3oGaSWE
Disclaimer: Tested may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through the links here
@Ron Jerome - as per the video, no.
Am I the only one who gets a "cute ice cream shape fake eyelash holder" When I click on the aliexpress link?
I wanna know more about that Walkman looking battery
There's also wall warts that have regulated voltage supplies. I have one that goes up to 12V. That's another option if you're looking for something in a smaller form factor than the "laptop brick" style of supply.
Link for the power supply is dead. Do you have another?
Thank you so much for the kind shoutout, Norm! I really appreciate it. Always so inspired by your work!
Ur work is amazing man, inspired me to do a wartable with sfx and lighting, picking up my old Warhammer hobby once more haha
Inspiration to do a sign and casino for your western series?
@chrishechtl8330 I think inspired by thr methods used is more accurate. even if you don't work in the same genre you can appreciate the methods people use in a similar hobby.
Wow, LED light strips have come a long way. Almost looks like neon
I'm thinking this may be a way to save old neon signs, like movie theatre marquees, which are hugely expensive to run--replace the glass tubes with LED wires. The energy savings would be immense.
@@dsolosan Sign makers are way ahead of you. They already do this for small signs such as those in restraunts.
Current LEDs aren't bright enough for larger signs but I'm sure they will be soon.
The 1.2M filament I bought gets uncomfortably hot to hold, but not enough to burn you. I went down to 22.8V from the rated 24.0-24.5VDC
Thanks for the video!
It’s interesting that you would have had to use fine metal wire to hold the filament in place. Isn’t that how glass neon tubes are traditionally held on their signs? The channels were a fantastic work around as well.
I am suprised he did not also wire electrically like real NEON signs and ' color ' where wires would have been routed inside the backing to hide the tube going into the sign. I LOVE what he did, it could have looked more like an actual sign with alot more time and really mindknumbing detailing.
You can't even just buy them in Germany it seems. Did not swap over yet. Awesome.
Norm makes great tutorials though! Always fun to watch and informative.
This looks ideal for an outdoor fishpond project I'm working on. The lighting, for the project, is hidden (indirect) is not submersed and is not exposed to the elements. The regular LED strips are not so good due to 'shadow effect' caused by the spaces between the individual LEDs. My initial solution was going to be to run two, overlapping LED strips. However, this seems like a much better idea.
Thanks for the heads up on the flexible filament.
Edit to add: ships to Thailand, excellent!
why not just use some led strips with higher LED "Density" ?
@@Max.Mustermann. - what I have sourced locally (remote northeastern Thailand) does not produce the desired result. Have tried domestic and automotive LED strips. With both, there are noticeable bright and dim points in the lighting scheme. Space is limited so double wrapping would have resulted in refabricating the light holder's.
Thanks for your feedback. I've already placed an order for the featured strips.
The entire system (lighting, water features, pumps, valves, filtration, aeration etc.) is 12Vdc, run from solar and deep cycle batteries. It's currently operating on timing switches (with manual overrides). However, I'm learning and experimenting with writing software (applications) to operate the system remotely via Android phone.
cob led strip doesn't have shadow
Maybe a micro lED like those in TV and monitors alltough , a so called high density filament exists. instead of a normal led filament when you see clearly the individual Led emitters these HD filament the emitters are so close you need a microscope to see it. ofcourse, not fully lit😅😅
Tested team is killing it lately with all these videos!
Big Trouble and Little China vibes!
what about current limiting? are there resistors built-in?
Does the manufacturer integrate the correct amount of resistance in this LED filament wire so that you only need to hook up 3 volts? That would probably explain the fixed-length of the wire. Normally, we add a current-limiting resistor in series to LEDs, even near the minimum driving voltage.
All of these projects you are doing recently have been swimming around my head for months!
Seconds into that opening sequence had me thinking about a Big Trouble in Little China diorama, with Lo Pan descending the stairs/escalator. Thanks for the inspiration Norm!!! P.S. love your dragon!
Hah indeed! The pork chop express, grew up on it , still watch it and got the sountrack on vinyl 😎
Makes me think of how cool a stop motion animation remake of the original _Blade Runner_ could be...
@@JustWasted3HoursHere its not stop motion, but have you seen "Slice of Life" on UA-cam? so cool..
@@BKMakes Talking about the anime? The one I watched was the extremely limited version of anime where there's virtually no movement except the mouth for LARGE stretches of time, and it's only a few frames per second. That being said I have definitely seen anime that is fluid and awesome.
10 times out of 10, I have no clue what Norm is saying when he talks about electricity, but I still find it cool.
Oh Wow, You could use a motor or servos to animate these. Thats too cool
This is so cool and makes me want to make some neon signs for my home! I've always thought they are cool but the scale with most previous materials would be just way too big, this is the first time I've seen something that makes me interested in making scale signs. Thanks for the inspiration!
Wonderful, iconic work Norm.
I am definitely going to look into these for projects for my vehicle and elsewhere, one idea for holding it down is to basically add small bumps that protrude into the channel and so that way it holds into place without using wire and the like
Wow, Great video Norman!
EL Filament is great for custom lengths if the LED's fixed length are causing you issues; downer is it requires a driver circuit and is a bit more fragile.
I was about to ask how LED wire compares to EL Wire and EL strip. I like the soft glow of EL strip for use as ground effect for some of my electronics. I have been wanting to play with EL sheets to see how they work as soft backlights for images. AKA, light up skins for PCs.
Not to mention the terrible sound and poor brightness. These are better in every way.
Looks like I just found a way to light up my R/C car and mini truck... and my Pontoon boat.
Looks great. Snapped up one of those USB power supplies. No idea that even existed.
Thanks for this. I was trying to learn more about this after watch Boylei Hobby Time
Wow Norm, that looks amazing!! I was working on a project at my last job where we had to secure a bunch on LEDs inside small sections of silicone tube. A dab of hot glue is the best thing to hold this kind of thing in place. It will conform to the round profile and lock it in place, but since it is silicone based it is easily removable.
OMG, thank you! I am tinkering with a design for a light up “pedestrian safety” cane and was almost sold on filament LED for lighting but was wondering how to secure it. Hot glue, of course!
You could also make really small holes, like 1mm or smaller if you can, and use some fishing line, knot it at the back, it's mostly see through, you could also use the flexible stretchy wire sometimes use for bracelets, mostly on those semi-precious stone bracelets, also see through, is a bit thicker than fishing wire though.
But it will not be as visible and thick and hard to work with compared to copper wire.
Although the copper wire could also have a somewhat authentic look to it.
Does anyone know how to install a rotary dimmer on these filament strips, do I need a driver or just the knob? I'm very new to these things
The White Dragon looks just like the White Dragon from Blade Runner 1982. It just so happens I made the original White Dragon for Blade Runner. 😁
it's insane, those are like micro neon, I love it.
Right? Even more vibrant in person!
Fishing line could be used as a fastener as well which wouldn’t be as visually obvious
This is incredible! Thank you for introducing this new lighting tool to me.
Wow. Looks like Neon 😻🌆💡🪄🎩
Didn’t see in the video - how did you attach the segments together? Solder? Any easy way to add pluggable clips to these filament wires?
You could also wrap the strips with jewelers wite or bailing wire then you can shape it anyway you want
Perfect for a Tron cosplay
Are these not pwm dimmable? That's how we handle that on film sets. This looks amazing, also.
Could you use a PWM controller inline to do some dimming so you can tune your exposures more to your liking? Not sure if these "elements" allow dimming like that.
This is so cool Norm!!
So cool! Thanks for sharing!
i actually made the Nürburgring Nordschleife like this .... first a 3D print in many parts and then a led strip inside. Against a wall it looks awesome.
That’s amazing Norm! I’m a huge Blade Runner fanboy and even built myself a live-firing Blade Runner Blaster, it really gets other shooters freaking out at the gun range. Very nice work and would love to see you do the “Origin” neon sign next? Thanks.
Dude, I thought you were making that up, and then I looked at your videos. That's really cool.
So many possibilities. Blade Runner Diorama.
Can you make a video on how you connected the wires in series? Where to cut the filament and exposing the wire. I havent seen this anywhere in youtube.
So I know you can’t cut the wire to shorten it. But can you add two of them together to lengthen.? Like add a 80mm to a 120mm to make a 200mm??
Does the whole thing light at once or can you control the speed at which is lights, dims, flickers??
Maybe I missed it, but could these be dimmed either by PWM, lower voltage, or maybe current limiting resistor?
Higher frequency PWM would probably be the way to go.
Thanks for showing this Norm, I just went and bought some to play around with 😀 To glue the silicon coated filament in place, use... silicon! Straight out of a caulking gun.
2021 winner for best cinematic, use of a vape or wax pen.
Have you seen any led strips like this that are addressable? The form factor is great (round cross-section, emits diffuse light in all directions), but I'd love to be able to animate it.
@BoyleiHobbyTime is one of the people who I saw use the lightbulb trick first if anyone was curious who he was referencing in the beginning...
I know this video is a couple years already, but wanted to suggest something in case you see it still or others like myself that only recently view it may find useful.
For anchoring the wire, what about a dab of silicone Caulk? It should bond to silicon tubing, and it is relatively strong for holding down objects. It's not completely permanent either if the need to relocate or replace. Any components
Not certain if it works for sure, but my guess is that it twill indeed
Man that looks so good
Brilliant use of these! I wonder if hot glue would work? I mean with your channels. Putting hot glue over the filament and down it's sides to encase the filament in the channel. Basically acting like a strap. The glue sticking to the acrylic.
It is not that I don't like Adam - big fan - but it is nice too see other people hosting videos again
If the brightness was an issue when filming it, couldn't you just lower the voltage to dim it like normal LEDs?
Exactly my thoughts. He has a voltage regulator right there lol
Would be nice to see what happens when you start to ease the voltage down..
You should be able to crank it down a bit before it starts to flicker or shut of.
Unfortunately it starts flickering with any adjustments to voltage (at least at 3V) and doesn’t let you dim much
To dim it you need a PWM controller.
BOYLAI HOBBYTIME is a f***ing monster bro - his work is just stupid amazing. Made me start in the hobby…. and I’m a lazy ass Cuban so that says a lot! Lol
I just saw your flying suit from your TV show takeoff from a helicopter deck of a ship in rough water to an inflatable and back.
It was cool.
I hope these don't make the high pitched noise as EL wires do. That is the biggest downside of them.
They don't, its LED
The opening scene in my mind. "Nice ... looks great. Ooh smoke! Wait alligator clip ... that's magical."
I’m surprised that you didn’t link adafruit for this. They have a great selection of these.
Not quite. Their dotstar and neopixel strips are much wider. Even the narrow version of the Neopixel is 7.5mm wide. The ones Norm showcases seem to be 2mm wide at most per my estimate. Though I would love it if Adafruit did carry these filaments. Much rather give my LED money to them haha.
You should look into the USB C Power Delivery trigger boards, very convenient for up to 100 watts at 20v but they're selectable between 5,9,12,15 & 20 volts. I used one to power 12v leds for my helmet and run a power bank in my backpack.
could you use clear heat shrink and floral wire to mount?
That’s a clever idea!
How hot does it get? I'm trying to do a wearable project. So I need to know if it'll melt any plastic or whatever.
Would 100 % silicon caulking stick to the silicone coated wires ?! Think it dries clear ?!
100% silicone should work. Because as we all know nothing sticks to silicone but silicone. Looks like we had the same idea. Ohhh and if the caulking is way to thick you can use naphtha to thin it out.
didn't know this existed and way better than EL wire
So.... How long will it be before you make one of these of the Tested logo to hang in the background of Adam's workshop?
Very cool!
I've never made anything with the flexible LED filament. But, you mentioned that it's encased in silicone and cannot be glued. I was wondering, will 100% silicone caulk hold it in place? Since they're both silicone? Just a thought. Your piece looks amazing!
Thanks Norm!
what i really want is the design file for that dragon! :)
🍇
Could you have used tiny blobs of silicone caulk to hold down the wire? It should bond well to the wire, and fairly well to the backing.
too messy, and takes too long to cure. but theoretically should work with more time
@@tested Ah, very good point about the curing time! Hadn't thought about that.
Many kudos! 👏👏👏
How durable are these? Do they last as long as a normal LED, or shorter lifespan from heat? because of size???
Holy cow how did I miss this video. Another great one Norm! I got started with lighting following your HT lightsaber video.
Is there any individually addressable(perhaps WS2813) RGB 1ft filament? 🤔
I have been waiting for a video JUST like this. Awesome share, thank you!
Hi, Are you still working with this led filament? I'm trying to figure out how long this will run on a battery.
This is a fantastic find!!! I'm going to see what lengths I need to maybe light up my LEGO Technic models. I'm thinking DRL on the Raptor, tail/brake light bar on the Chiron, tail/brake on the Charger (F&F), let alone any old sets I'm not thinking of...
You should resin print some clear clips to take it to the next level.
Are you adding any resistors?
Way cool work!
Don't tell me ? You must be computer Gig ? I love what You guys can come up with !
Good day Adam, i am currently trying to make Neon flex signs and would like to know where i can get hold of this shoelace size LED strips shown in your test program. I reside in South Africa, would you be able to send some to me from your side as we dont have to many options here
many thanks
Wayne Nicholson
Seems like EL wire would be more appropriate for a lot of situations
Hey there master of electrics im wondering if i can power these filament by using the usb c powersupply attatched to the daughterboard of my keyboard? Any thoughts? Was thinking of trailing these around the edge of my custom keyboard to add some light
Does it get hot? Like can I use it in my 3D printed project with a battery pack
Great project, Norm. Looking at this from the point of view of a "real" neon sign, traditionally the neon tubes are held in place using thin wires that are twisted around the tubes. Maybe try that instead of those thick copper wires?
Wow. The heart strings.
love the subject, the content and the presentation!
TY
I have yet to find a Cool White and RGB. I can see why rgb could be complicated but I really don’t know why I can’t find cool white
Could you drop a link to the TDK sign build? I'm having a hard time locating
here you go! ua-cam.com/video/Ew084i7Vmdc/v-deo.html
can you trim them too specific length?
Cool! Do the lights get hot? Could it be used in a wooden application?
A Voltron lit up with this stuff would look awesome!
Wow, I wish you could get this by the spool. They seem to max out around 30cm, which is kind of limiting for some uses.
They sell them at 120cm, which run at 24V!
If the filament can‘t be shortened, what do you do with oarts of it that are too long to make sure there‘s no „bleeding“? Just wrap it in black tape? I have a project where I‘d need to mount the LED on clear acrylic glass, so too long pieces are kind of a concern
Unfortunately black tape won’t stick to the silicone
Heat shrink.
how were the strips joined? just solder them end to end?
Yep just soldered and in some cases used copper rod to connect them
Can you run this project completely on a battery?
What's the width of the LED filament? Can't see any details fo that in the listings?
1.2mm x 2.3mm for the filament I bought
I'm thinking the LED wires would be cool for a model I want to light up. Is there nothing that can be used to attach the silicone to polystyrene?
I would see if clear aquarium silicone would work. I bet someone's tried it.
Urethane glue (Goop) might work...
Why are there no cold white ones of these?
So, as I remember the tongue does “slither” in the movie, right? No take on that yet?