Question: Can a light source pass through clear resin?

[Jaywalker]

I don't know if this has been brought up before; but is you have a model kit that has been completely casted in clear resin and you have a powerful light source attach to some section of the clear resin kit, will it light up most of the kit? I know that clear resin is not fiber optic material, but would it be clear enough to let light pass through it spreading the light thoughout the model? I am trying to figure out a way to light up a solid resin kit without drilling and cutting trences all over it. Has anything let this ever been tried?

[en'til Zog]

A lot depends on the model. Embedding an LED in a block of clear plastic, then filling the hole completely with more clear resin leaves you with a teeny bright hemispherical light source within the solid model. Where the light from that source goes depends on where it's aimed. Also on what the shapes of the clear bits are.

Take a superbright LED, file the lens off the end so it's flat, sand the flat smooth, then touch the flat with FUTURE and let it dry. Once you've done all that, hold the flat end of the LED against the clear resin bit - you might want to put a drop of water on the end of the LED so the light transfers easilly.

Then just try the LED against different areas until you find lighting effects you want.

Painting the main mass of the resin with white paint helps the light bounce around inside the mass.

Now, what are you trying to light up?

[Balok]

I light some of my model's engines that way - by lighting shaped blocks of clear acrylic. If you did that you'd have problems with light leak. The only thing that works really well is bare metal foil and you could cut out the little windows. You would be able to see the point sources inside. I've also found that the Crystal Clear casting resin I get at Tap Plastics shrinks a bit in the mold and can get a lousy surface as a result. It also takes a long time to set up so leaving it in the mold a long time is necessary. Maybe you have some better stuff than me though. As far as white paint bottling in the light it works as well as foil, is easier, and has a slightly more diffuse light than the harsher
foil. You can see through the paint though. Still foil on the outside of your model would be fragile. This is probably why guys don't do this too much. Check out the link at the bottom of my post its a MF engine that has an acrylic lens in it that bottles the light with foil. It works really well, the concept is good.