# LED on a mask question...



## edwood saucer (Aug 21, 2006)

Hey, 

Son's marching band is terminator themed this year. It's actually pretty cool.

They are wearing half-masks (think phantom) - during the performances.

So I covered his in foil and dry brushed red and black. (I'm more impressed than he is!)

Regardless - I know how to wire an LED to a transistor battery in a film canister. (think Terminator's red eye)

But I want something different. I want to power an LED by a watch battery glued to his mask.

Does anyone have any clever ideas for a switch?? I want it all light weight and self contained on the mask.

Thoughts? Would battery heat be an issue? (this I don't know)... or do I stick with the wires down to a film canister in his pocket?

As always - thanks!


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## Dr. Maniaco (Sep 7, 2012)

Actually, this year I'm not gonna bother with wiring if I can help it. (Lazy me)

On my blog you'll see these great red LED orbs I'm using for gator eyes, and Swamp Monster eyes. Twist on-off. Very self-contained, and I think I got four for $8 at Michael's.


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## Haunted Spider (Sep 6, 2010)

Battery heat will not be an issue. LEDs don't suck that much juice. As for a switch, any small toggle switch you find at radioshack would work. All you need to do is break the connection. Depending on how you attach the LED and what kind of LED you are using, you could do a variety of things. What kind of LED are you using? and how are you attaching said LED to the mask?


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## edwood saucer (Aug 21, 2006)

@Spider... have a variety of LEDS not used in previous haunt years. Just have to pick a color (probably red). Really have no idea how to "attach" LED or battery to mask. I will post a pic of the mask later today. Probably give everyone a letter idea.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

In case you're not familiar with these, MonsterGuts sells both LED eyes kits and pre-wired LED eyes. Either option might work for you. A nine volt battery provides the power.

The do-it-yourself kit (soldering required):

http://monsterguts.com/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=121

Pre-wired:

http://monsterguts.com/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=118


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## corey872 (Jan 10, 2010)

Easiest thing to do would be to buy a pack of cheap tea lights, deconstruct one and replace the flickering LED with your red LED (and likely a ~68 ohm resistor to make your (guessing 1.8V/20mA) red LED compatible with the 3V battery). Now you have a battery, a holder,a switch, a LED and a small case holding it all. A bit of paint on the tea light case and you have a terminator glowing eye.

If you wanted to step it up a notch, you could build a 'throbbing' / 'breathing' LED circuit which would make the LED fade in/out. This would likely require a small battery pack/electronic circuit box hidden away, though...unless you just embed the circuit in the mask as well.

Though I have to ask - is the kid going to be marching with one of his eyes covered in mask/LED eye? Might want to give the costume a shot beforehand. Seems like it would be hard to do the marching seeing with only one eye and no depth perception.


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## edwood saucer (Aug 21, 2006)

Thanks Guys...

@Corey - the tea light idea is great. I can find one cheap, tear it apart for the switch.

Re: eye coverage... we thought about dark panty hose - but just decided against it. The wires, with the transister taped over are stiff enough I can point them anywhere. So I think I am going to come out ABOVE his eye. Just sticking out.

THEN - we are going to take a half ping pong ball and paint it and hang it underneath - like his human eye fell out exposing his "terminatorness".


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## edwood saucer (Aug 21, 2006)




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## bert1913 (Oct 27, 2011)

http://www.instructables.com/id/E9D2ZJ3FG0EP286JEJ/?ALLSTEPS


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## R. Lamb (Oct 11, 2011)

I've pulled apart several of those LED lit swords that you see at every outdoor concert these days and they all have a very small button switch ( And several LED lights ) that you could use.


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## edwood saucer (Aug 21, 2006)

I disassembled a tea lite - it will work great though I don't know if I can stop the flicker.


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## corey872 (Jan 10, 2010)

Most of the modern tea lights, the flicker is built into the LED. You would just see a battery, switch and some wires inside. In this case, just solder the new LED/resistor to the wire leads going to power.

An older tea light may have a flicker circuit board inside, but the circuit board will still have a + and - input from the battery. It would be these leads you want to tap into, and you can take the old LED and circuit board completely out.


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## Sawtooth Jack (Apr 9, 2011)

Maybe this LINK will be of some help. No on/off switch other than maybe a piece of cardboard-LED lighting at its simplest. Wired Magazine did an article on this new trend as well, bit I'm sure it could be adapted to your needs.

*NOTE:* I'm not condoning throwing these on vehicles or the like as is the current trend. Don't do it!!!


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## Forgedblades (Sep 29, 2010)

Dr. Maniaco said:


> Actually, this year I'm not gonna bother with wiring if I can help it. (Lazy me)
> 
> On my blog you'll see these great red LED orbs I'm using for gator eyes, and Swamp Monster eyes. Twist on-off. Very self-contained, and I think I got four for $8 at Michael's.


Just wanted to offer this up. @Dr. Maniaco, I couldn't find those LED's you found at Michaels in my store. But I did happen upon in the Haloween "trinket" section, some LED Eyeball rings for 1.99 ea. I bought a pair to see if they would be a potential solution for my Enhanced costume for this year. They are a flashing tyep of eyeball and they have a switch built into the ring portion. Will try to attach both a pic and a video clip of what they look like in my mask.










View My Video


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## edwood saucer (Aug 21, 2006)

@forgedblades... that is excellent!

A follow up on the mask... we realized he would be the only person out there with LED's embedded in his mask.

We asked an asst. band director and he said - do it but don't be surprised if band director tells him to keep them turned off.

I concurred. BUT - we've learned a lot here - so the thread wasn't in vain.


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## corey872 (Jan 10, 2010)

Kind of wondered about that too...after all, the whole deal is to have a 'uniform' - but clearly the thing to do is make terminator eyes for everyone!


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## edwood saucer (Aug 21, 2006)

You know Corey... that thought struck me. But it was fleeting! The kids got to decorate their own masks, and everyone did to a degree. Just none with lights.

The show is working out well. They got first in their division (4A) Saturday night.

If you don't know marching band etiquette: at the beginning of a performance the PA announcer asked the drum major if the band is ready - and the drum major salutes as a gesture of "yeah - the band is ready."

Well - the bands drum major turns to face the audience - triggered the lights on her uniform - and salutes. (all the kids have lights - they aren't turned on yet)... the audience loved it which really set the tone for the performance.


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## gpawood (Aug 12, 2011)

Now I bet that was just awesome !!


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