LED star backing?

[LoveofCountry]

I was wondering what people like to use as a backing for the LED star in their hilts? I used a circular piece of foam matting i cut with a hot knife in my first build and I"m having second thoughts about it as far as saber longevity and durability go.

[Silver Serpent]

You put a piece of foam matting between your LED and the heatsink? That's not a good idea. Putting an insulating piece of foam between your LED and the heatsink will prevent the heatsink from doing its job. High powered LEDs like the LEDEngins will rapidly overheat and burn out.

You want to use the thermal tape pad from the store. http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Star-thermal-tape-pad-P483.aspx

Other options would be to use Arctic Silver thermal paste, or even nothing at all. I suggest you remove the foam before you burn up your LED.

[cardcollector]

The thermal tape is a must for any saber. It draws heat from the LED, and transfers it to the heatsink, which then cools the LED. You should replace it. :)

[LoveofCountry]

You put a piece of foam matting between your LED and the heatsink? That's not a good idea. Putting an insulating piece of foam between your LED and the heatsink will prevent the heatsink from doing its job. High powered LEDs like the LEDEngins will rapidly overheat and burn out.

You want to use the thermal tape pad from the store. http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Star-thermal-tape-pad-P483.aspx

Other options would be to use Arctic Silver thermal paste, or even nothing at all. I suggest you remove the foam before you burn up your LED.

For better or worse, you misunderstood. There is no heatsink in my saber. I had a pretty long conversation with the owner of xxxxxxxxx and his take was that heatsinks are overrated and that the star itself does a good job of dissipating heat. Now he's never made a saber from his LEDs, his applications were all computer-based so there's a good chance i should have taken his experience with a grain of salt...but I was strapped for cash at the time and a 2 ounce hunk of metal for 10 bucks didn't seem like a worthwhile investment after talking to him.

Thermal paste is how i adhered the LED star to the Foam, but from what you guys are saying foam is a bad way to go thermal paste or not so I'll rectify that on my next paycheck. I guess the real question is, how do you prevent that heatsink from moving around in your hilt? Are Tim's MHS hilts micro-honed so that the heatsinks wedge in perfectly with wires connected or is copious amounts of thermal paste and / or some kind of epoxy in order?

[Strydur]

Turn your saber on and then hold your finger on the back of the star and then tell me you do not need more of a heatsink than that. The star may do a great job of pulling the heat off the LED but as soon as the star heats up to the same temp as the LED then it is no longer cooling the LED which I am sure you will find happens pretty fast. Adding a large copper heatsink like we use makes a huge difference. You may be okay with running a 1000mA max LED at 350mA or something like that.

Either way adding foam to the back of it would be worse then having it sitting with nothing behind it.

Yes our blade holders are designed to sandwich everything in place but unless you lap (make it perfectly flat) the heatsink then using thermal tape or thermal paste will help..but never use much, just a light coat.

[norlemann123]

My immense n00b-skills caused me to fry the LED - YAY! Is there a trick to remove the Star from the heatsink? It's stuck on there like a MF and I can't get it off, haha. Chisel? lol

[Kevin Starwaster]

My immense n00b-skills caused me to fry the LED - YAY! Is there a trick to remove the Star from the heatsink? It's stuck on there like a MF and I can't get it off, haha. Chisel? lol

Razer blade. Don't cut yourself.

[Jordandau]

Careful when prying with a razor blade. They tend to snap easily. I recommend a flathead screw driver or small chisel instead.

[norlemann123]

I used a wide chisel - worked like a charm :)