What is it?

A working handmade ten times scale model of a 5mm Light Emitting Diode.

It is a novelty or educational item, but it is not a child's toy.

The LEDs are single color, commonly available in Diffused Red, Green, Blue, and White 4000k. Extra colors can be added, but haven't yet been tested for effect (Amber, Blue, Cyan, Green, Orange, Pink, Red, Violet, White 2700K, White 4000K, White 6500K, White 8000K, Yellow, UV, IR 880 nm, IR 940 nm).

What does it do?

It's just like a normal LED but bigger.

Like a normal LED it needs to be connected to a suitable power source and/or microcontroller. Unlike a normal LED no series resistors is required.

The power source can have a wide range of voltages from about 3 volts up to about 30 volts (up 40 volts should work but has not to been tested). Only 20mA of current is required.

Like a normal 5mm LED the long leg (anode) is positive and the short leg/flat spot (cathode) is negative.

At the end of each leg is a 2mm banana female connector socket (included is two solder-able 2mm banana male connectors).

Power Adapter

Stand alone power adapters are available at Giant LED - Power Adapter.

Quality Disclaimer

Each LED is handmade so some imperfections can be expected.

Common imperfections include: surface texture, embedded bubbles, surface bubbles, blister bubbles, bubble repair, witness lines, pigment consistency, pigment granules, dust/dirt, excessive seam lines, dimensional tolerance, fill level/slope.

Most imperfections are only noticeable on close inspection.

Careful attention is taken to match LED color and pigmentation, but it can not be guaranteed to match across LEDs.

Why did you make it?

My first Maker Faire as a maker was New York 2012, I brought a Giant Arduino Starter Kit (YouTube video Giant Arduino Starter Kit - A 10x Scale Model). Everything was ten times scaled up; the Arduino Uno, breadboard, resistors, potentiometer, LDR, jumper wires, and LEDs.

As the LEDs were portable, I would bring an LED with me to other Faire's, it has always been received well and many times people would ask was it for sale.

In September 2018 I decided to explore turning the rough model in to something that I would be happy to sell. The following YouTube playlist records some of the progress in Making a Refined Giant LED.

How are they made?

For preparation:

3D printing was used to make the basic LED and leg shapes. Each shape was refined over a number of days with multiple stages of filling and sanding.

One part silicone molds were created with custom 3D printed mold boxes. Two part silicone molds were created using clay.

For each LED:

Brass rods and 2mm banana connectors are soldered together.

Two rods, a surface mount LED, a surface mount constant current regulator are soldered to a small PCB.

The PCB sub-assembly is then cast in a silver colored polyurethane resin.

After curing the leg subassembly is then cast in more polyurethane resin made slightly opaque with a very small amount of white pigment.

(link to YouTube).