Small lanterns

[ImperialReaper]

Dear brothers,

 

i would like to outfit some of my models (Black Templars) with working lanterns.

 

Some BT models already have laterns like Helbrecht himself or the swordbretheren. Those lanterns however are pretty small and worked into the models in a way you just wont be able to put a lightsource into them.

 

So i am now searching for a way to build a small lantern myself.

As a source of light I think an LED would be the best choice, the smallest I foud where 2-3mm in diameter. As a powersource i concider to use a coin cell which also should be 2-3 mm in diameter. Also the cell could be the bottom or the top of the lantern. The "cage" and the handle of the lantern could be build by brazing several thin metalwires together (e.g. from paperclips) and also the two diodes from the LED should be contained in the cage. Unfortunately at this size there is no room for some powerswitch so this has to be regulated by butting the cell into the cage and out.

 

Anyone ever tried this or does someone have any remarks or ideas on the concept ?

 

Greetings

Tony

[cathar the great]

Your plan sounds solid, if you think you can pull it off. The smallest I managed to get a light source in was a Dreadnought Sarcophagus.

 

I still think any LED you can get will be too large for normal Marines, but it might work on Terminators.

 

Sorry, not a lot of help here, except for saying: Great idea, plan sounds good, don't forget to show us pictures of your progress ^^

[Brother Anvilus]

Well, first off, It's possible.If your a little good with the soldering iron and a pair of pliers.If you invert the Led and braze the iron 'cage' accordingly, you'll get a nice natural lantern effect.How you'll solve the battery question, that's another thing of course.Maybe use the cage as one of the Led's legs extension?I got it in my head, it's just a little hard to explain, English isn't my first language :)

[darth_giles]

You can get 1.8mm LEDs, but its going to be difficult squeezing the power pack inside the figure, plus drilling all the way thru their torso and legs. It'd be challenging, even moreso than the illuminated Thousand Sons, but it could be worth it.

[ImperialReaper]

Ok this is my first try on it. The most basic construction - a melta bomb where the middle part is replaced by 4 pieces of paperclips. I thaught this would be the smallest way to build a lantern but its still pretty big. I will also try to braze a small cage out of paper clips next but i guess this lantern will get even bigger. But also its gonna look more realistic and the LED will fit in with some space.

Also I think its better to place the lantern on the base of the model. Putting it on the backpack or in his hands would mean that you can see the wires coming out and going into the base. leading the wire through the model would be near to impossible since you had to drill some kind of tunnel from his hand or backpack through the body and the leg into the base and to the power cell. This would leave some visible holes in the model and furthermore sticking the wire through such a long and small hole also would be pretty hard.

I could but put it in the empty hand of my emperrors champion. This way the lantern would only be slightly oveer the base and from a players point of view the wires leading into the base would not even be visible.