Hi guys
I am interested in making a couple of my own vactrols (led and ldr)
but want to make them to look like the real ones, i mean not just shrink tube the two elements but something that will look a lot more professional.
Any ideas on where to source plastic or something similar to house the led and ldr?

I did this for a Mutron dual element build. Just use one LDR instead of two.

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=95269.msg824665;topicseen#msg824665

You can get brass and aluminum tubing in very small diameters from a hobby shop. Sold in one foot lengths, cut to size and painted could look quite official.
dave

LEDs can be filed/ground/cut down to a smaller size with a flat end that permits adhering an LDR parallel to the light source.  A better solution is probably using square LEDs, such as the kind one often sees used as indicators on professional equipment.  Of course, those tend not to come in the range of efficiencies/brightnesses that more conventional 3mm and 5mm dome-top ones come in.

Thanks guys!
I think i would stay away from aluminum and brass or anything metal. Plastic or anything non conductive would be better. Any ideas how the companies like Vactec, Silonex, etc do it ?

Quote from: changes on April 04, 2016, 04:09:28 PM
I think i would stay away from aluminum and brass or anything metal. Plastic or anything non-conductive would be better.

One of R. G. Keen's recommendations for making a photocoupler for the Neutron is a header and cover. Mouser once offered an inexpensive version, but now all I can find is Aries:

http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Aries-Electronics/16-600-10/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMs%2fSh%2fkjph1tvt1%2fmEPT%2fXo9BjqnOOXLCo%3d

Nice parts, but impossibly expensive; the cover costs as much as the header! I have found a less expensive source and expect to have parts to post mid-month. If I can work up a way to economically sort LDRs, I will offer some attractive combinations.

Try aquarium suppliers, there's black vinyl airline tubing, maybe connectors that could be adapted.

Drip irrigation tubing.

6mm 8mm airline tubing. fill the ends up with coloured epoxy.

edit
Davent beat me to it.

Quote from: smallbearelec on April 04, 2016, 04:49:52 PM

Quote from: changes on April 04, 2016, 04:09:28 PM
I think i would stay away from aluminum and brass or anything metal. Plastic or anything non-conductive would be better.

One of R. G. Keen's recommendations for making a photocoupler for the Neutron is a header and cover. Mouser once offered an inexpensive version, but now all I can find is Aries:

http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Aries-Electronics/16-600-10/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMs%2fSh%2fkjph1tvt1%2fmEPT%2fXo9BjqnOOXLCo%3d

Nice parts, but impossibly expensive; the cover costs as much as the header! I have found a less expensive source and expect to have parts to post mid-month. If I can work up a way to economically sort LDRs, I will offer some attractive combinations.

Thanks!!!
Looking forward on your update with the new parts

Quote from: Kipper4 on April 05, 2016, 01:57:44 PM
6mm 8mm airline tubing. fill the ends up with coloured epoxy.

edit
Davent beat me to it.

Quote from: davent on April 04, 2016, 06:01:49 PM
Try aquarium suppliers, there's black vinyl airline tubing, maybe connectors that could be adapted.

Drip irrigation tubing.

Thanks guys. i'll look around for an aquarium supplier tomorrow and see if i get lucky ;-)

You may find black plastic tubing at hardware stores. Engineering suppliers too.
Machine mart. Harbour freights. Not affiliated these are suggestions.
Most places that carry air compressors should also provide tubing.
Plumbing supplies.
Depending on your needs maybe you could ask a local engineering company to part with a sample for an incentive payment.
Friends in the trade can be invaluable.
Good luck.

> I think i would stay away from aluminum and brass or anything metal.

Why?

The leads won't be anywhere near the shell. Scrap insulation or putty will keep it that way.

if ever you get your hands on an old (!) VHS video cassette, pull it apart. it will have a pair of metal rollers in the tape path. if they are the thin, sheet, split type, you can just shove a 5mm led one end and an ldr the other, maybe some h/shrink to keep it good.

if it has the solid (brass? steel?) type rollers, they will be juuuuusssstttt slightly less than 5mm inner dia, but just as usable. the solids are easier to shorten, with a file, if you haven't got the lengths.

Have you tried using a drinking straw?

How about using arrow shafts?
Black carbon fiber would be ideal.. just be careful to insulate the leads.

Plastic tubing found in hardware stores is often made of nylon... and epoxy won't stickem to it.

I think I like this guys approach...
http://tatek.pl/32-warsztat/w-krotkofalowca/wk-projekty/117-vactrol02

Quote from: Electron Tornado on April 06, 2016, 05:05:44 PM
Have you tried using a drinking straw?

hahaha no
but definitely a cool idea to try out
thaaaanks

Is there a square type of casing that might be appropriate for the application?