My first LED fan (total cost = $8)

[Captain Slug]

I figured out how to make LED fan with cheaper fans and cheaper parts. Here's a pic...

For fans that DON'T have dual ball bearings you can coil us 22awg wire into a spring and tape it down onto the shaft. This is easier and doesn't require more expensive fans.

 

[NASsoccer]

maybe you can post a more indepth guide on how you made this. You have peeked my interest quite a bit.

 

[Captain Slug]

This is a picture of the prototype. I'll be making a dozen more in prep for a LAN event in May so I'll work on a guide while the new batch is being built.
All of the other guides out there either use the expensive fans or the spindle and washer method (yuck).

I went through 3 cheap fans before finding the easiest working method. This fan doesn't require any specialty parts (excluding the resistor) and doesn't REQUIRE braided wire (but the braided wire would cut down the hissing noise a little).

 

[Wolfe]

how do you get the fans apart? i cant figure out how, i keep breaking them.

 

[Captain Slug]

If you don't have any soldering practice this is NOT a project you should attempt.
I will be making a batch of 24 LED fans so if you would just like to buy one for $15 + shipping e-mail me at

[email protected]

This is about an hour long process once you have some practice.
For reference the positive lead on an LED is always the side that has the larger prong inside the bulb.

I'll have a full tutorial in two weeks time but here's the basics...

1. remove the label sticker and middle cap that's placed over the middle axle hole.
2. remove the O-ring from the axle by using either dental tools or a very small flat head screwdriver.
3. place the O-ring and rubber sleeve bearing in a safe place
4. remove the fan blade assembly
5. drill a small hole into the edge of the HUB of the fan assembly so that you can see the top of the metal magnetic ring.
6. drill a very small hole next to the middle of the fan hub

7. solder a white wire (white will be negative through this whole process) onto the top of the magnetic sleeve through the hole that you drilled
8. with a short piece (1 1/2 inches) of red wire, loop it around the axle inside the hub and feed the rest of the wire through the second hole you drilled

9. Drill a 5mm hole into one of the fan blades
10. firmly place or glue the LED into that hole
11. solder the wires to the right leads on the LED

12. solder a 470ohm resistor to the positive lead on the PCB of the fan.
13. like in the picture, in order to get current to the axle you'll have to make a spring coil of wire from 22awg wire and solder it to the resistor

14. solder a 4 inch wire to the negative terminal on the PCB of the fan
15. pas it through to the intake side
16. strip off a 2 inch section of the wire and make a 1 inch size loop

The loop of wire will act as a friction connection to the metal sleeve on the magnet. It will need alot of adjustment before you solder or tape it down.

Hopefully you are very good at visualization, otherwise you'll have to wait for the tutorial with pictures.

 

[the_par4d0x_]

bump

bump

 

[LiGhTBoY]

Just a small question: What is a LED fan (Light Emmiting Diode right? ) ? Is it a fan attached to a small LED to monitor RPMs ?
Thanks

 

[the_par4d0x_]

A light is attached to the regular case fan

 

[Captain Slug]

BUMP

Just as a side note. If you want to make one of these yourself all you need to do it buy and Evercool 80mm fan from nexfan.com ($3), some 22awg wire (10 cents), a 470 ohm resistor (depending on LED voltage), and your favorite color LED.

You only need to shop for these parts at nexfan.com and allelectronics.com (PLUG PLUG).

The picture in the first post shows you the easiest part of the project.