This is a rough tutorial on how I wire LED(light emitting diodes) for fursuit eyes, noses, horns, etc. Materials with a * next to it means the item is handy, but not necessary. This tutorial, in order to understand it, you must need to know how to solder properly as well as know the basics to a complete circuit.

A. Materials: Those listed are needed to wire, solder, and make a complete harness for an LED circuit. Some people may do it differently, this is just what works for me.

*1. Craft/fly fishing vice. Holds the wire you are soldering steady.
*2. damp sponge: clean the soldering gun tip.
3. LED's (these shown are high intensity white)
4. 20 gauge plastic coated copper wire (doesn't have to b 20 gauge, just similar)
5. * Heat shrink tubing
6. resin eye blanks
7. battery pack with a switch
8. lighter for heat shrink tubing
9. wire snips
10. Wire strippers (very handy)
11. soldering iron
12. solder

(all electronics and tools bought at Radio Shack.)

B. LED's have a positive and a negative connection. The red wire on the battery pack is the positive lead, black is negative. Longest lead (and smallest piece inside called the annode) on the LED is positive, short (and large, a.k.a. cathode) is negative. It's imperative that you remember this or else your circuit won't be complete.

B.1. Take some wire and make leads to lengthen the distance from the battery pack to the area needing the LED. You will also want some leads in between the LED's. Once cut, remove some of the plastic coating on the tip.

C. Take your lead (this one shown is connected to the battery pack) and put it in your vice. Twist the fibers (if any) until they are all uniform and tight.

D. Take some solder and, with your soldering iron, melt a bit onto the lead.

E. Take the end of your newly cut lead that will connect the pack to the LED and twist it around the soldered piece. PUT MORE SOLDER ON THIS TO STRENGTHEN AND SEAL THE CONNECTION.

F. Slip a small piece of heat shrink tubing over the soldered joint and heat it up with a lighter, heat gun, or your soldering gun. Repeat D-F on the other lead.

G. Now for the connection on the LED. You can see I already have tubing slipped over it. Take the end of your now long lead and take the small section that will go inbetween the LED's. Twist those together and solder. Place the proper lead from the LED upon the exposed wires, solder that, and snip off the excess lead upon the LED, slipping the tubing over and up to the base of the diode.

I. Repeated step of G. with the other LED lead.

J. Take a larger shrink tube, slip if on 3/4 way, and shrink it. This will secure both leads together, clean up the look, and help direct any overspill light.

K. The completed lead. There are two more LED's in sync with this pair so my leads continue so I'm only showing what is there to avoid any further confusion.



I had noticed there wasn't really a tutorial for LED wiring so I hope this one helps a bit. If you don't know how to solder, I would suggest talking to someone perhaps at a hobby shop, Radio Shack, or Googling/YouTubing to show/tell you how. Same goes for completing circuits.

For a more complete tutorial, look here: http://www.instructables.com/id/LED.....for-Beginners/