With the booth build and covered, the next step was to add the two lines of LEDs. To make sure this went smoothly, and not to ruin my frame, I decided to build a prototype version first, where I could test out the process of putting the LEDs onto the back board.
For this I cut off a small piece of display board and covered it with black fabric, just like I did with the main panels. I then drilled the hole and put in a couple of LEDs.
The aim of this was to make sure that when the holes were drilled, the fabric didn’t tear or crease, and generally reduce the aesthetics of the final artefact. I also wanted to check that the LEDs looked good when on the board, and stayed in place without the possibly of wriggling free.
The experiment was a success. The holes are easy enough to make – just time consuming. And the LEDs stay in place, and look good. There is the possibility of damaging the fabric when drilling the holes, but this should be avoided by being extremely careful.