CENTRAL LIGHTING

While this Fanhome 1:3 scale Iron Man Armor partwork does include LED lighting in the head, arc reactor, and at the repulsors, they are all powered separately by nearby CR1025 button-cell batteries. They also needed to be turned on individually by pushing switches under removable panels, at the back, or by rotating a part of the head.

I was thinking, wouldn’t it be better if our entire Iron Man model could be powered by a single, centralized power source? Well, after adding a bunch of custom lighting to my FDNY Tower Ladder 9 partwork build, I decided I would try to adapt the same Light My Bricks (LMB) lighting components to my Iron Man. While these parts are designed for use with LEGOs, they are tiny, modular, and work amazingly well for adding lighting in small places on nearly anything. There are many ways to accomplish what I am doing here, but this is the solution I chose.

DISCLAIMER: If you choose to attempt these modifications, you assume all risks thereof. I just wanted to share my experiences here. Neither Fanhome/DeAgostini, nor myself, are responsible for any damages that may occur.

Components Needed

NOTE: This list is now complete based on my final installation.

Required parts from Light My Bricks (LMB):

Optional parts from Light My Bricks (LMB):

Tools Used:

Installation

I began this modification after I had already assembled my Iron Man through Issue 38. Therefore, these instructions reflect the work needed to go back and disassemble some of the model. If you are at a point before this (or after) with your own build, I recommend looking through these instructions anyway to get an idea of how to possibly add this mod to your own model.

NOTE: This process does not require removal of the stock lighting/wiring – many of the these components are needed to support other parts.

TIP: Save any screws removed during this modification and use them again during reassembly. Also, remove the stock CR1025 batteries along the way.

Due to the length of these pages, I have broken them up into sections with links to each:

Helmet

Arc Reactor

Feet

Hands/Arms

Legs

Chest/Neck

Abdomen

Hips

Final Connections

Thoughts

Overall, this Light My Bricks lighting is working perfectly! I am very happy that I can power my entire Iron Man Armor from a single USB plug and do not have to worry about all the various batteries.