About Us
Lids Tops and Tails creates made-to-order illuminated display pieces for aviation, motorsport, sports, music and anime enthusiasts.
Every light is 3D-printed and manufactured in the UK, with premium-quality LED strip lighting, a remote control and all required cabling. Each order includes a 12V power supply with the appropriate UK, US or EU plug for its delivery country.
From an idea to an illuminated light box
3D-printing an LED light box is much more involved than simply pressing print. Each design has to be adapted into clean, printable layers; fine details need to remain strong and recognisable; colours must line up accurately; and enough space has to be created inside for the LEDs, wiring and diffuser without making the finished piece bulky.
I use Bambu Lab P1S and H2S printers and a wide range of coloured PLA filament to turn each design into a physical light. Different shapes, lettering and colour combinations bring their own challenges, from controlling light bleed and achieving an even glow to producing crisp faces and reliable joins. Larger or more intricate pieces can take several test prints and careful adjustments before everything fits and lights exactly as it should.
That problem-solving is one of the things I enjoy most about these projects. I love taking an aircraft tail, racing helmet, badge, logo or personal idea and working through the details until it becomes a finished illuminated piece that feels special to its owner.
Custom designs
Alongside the existing designs, custom lights can be commissioned around a chosen aircraft, airline, squadron, tail design, livery, badge, logo or original idea. Start a custom LED light box enquiry and I will confirm what is possible, the sizing and the final price before production begins.
Made one layer at a time
The craft behind every 3D-printed LED light box
For me, each light box begins as a flat idea—a badge, tail fin, helmet, shirt or logo—and the enjoyable part is working out how to turn it into an object that looks just as convincing switched off as it does glowing.
That takes more than pressing print. The artwork must be cleaned and separated, the walls and diffusers designed, the parts sized to the printer, and channels allowed for the LEDs, wiring, controller and power connection. Tiny changes to wall thickness or clearances can affect the fit, light spread and printing time.
Complex shapes bring their own challenges: avoiding shadows and bright spots, choosing colours that work together, keeping fine details strong enough to print, and producing pieces that assemble neatly without visible wiring. Larger designs may need several accurately aligned parts and many hours of printing.
Those challenges are exactly why I enjoy these projects. Every design asks for a slightly different solution, and seeing the finished piece light up for the first time—especially when it began as a customer’s personal idea—is still the best part of the process.
