I’ve got it sorted now @Albannach. I had some cable from an extension for a 110v site transformer in the works van. It’s now just warm to the touch and the driver is running at 500w 
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how many feet would you recommend i get at lowes/home depot for a first time build? (8 strips…4-5ft per?)
doesn’t have to be even close to exact, just ballpark -
im literally buying everything i need including tools (just moved down here and didn’t bring much)
so ive got quite a list for the store (screw gun, hacksaw, drill bit, nylon washers, paste, 18AWG solid core, 3/8 aluminum railing)
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Nice one bro! that’ll be at least 2mm dia then or it would be getting dam hot with that much current going through it cos that’s a bit over 20A 
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That depends on how you want to wire the strips. If you want to run individual 18AWG wires from each strip to a junction box you will need a lot of wire bro. Probably around 30 feet but that’s a quick guess. I tried that method but you end up with a lot of stiff wires to have to work with.
It depends on your ability cos the above is probably the least technical way of doing it. Now i make busbars out of 12AWG single core with 18AWG tapoffs for each strip but i’ve done electrical work for a long time bro.
Here’s a link to what i’m talking about. I made this loom for 5 strip rigs but it can be scaled up. The busbars are 16AWG which is good for up to 8 strips.
2.5 mm I think for 110v I’m not 100% on that. It’s the cables used on petrol generators and transformers to power 110v tools.
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Oh ok so it’s pretty much up to me to figure out how to run the electric via copper, combine everything, and connect it to the driver output… ok so that’s generic electric research.
ive been raising an infant for the past 10 months… looking forward to getting a little bit technical so it’s no problem. thanks man
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Keep in mind that most decent COBs are about 50% efficient at their “sweet spot”, so when you deliver 40 watts of power to a COB, only half (~20w) is dissipated into the heat sink, which is really not a lot of heat energy. The vast majority of DIY COB builders go way past overkill on their heat sinks.
Having said that, thermal interface material is never a bad idea.
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If you can raise an infant you can build anything bro 
check out some of the threads on here, there are quite a few including the one from that daft old git i linked to in my last reply 
also have a good read through all the info on the solstrip.com site cos it’ll keep you right too. Good luck with the build and the kid 
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Yeh spot on bro, that’s the stuff cos it can take 20A especially if the length is kept to less than 4 meters.
My head is fried talking about metric wire sizes AND AWG in the same sentences so i’m off to have a very fat joint now 
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one last thing for now - how do i safely break apart the paired solstrips? im guessing bend them but i dont want to break anything… they look fragile
also- can you recommend me a junction box so i can start wrapping my head around how this will all converge before going into the driver? 8 wires seems like a lot to converge in one box but i am probably off on my thinking… maybe there is some splicing done on the wires that come off the strips before they hit a junction box?
just trying to get a visual so i have some sort of base to start from.
thanks a lot for the responses.
I don’t blame you. Enjoy 
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If you would like to see how I did my last build you can check Here and read down.
Also, wagos could make the junction shown instead of soldering as shown in my cab build thread Here
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Okkk… so you basically cut each wire and reconnect it after each solstrip for the parallel circuit - nice that is exactly what i needed…how many slots to those wagos have? can’t quite tell.
Also- the solstrips are paired together (4 items, 8 strips) out of the mail - do you bend them to break them apart?
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Yes
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First you take the strips to the top of Mount Everest, Find a sharp ledge, place strips on edge and sharply chop downward with all your chi. Focus, young grasshopper. Too little and you will just damage your hand. Too much and you will break the traces on the PCB.
Don’t forget to dress warm enough 
Yep, what @ReikoX said lol.
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lol - hey i dont know how fragile these things are!
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I used some of the thermal paste, but didn’t buy enough to spread evenly across all of the heat sinks. Instead of buying more (I would have needed a lot more for all 12) I decided to put a little on each. Haven’t had any issues and don’t feel enough heat to worry about it.
I used the nylon screws that were included to attach the strips to the sinks, but one thing I did have to buy was slightly longer screws to attach the sinks to the frame, which is 1/16” aluminum angle. I riveted the frame together, but nuts and bolts work just as well. Here’s a couple early pics of the build.
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When it comes to TIM, less is more. A paper-thin layer is plenty.
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thanks man, i have a bit to learn so seeing all of these different builds help.
did you use a hacksaw to cut the frame?
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