Flaming LEDs Behind the Shoji Screen

Last year I converted an unused bathroom into a sauna room. The bathroom also housed our house's water heater and to hide that I bought a shoji screen on Amazon. I thought it would look nice to have flickering candles behind the screen but did not want to actually have lit candles there. So instead I drew up plans for a four LED Candle set. The build uses special LED's that mimic candle light. I got these too from Amazon and they cost only ten cents per unit. The whole thing is run on two AA batteries.

Step 1: Tools and Materials

Tools

• Japanese saw
• Random Orbital Sander with 110 grit paper
• Soldering iron
• Pliers/wire stripper
• Drill press with 3/4 inch Forstner bit

Materials

• Flaming LED's From Amazon.com Flaming LED's on Amazon
• Solder
• Wire
• Knife switch (or any other switch)
• 2 AA battery holder with batteries
• Screws for switch and for battery holder
• Duct tape for the top of the dowels to hold the LED wires in place
• 3/4 inch dowels cut to various heights

Step 2: Making the Wooden Candle Sticks

1. Cut the board to 5 1/2 X 24 inches
2. Sand the sides and edges smooth
3. Use a drill press to make (4) 3/4-inch holes with a Forstner Bit
4. Cut the dowel to different sizes
5. Put glue on the dowel end and seat it in the holes and let dry

Step 3: Positioning the LED's and Wiring It Up

1. Using a saw make two cuts in the top of the dowel in a V-shape for guides for the LED leads
2. Seat the LED's in the grooves, noting their polarity and tape them to the top of the dowel. Bend the head of the LED up
3. Screw in the battery holder and the switch
4. Insert the batteries. Note that the nominal voltage of the LED is 2V and I am using 3V but I have found this is well within the device's tolerance. You can use a resister if you want to lower the voltage.
5. Run the black lead (negative) to the switch.
6. Run the other switch lead to the negative poles of the LED's. Daisy chain solder all four negative leads (in a parallel circuit)
7. Daisy chain the positive leads together and then attach it to the positive lead of the battery holder. Use electrical tape or shrink tubing to insulate the joint.

Step 4: Position the Flaming LEDs Behind the Shoji Screen and Enjoy

The LED's turn on using the knife switch. They provide a really cool ambiance and look like real candles.

Step 5: Video of the Finished Project

Here are some videos of the completed project on the bench and in place behind the Shoji Screen

I hope that you enjoyed this build and would welcome your comments and questions.