This time I removed the bottle cork with a pair of lighters, drilled holes in the glass block, and incorporated it into a wooden square frame to create an illuminated glass block tap.

How I did it - you can check by looking DIY video or you can follow up instructions below.

Supplies

Materials:

Fairy string LED: Link here
Tap: Link here
Glass block
Syringe
5min epoxy glue
Walnut board
Masking tape
Wood glue
Wine bottle to extract a cork
Round dowels

Tools:

Straight cut 20mm router bit: https://shorturl.at/dkABK
Diamond hole saw 18mm: https://shorturl.at/JPXY2
Drill and bits
Palm router or table router with chamfer and straight bits
Table saw, miter saw or other tool to cut wood
Japanese pull saw

Step 1: Making a Hole in a Glass Block

I started by selecting one glass block from various color options. I squeezed a small amount of water for upcoming drilling. Using an 18mm diameter diamond hole saw attached to a cordless drill, along with cooling water and RPM management, I made this drilling job effortless. I also drilled another hole on the side. Drilling glass can be quite easy with the right technique. To begin, start drilling at an angle to form a small recess, which will keep the hole saw in place when the drill is straightened up to the surface.

Step 2: A Faucet Install

The front hole will be filled with a small faucet, and I found that 5-minute epoxy was the perfect adhesive for the job.

Step 3: A Bit of LEDs

To add a nice accent around the perimeter, I'll be using fairy string LEDs. This one has 100 individual LEDs fitted on 8 meters of wire, and I'll be wrapping that length in loops around the glass block.

Step 4: Adding a Nice Detail on the Board

Now, let's set the glass block aside and move on to the wooden part. I adjusted a 20-degree angle on my table saw to give the board a bit more detail.

Step 5: Making a Square

Next, I used the miter saw to cut 21-centimeter length pieces with 45-degree angles at the ends.

With 4 of them on the table, it is more or less clear what will comes next. Every time I use this masking tape trick to hold the pieces for gluing, I'm amazed at how well it works.

Step 6: Complicated Drilling

Now, it gets a bit tricky because I need to mark and drill four holes at a 45-degree angle. I had to modify my small drill press and create a custom drilling jig to achieve that drill angle. All that preparation pays off when you end up with perfectly drilled holes, and I was ready to glue in four wooden dowels.

Step 7: Cleaning the Ends

Once the glue dried, I trimmed the ends using a Japanese pull saw. It's an indispensable tool for such tasks.

Step 8: Working on the Base

To finish the wooden structure, I used a rectangular piece of walnut and added a small chamfer using a chamfering bit on my homemade table router. It's a small but very nice detail.

Moving on, I drilled four representative holes to correspond with the glued dowels. A bit of wood glue applied and spread around the holes will permanently hold the dowels in place.

Step 9: Milling a Pocket

Now, I need to create a pocket hole in the bottom part to accommodate the power source of the fairy string LEDs.

The simplest solution that came to mind was to use my homemade table router with a custom-made jig. This allows me to mill a specific area only. I used a 20-millimeter straight-cut router bit and milled in small depth increments. You can see how this jig helps me work effectively. As I mentioned, after each pass, I raised the router bit and repeated the step until the pocket hole was at the right depth.

Step 10: Filling Nec

The final step for the frame was to drill a hole for filling.

Step 11: Small Wire Managment

To assemble everything in the wooden frame, I needed to disassemble the battery box and rewire the power wire into the milled pocket hole at the bottom. I used a small flat screwdriver and a hot soldering iron to get the job done.

Step 12: Assembling Back

The wooden frame was made with a very small clearance tolerance to hold the glass block in place without any additional adhesive. Some wiggling was necessary until the glass block was perfectly positioned.

To finish the bottom part, I rewired, soldered, and reassembled the battery box. I permanently attached the battery box with a pair of lines of 5-minute epoxy.

Step 13: Wine Bottle Cork Trick

The final piece of the puzzle was a cork plug from a bottle to cover the filling hole. I didn't want to use a corkscrew to pull out the cork because it would damage the cork. Instead, I used a lighter trick. By heating the small air gap inside the bottle, the heat pressurized and eventually pushed out the cork with an impressive pop and bang! And there you have it, the cork came out without a scratch.

Step 14: Finish Coat and Final Result

I applied some clear hard wax oil to the surface, not only to protect the wood but also to bring out the rich wood color and texture.

I'm really pleased with how the fairy string LED adds a nice touch to the glass block. It makes the glass part stand out, especially during cozy evenings. Even without any liquid inside, it works as a lovely mood lamp.

Another great feature is the wide range of color options for the glass block, so you can easily find one that matches your personal taste and interior decor.