Skull With Twitching LED Eyes (OMG, Omaha Makers Group)

This project makes a nice Halloween project, but I was making it more as a companion piece to a Dr. Who Tardis (The master, if you are familiar with that character).   It is one you can either lasercut, or print out and cut with scissors, etc.   I leave this part to your imagination, and you can download the content from this page freely.   This project began as part of the Bare Paint (conductive paint) project began at the Omaha Maker Group on May 21st of this year.

The challenging part is if you choose to realize the circuit in the manner I did.    I decided to experiment a bit further with Bare Paint and see if I couldn't make all the traces on my circuitry this way.   Guess what, it worked!   It will take you a while should you choose to go this route, and I have detailed the method used. 

Parts needed:

IC1  555 timer chip

R1, R2  two 2.2k resistors  =  Red Red Red Gold

R3  one  4.7 k resistor = Yellow Violet Red Gold

R4   one 15k  resistor  =   Brown Green Orange Gold

C1  one 10uf capacitor

1   Red  LED, 1 Green

1 Tube or pot of Bare Paint

Step 1: Skull, Step 1

Print out the circuit trace guide and cut to the size of a credit card.   Place on cardboard backing, then begin tracing the 8 main outputs to the 555 timer IC chip with Bare Paint.  There are 3 wires that connect under the chip, so you will create these with Bare Paint (careful here).    Finish the main traces as depicted, using a wire or a needle to be more precise with the paint.   Be cautious to ensure that the connections don't touch where you don't want the circuit to short out.  Using a needle, puncture the 8 holes in the IC slot where the chip will be inserted, as well as any place where you will need to insert LED's, Resistors and Capacitors.   You can use the needle or push pin to widen the holes later as needed.     Insert the 555 chip onto the cardboard circuit board.

Step 2: Skull, Step 2

Following the pictures, insert the main components and resistors onto the circuit board.   Watch that the capacitor lead with the arrows points to the negative rail.  Draw the four final traces on the back with the negative trace coming from number 1 pin tracing around the card.  Use hookup wire to add the 9 volt battery and verify that the eyes flicker rapidly.  (oops haven't made that skull part yet...hehe)

Onto part 3...

Step 3: Skull, Part 3

After downloading the .png file I have supplied in the beginning portion of this document, add a nice piece of cardboard to the laser cutter.
Start with the cutting!   Cut out in both cardboard, paint with blue acrylic paint and then you are just about done.   If you have a piece of acrylic, you can laser cut this too and add in a layer above the cardboard piece.  Remove the paper protective backing gingerly to avoid snapping the material in half.   When all is said and done, you have a nice looking, blinkin' skull. Yay!