Print PDF
Favorite
Email
Step 3Assembly
To assemble the light:
1) Cut your acrylic into strips just as wide as the inside diameter of the light tube. I think mine was 1 3/16" I cut 3 8" strips since I wanted a 24" light.
2) Drill out 1/4 inch holes in the acrylic spaced out how you would like.
3) Insert the LED holders into the holes and then mount the LEDs. You might need to ream out the holes a little with the end of a file if they don't quite fit. I then used hot glue to hold the LEDs there.
4) Locate the longer of the 2 prongs on the back of the LEDs. The longer of the 2 is the positive (+) contact, mark that with a permanent marker or something.
5) bend the contacts flat on a diagonal and so that all the (+) and (-) contacts are on the same side.
6) Solder all of your negative contacts together. Use some extra wire between the LEDs so you can move the acrylic slides within the tube.
7) solder resistors onto your positive contacts, or solder them together and put a resistor on the end that you will be attaching power to. Leave extra wire.
8) I used the sheath of the network cable run along the (+) side to ensure that the contacts don't short, but you can use e-tape, wire nuts, or whatever you want. Just be sure they don't touch. This would be a good time to go ahead and test it. Temporarily wire in the power adapter and plug it in.
9) To seal the end-caps I used a Styrofoam plate. I pressed the endcap into the plate and cut out the circle it made. Then I used hot glue to seal them completely and center the cord from the power adapter. (see pic)
10) Slide all the acrylic plates into the tube and put on the end-caps and you're done!
1) Cut your acrylic into strips just as wide as the inside diameter of the light tube. I think mine was 1 3/16" I cut 3 8" strips since I wanted a 24" light.
2) Drill out 1/4 inch holes in the acrylic spaced out how you would like.
3) Insert the LED holders into the holes and then mount the LEDs. You might need to ream out the holes a little with the end of a file if they don't quite fit. I then used hot glue to hold the LEDs there.
4) Locate the longer of the 2 prongs on the back of the LEDs. The longer of the 2 is the positive (+) contact, mark that with a permanent marker or something.
5) bend the contacts flat on a diagonal and so that all the (+) and (-) contacts are on the same side.
6) Solder all of your negative contacts together. Use some extra wire between the LEDs so you can move the acrylic slides within the tube.
7) solder resistors onto your positive contacts, or solder them together and put a resistor on the end that you will be attaching power to. Leave extra wire.
8) I used the sheath of the network cable run along the (+) side to ensure that the contacts don't short, but you can use e-tape, wire nuts, or whatever you want. Just be sure they don't touch. This would be a good time to go ahead and test it. Temporarily wire in the power adapter and plug it in.
9) To seal the end-caps I used a Styrofoam plate. I pressed the endcap into the plate and cut out the circle it made. Then I used hot glue to seal them completely and center the cord from the power adapter. (see pic)
10) Slide all the acrylic plates into the tube and put on the end-caps and you're done!
| « Previous Step | Download PDFView All Steps | Next Step » |
Umm, that's great, but since were on instructables, no one really wants to buy the completed project. That defeats the purpose of this whole DIY website.