Awesome led cube

Step 5 Armor

Cut out of the sheet metal futuristic designs and glue them onto the cube.
Make sure that when you glue onto the button you don't stop it from being pressed down, and that it sticks out enough to be pushed down.

To give you an idea, Duck-Lemon made two templates. (last pictures)

Comments

[LogTrotter]

Couldnt you just wrap black tape around the box then cut bits of the tape off instead of putting metal on it, it would be a lot easier?

[midnite17]

wouldnt look as cool/futuristic!

[Firebreathing]

I just had an idea. You could make this like the Companion Cube in Portal 2, and have a small contact on one side of the cube, and make a Button like the ones in the Portal games, and put a contact on there, so that the LED would light up when you put the cube on the button. Then you wouldn't have to worry about replacing the battery.

[imBobertRobert]

why didnt i think of that... try it!

[Chernobyl1]

I didn't use sheet metal, I just painted the box chrome then used a needle to add the detail. Although its not the same feel and look (kinda) it still works!

[woodstockbirdy]

how do u change the battery

[Spiderdog3000]

How does one cut sheet metal? I mean, what tool does one need to cut sheet metal?

[nomooremr.niceguy]

If you're cutting sheet metal, I would recommend using tin snips. You can get them at just about any hard ware store. Although if you want a cheaper route, I've heard of people substituting sheet metal with soda cans (you can use a nice pair of kitchen scissors to cut those). Or you can use aluminum foil (cut it with whatever you want). Also you can use aluminum tape(cut the same way you would cut aluminum foil). You can find it at hardware stores, and it already has adhesive on it, so you don't have to use your glue gun as much. I've heard of people using all those, and I assume they turned out pretty well. They are cheaper alternatives. If you think of any more, let me know. Thanks.

[Vick Jr]

Would aluminum house siding work?

Also, this would look awesome floating in one of these! (Maybe add some lasers in there for good measure while we're at it)

[optox]

i just made one with aluminum house siding and i came out pretty good.

[himynameisbob123123]

to tell u the truth it actuly looks like the amutrix or what ever its called from transformers

[XOIIO]

Thats the first thing I thought!

[wewantska]

does anyone know where i can get plexi glass for cheap?

[karnold70]

Likewise, Home Depo does the same. Obviously, you have a computer, so Google 'Acrylic Outlet' and your home town. I just picked up a BUNCH for a buch a POUND!! Good luck. I I also like the Idea of the sanpaper, instead of filling up with hot glue.

[Funk_D]

If you go to Lowe's, towards the back of the store where they have the lumber saw, there's usually a dumpster filled with all the scrap pieces left over from cutting various things. Sometimes you can find plexiglass there. I know I found a 4x2' sheet there once. Just ask an employee to ask their manager if it's ok so they don't think you're stealing. At the Lowe's near me, they ended up charging me .25 cents for it.

[Thraeryn]

 I got a sheet that'll let me make a 4" cube for just over $3 at the Home Despot.  They have larger sheets which, of course, cost more.

[skaterqwertyuiop]

True Story- I was walking down my street and I saw a bunch of plexiglass. I took all of it home (It took me 6 trips to get it all) , I cleaned it and put it in my basement. It later turned out that I had found over $1,000 worth of plexiglass. I was a happy camper.

[zack247]

lucky!  i wish i had plexiglass, then i could actually do mods on things like an xbox and a computer

[some114]

 Hee hee hee.  "Found".  Nice save!  lol  I'm just kidding, but it made me laugh.

[tato312]

nice!

[XOIIO]

Plexi glass is never cheap.

[Nyxius]

 Plexiglass is not cheap...if you look for it in the wrong places...
If you go to a plastics Manufacturer or Supplier it is much cheaper.  American Plastics has it as cheap as 2.56 for a 4'x8' sheet.

[XOIIO]

Really?

F*&k I hate Canada sometimes!

[Evidenceremoved]

but where can you get it?

[Highjump44]

 i used my plastic covers for my base ball cards

[applecake]

home depo

[wewantska]

im gonna try to get a pattern for a companion cube like in the related
that looks awesome

[Blackice504]

thats really cool geat work i shall make for my car but different shape

[REA]

i might try making a pyramid version of this.

[mikeanator55]

Im gunna make a sphere, pyramid, and a cube adn put strings or something and hand them from the cieling in my room

[panatom]

I believe that you can use a kind of thin cable in order to give power to all of these. I'm gonna try this and I'll let you know

[elyador]

That sounds really cool. i just might steal your home decor idea.

[wazooda]

yeah a pyramid one would be totally sick, but why not use a diffused led instead of loads of glue? you will save loafs of money AND electricity.

[blkarcher77]

a pyramid version would be sick

[IDontLikeJunk]

would it be possible instead of putting a button to turn it on, to put 2 metal contacts that the battery connects to on one side. so you would make the outside of the cube (the non-glowing parts) out of a material that does not conduct electricity. then you just put the cube (contacts down) on a piece of metal (that conducts electricity) or onto some fabric with lots of really thin wires sewn in (you could make a glove like that) and it would just turn on automatically. if you made a glove, it would be cool just putting it on your hand and it turns on, and since its turning on when it touches your clothing, nobody can tell why.

[DIYdave]

Would it be possible to hook the battery up to an external solar cell so you would not need to replace the battery?

[elyador]

I don't see why not. . .

[WaffleKnight49]

Where can you buy the sheet metal?

[elyador]

Any hardware store will have it. they'll probably have lots of different kinds. I once made armor for a haloween costume out of steel sheet metal. the end result was cool, but the stuff was awful to work with. I would use something softer than steel for this. I'm going to try copper. that won't be cheap, but it'll look pretty damn cool.

[unseen wombat]

They have it at home depot or lowes.