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Friends have regularly recommended books as being particularly illuminating, but I admit that after opening them I was as in the dark as ever. Since I’m not one to let a good metaphor go unmolested (and because design schools seem to constantly create designers who’s job it is to make ugly lamps) I made this.
*Thanks to Boing Boing, Make, Craft and all the other sites for featuring this project, and to the Instructables community for voting it as a finalist in the LED contest!
It turns off when its closed and gives off a variable amount of light depending on how far you open it, up to about a 40W light equivalent. It gives a nice warm, soft light and it looks right at home on my bedside table.
*Thanks to Boing Boing, Make, Craft and all the other sites for featuring this project, and to the Instructables community for voting it as a finalist in the LED contest!
It turns off when its closed and gives off a variable amount of light depending on how far you open it, up to about a 40W light equivalent. It gives a nice warm, soft light and it looks right at home on my bedside table.
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Signing UpStep 1What You Need
Skills:
Time:
A couple of afternoons, though a lot of that time is waiting for glue and paint to dry.
Materials:
Tools:
- Basic soldering.
- Basic wood cutting.
- Measure stuff reliably.
- You have to be wiling to scalp a book.
Time:
A couple of afternoons, though a lot of that time is waiting for glue and paint to dry.
Materials:
- Hardback book. At least 1″ thick. (I got mine from the local thrift store.)
- 1/4″ plywood or MDF (About a square foot or so should do it.)
- Wood glue.
- White or clear 2-part epoxy.
- Smoked or sign white acrylic, 1/8″ thick and as big as your book. (I got mine from Tap Plastics.)
- http://www.diodeled.com/products-view.php?id=16(I used this one from SparkFun because its small and sensitive.)
- 2.1mm female panel mount plug. Like this one from Mouser or this one from Jameco.
- 12v 600mA power adapter with a 2.1mm make plug. (Like this one from SparkFun)
- 22 gauge (or so) insulated wire. Stranded or solid core.
- Flexible warm white LED strip. You’ll need enough to be double the width and height of your book. I bought mine by the inch at the local hardware store, (this is what it is, but they only sell wholesale.) If you can’t find it there, these from Phenopix are similar. You can also find other suppliers at this search. You don’t need waterproof, regular watervulnerable is fine.
- White acrylic paint.
- Electrical tape (ideally white)
- Either a) Off-white linen & white glue or b) Ivory or white acrylic paint. Thick, from a tube, not a bottle. This is for simulating the outside pages. Paint is easier to do but it doesn’t feel as nice.
Tools:
- Craft knife
- Soldering iron and solder.
- Pliers.
- Clamps.
- Square.
- Drill.
- Fine grain sand paper (220 or so.)
- Wire cutters.
- Wire strippers.
- 1″ paintbrush.
- Saw.
- Pencil.
- Ruler.
- Tape.
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Was great fun making it, thinking of building another one :)
(And a great book title!)
I think your Vimeo video needs resizing though, it obscures your author profile.
A reed switch is a great idea, would clean up the lines, and would help hod it closed when off. (Which wasn't a problem with this book, but could be a problem with some bindings.)
Be sure to get a "NC" (normally closed) type reed switch which is a little harder to find than the common "NO" (Normally open) switch. That will make sure it turns on when you open the book rather than off.
I've been thinking of something similar since I made a book speaker. It would be awesome to use a flex sensor or a linear potentiometer that would control the light level depending on how far the book opens.
Great job!