Eggcellent Night Light!

This is my first Instructable! I've recently been reading a lot about LEDs and about simple LED Altoids flashlights and I got inspired one day (after cooking a deelish fritata) to incorporate eggs into the whole LED-Altoid-lovefest. I wanted to make something that looks simple yet could pass for something "classy."

What I came up with was this Eggcellent Night Light. It's minimalistic. It looks modern. It also shares some creepy Pagan relic "lunar" qualities.

MATERIALS:
(1) large white egg
(1) mint tin box - just the bottom half
(1) double AA battery pack
(1) white LED 3+volts
(2) AA batteries
(1) slide or push switch with two leads
(1) black paint or black spray paint

TOOLS:
-glue gun
-awl/screwdriver
-soldering iron
-metal punch or drill
-chopstick

Step 1: Let the hollowing commence!

There are oodles of way to empy an egg. I'm used to the poke-a-hole-on-top-and-on-bottom-and-blow-through-one-hole-to-force-the-yolk-out method. Call me old-fashioned. But it's really crucial for the egg to have only one hole and it has to be at the bottom.

(optional step)
If you are not confident with yourself in guesstimating where the bottom of the egg is, take a small piece of paper, color it with colored chalk, and place the egg upright on the paper. The chalk should mark where the utmost bottom is.
(/optional step)

Use an awl or small screwdriver to tap/carve a hole at the bottom of the egg. Once a tiny hole is made, start tapping along the circumfrence of the hole to make it larger until the hole reaches 1/4in in diameter.

Due to pressure and surface tension, the yolk and white of the egg doesn't just come gushing out. I found out that the most efficient way is to stick a chopstick in the whole and just move it in and out to let the innards leak out fairly quickly.

Rinse the inside with water and let dry.

Comments

[randomboy]

how much would all of the material cost?

[aliyevzaur1989]

You should use a current limiting resistor in serial with LED. and a tip: You can build a joule thief...It will work on one battery more than 10 days if contuniously used..

[SG1Oniell]

Chaos black, lol, another 40k fan. We just happen to have all sorts of materials somewhere. So what army do you play then?

[aleinlegs]

thats a great idea, but if you bump into it or it falls, then you have to struggle to hollow out another egg

[cloot100]

how do you make that i tried but it already it broke.

[cowscankill]

Lol! Actually looks cool!

[mje]

Great idea, using the egg. But you can't connect a pair of AA cells to just any white (or other) LED without burning it out. Usually you need a current limiting resistor in series.

[TXTCLA55]

depends what voltage the battery('s) equal and what the required amount need for the LED to light. normally anything above 3-3.5Vdc needs a current limiting resistor.

[mje]

It depends on the internal resistance of the battery and the voltage drop and current limit of the LEDs. For most small LEDs, anything over 20ma will severely limit their life.

[LasVegas]

He used a white 3v LED. It should have no problem without the current limiting resistor. This is an okay instructable, especially for a beginner. I would suggest pouring some melted paraffin wax into the egg, swirl it around so it coats the interior and adds a bit of strength to the fragile egg.

[sehrgut]

Umm . . . no problem except torching the LED prematurely, you mean? Brush up on Ohm's Law. An LED has a VERY low forward resistance (that's kinda the purpose of diodes, doncha know), and will draw far more current than is healthy for the semiconductor on 3V. If that doesn't help you, try "Why use current limit resistors on White LED's?".

[iscatel]

The page you supply the link to says that supplied by batteries, without resistor, the LED will outlive the batteries. All diodes have a forward resistance and a resulting voltage drop. All batteries have internal resistance. Ohm's law is very helpful, but like punching two significant digits into a calculator and getting out 14, can lead you down the garden path. Same here--build it and poke around with a meter, calculated values and real values always differ.

[sehrgut]

Yes, I'm quite aware of the internal resistance of batteries, and the voltage drop across an LED is part of the calculations cited on that page. As far as being glad an LED can outlast its battery . . . huh? Since when is it a "good mark" for a gadget to simply be able to last long enough to have to change the battery? Properly-used, an LED (white or otherwise) will last for years of constant illumination before any detectable performance drop: outlasting a single change of batteries is hardly evidence of proper use.

[iscatel]

Case in point: keychain flashlight. $1.00 at the dollar store, $1.50 to replace the 2 lithium cells included with. If it were for a more durable app, I'd agree but in this case when the batteries die, I'm tossing the light & buying another. I may pull the LED.

[LasVegas]

I would agree normally, but in this case he is using the less than the voltage that the LED is rated for. In this case, the current will actually below the LED's specification. If he were using 5VDC, he would have needed a current limiting resistor to drop the voltage across the LED, limiting the current to spec.

[momo!]

I was actually thinking of swirling modpodge into the egg to add some elasticity. The beautiful thing with that is that if the egg does crack lightly, the light will be able to show through.

[TXTCLA55]

love it, but wont the egg shell slowly decompose? shouldnt you add some sort of sealant or wax to keep it from doing so?

[GorillazMiko]

Cool idea! Very easy to do, might try this out for fun, just like the previous comment I just gave to another Egg light Instructable. +5/5 stars. Go eggs!

[struckbyanarrow]

i am going use a uv led

_{the amazing cancer giving glowing egg lamp of death im gunna print out a hazard uv rays sticker i will put it on the base}

[myrrhmaid]

I want one! That is cool!

[hifromshreya]

It is a lovely idea. Just wanted to say that you could try coloring up the egg (acrylics, water-based, etc.) the effect would be like a slightly matte stained-glass..uh..egg. And varnish poured down the inside of the egg might harden it. Ive not tried doing either of the stuff, but thought the things might work! Thanks for such a cute instructable!!

[GenViper]

Wonderful idea! I dig anything I can assemble w/o leaving my house, especially if it can somehow be beautiful too! My LED I had needed more juice, so I hooked it up to a 9V w/ a 330 ohm resistor, and stuck the whole assembly inside a small plastic container (I got it from Hobby Lobby, but they sell em at Container Store too). Thus, the Eggcellent Mint-light becomes an Eggcellent Podium-light!

[momo!]

WOW, I LOVE THIS. It's looks like an award!

[tulip riot]

I love it. Very original, I will be working on my own momentarily. Thanks!

[MaladyDee]

This is fantastic. I can't wait to get the materials together and try it myself.

[Nachoman]

(removed by author or community request)

[hassi]

Item No 91901: American Science & Surplus...Ought to be solid enough fer ya...

[Bignerd100]

I think this is a really cool idea with a well thought-out instructable. The fact that it is "flimsy" should not make any difference as long as he does not take it off-roading or use it as a load-bearing egg in his next home renovation. Also, he should have had the courtesy to disinfect the egg or at least posted a "do not lick night-light" clause. The fact that you spent $50 on an ostrich egg only to have it fail really says more about you than momo! and his creative, cheap, and easy project. I can get you a platypus egg for $500.

[hydrnium.h2]

Yeah, just brush the whole thing with isopropyl alcohol, or another disinfector and It'll be fine.

[adespen]

I dont think so....platypus dont lay eggs, they are marsupials

[whiteoakart]

Platypus DO lay eggs. And they are not marsupials, they are monotremes, a very primitive mammal. The only other monotreme alive on Earth today is the echidna, or spiny anteater. But I wouldn't do this with a platypus egg. I would rather have a pet platypus for the money.

[Nachoman]

I have a personal philosophy: "If it's not durable, it's not worth the bother". After all, it isn't like I didn't have a 19º Century phonograph and a 1920's radio in my dinning room, or a set of crystal cups much older than my mother: Fragile doesn't particularly mean flimsy to me. What's really flimsy is the fact that it is pretty much disposable and most people who will try this will go and say "You know, this just has so much room for improvement" or "It was a nice one night wonder, but I have better uses for the shelf space". I never said I spent USD$ 50.00 on the egg: it was given to me by a client who wanted it to light up. I had invested $15 on making it (including, by the way, four coats of different glue-related substances to make it sturdier), then I lost fifty (my agreed fee) when I couldn't deliver. Now, if you can really get that platypus egg, and do so legally, better go ask my client.

[mejaka]

Good philosophy, for you. Everyone knows chicken eggs are fragile. So if fragile doesn't work for you, don't do the instructable. But the instructable itself is clear and easy to follow, and the pictures show a very cool-looking final result (with a non-collapsed egg). Is the result also expected to meet everyone's personal philosophies and taste? I'm somewhat new here, but I'd hardly think that would be possible. I'm surprised the ostrich egg collapsed. The ostrich-farm people I've talked to drop them on cement floors to show their strength. They are STRONG eggs.

[LasVegas]

Is that a picture of the ostrich egg? Seems a bit small. Ostrich eggs, in my limited experience, always seemed to have very thick (though fragile) shells.

[Nachoman]

The shell's thickness was a millimetre and a half. The size was about a very large grapefruit or slightly below an average cantaloupe. In other words, it would fit snugly into a child's helmet. Besides, I think that photograph wasn't too good: the egg was flat on my table and I photographed it from 45 degrees: it looks almost round.

[Shifrin]

I salvaged a light from my mouse, it flashed and changed different colors, i'm thinking of using it for this project... It would look awesome!

[whiteoakart]

BTW, I really like this. I might wire in a light sensor switch so that it turns on automatically at dusk.

[whiteoakart]

You could also try rolling some polyester or epoxy resin inside then dumping out before it sets up.

[egreen767]

I've always wanted a wanky artsy fartsy housewarming present!
( =
Great instructable!

[Tool Using Animal]

Couple more ideas. Just fill the egg with clear casting resin and embed the led

second, use a Pysanky

[captain_carrot]

Good job on this instructable, very clear and with surprising possibilities! I especially like Tool Using Animal's 'fill it with casting resin' idea...solves the structural issues (although supporting the added weight might be tougher) and raises the question ... who really needs the shell once the resin's hardened? Since you'd have to stage the pours anyways due to heat concerns while curing, mixing and layering the resin pours with glitter or colour or micro pics of your kids for added interest would be possible, all to be revealed once you remove the shell...hmm, veeery interesting indeed... Thanks!

[momo!]

I actually think I will! A lot of craft stores sell psyanky dyes around here.

[musicalbee2003]

Uh...My leds all burn out. What gives?

[bensever]

This is awesome. I think this is a project I'll have to actually do. I've been hoarding mint tins for a while now, just waiting for the right project to come along. I think that I'll also use fancy blue or green colored eggs, if I can find them in the stores. Thanks for sharing!

[Nachoman]

You could consider using a coloured LED ratter than colouring the egg. This way, the egg would still look white on the day.

[rocketbat]

this instructable is EGGSTRAUDINARY! im sorry i couldnt resist!

[crestind]

What a great idea! Kinda has a clean, minimalist look.

[TheCheese9921]

This is really creative, I like it. As for the whole debate over durability, what if you took some plastic cement (for like car models, or war hammer) then dumped it in the hole after it dried and sort of swirl it around to coat it evenly. If you did that 2 or 3 times it should come out pretty thick. You could also add in a dye or sparkles to the cement. or do it with easter eggs then give them to people. I'm giving this a +

[Nachoman]

Depends on which kind of plastic cement: the real fluid kind softens the plastic pieces so, when it dries completely, your formerly two pieces are now one. I tried something similar on the ostrich egg and the thing just pretty much seeped through the egg. The gooey kind might be a different issue, though: that one actually glues. Making an even coat or making it dry inside a mostly-sealed space might be an issue, though. I would suggest fabric glue, particularly hot glue: it is fluid only as long as it stays hot and has no solvents to need to evaporate.

[momo!]

Oh man, I never thought of embedding things in the egg bulb. That could have some awesome comedic effect!...Like little egg'o'lanterns with creepy faces. I bet embedding reflective pieces in there would really create some rad lighting effects too.

[Tool Using Animal]

Hey Momo, I've got no idea why people seem to be getting their panties in a wad but i like it. You should try a color cycling led.

[Aralox]

I play warhammer 40k =)

[Mitten]

You're preforming abortions on baby chicks. I like it!

[Sgt.Waffles]

HA!!!! LMAO!!! Thats a really cool instructable. Too bad i cat solder for my life though.

[momo!]

Thanks all! Why must chicken ova be so delicious?!

[meddler]

now that's different, i like it, the lantern i made is very simple but it works for what it's used for.

[Dorkfish92]

YAY! Extra fragile lights! =^{] Cool, very creative idea. I'll make one this week.}