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Step 6Add the ON/OFF/dimmer control
In order to add the on/off & dimmer control in the umbrella's handle, you need to drill some holes and run wires down the umbrella's shaft.
Drill one small hole in the shaft at the top of the umbrella - just large enough to let the fine copper wires through, but don't insert wires yet. Next, drill out the umbrella's handle - carefully drill a hole all the way through the handle and into the metal shaft of the umbrella. Be careful to use a drill bit just slightly smaller than the diameter inside the shaft and drill carefully right down the center of the handle until the bit pushes through. You want the hole to be large enough to let the drill shavings that went up the shaft to fall back out again. Try to get them all out.
Next you need to drill a larger hole in the handle, just deep enough for the dimmer switch to rest inside. I used a 3/4 inch bit for this, and then drilled out one side some more for the irregular shape of the dimmer switch. Again, try to get all the shavings out of the umbrella itself.
Now, it's time to run two single strand copper wires down from the top of the umbrella and out the bottom of the handle. This part is really tricky as the wires could get bunched up inside. Pull them out again if they get stuck and try again. If the wires get too bent up, throw them away and try again with new wires.
Once you get them through, solder one of the wires at the top to your battery clip, and the other to one of the wires leading to the hub/LEDs. The other wire from the hub goes directly to the 2nd wire on the battery clip. At the bottom (the handle end) solder the wires to the switch and dimmer such that you can disconnect power altogether by turning/clicking the variable resistor all the way counterclockwise, and so that the LEDs grow brighter the more you turn it clockwise.
Once you've tested that it all works, glue the variable resistor in place with epoxy or other glue. If possible, find a nice decorative knob to put onto the variable resistor.
Drill one small hole in the shaft at the top of the umbrella - just large enough to let the fine copper wires through, but don't insert wires yet. Next, drill out the umbrella's handle - carefully drill a hole all the way through the handle and into the metal shaft of the umbrella. Be careful to use a drill bit just slightly smaller than the diameter inside the shaft and drill carefully right down the center of the handle until the bit pushes through. You want the hole to be large enough to let the drill shavings that went up the shaft to fall back out again. Try to get them all out.
Next you need to drill a larger hole in the handle, just deep enough for the dimmer switch to rest inside. I used a 3/4 inch bit for this, and then drilled out one side some more for the irregular shape of the dimmer switch. Again, try to get all the shavings out of the umbrella itself.
Now, it's time to run two single strand copper wires down from the top of the umbrella and out the bottom of the handle. This part is really tricky as the wires could get bunched up inside. Pull them out again if they get stuck and try again. If the wires get too bent up, throw them away and try again with new wires.
Once you get them through, solder one of the wires at the top to your battery clip, and the other to one of the wires leading to the hub/LEDs. The other wire from the hub goes directly to the 2nd wire on the battery clip. At the bottom (the handle end) solder the wires to the switch and dimmer such that you can disconnect power altogether by turning/clicking the variable resistor all the way counterclockwise, and so that the LEDs grow brighter the more you turn it clockwise.
Once you've tested that it all works, glue the variable resistor in place with epoxy or other glue. If possible, find a nice decorative knob to put onto the variable resistor.
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