DIY Flux Capacitor

Step 5 It's mostly done!

Once you complete the flux assembly, you just stuff the extra LEDs into the back of the fusebox and re-mount the assembly with the two bolts and tighten them from the back. Screw the window on, print out three labels for the front for movie accuracy, and you're done!

Comments

[bshut]

A good tip, to help get your extra gap right, for the window molding, is to use a 1/4" flat washer. Place the acrylic (plastic) where you want it, put the washer up against the outer edge of the window, and place a pencil/pen/Sharpie (crayon? LOL) inside the washer. As you trace around the edge of the window, the washer will give you just about the perfect spacing, plus it rolls really nicely around the perimeter of the window while you're tracing.

That's something I picked up from doing my first computer case window mod. The company that sold me the etched window even included the washer in with the kit!

If you want to go full DC with this (or have an AC to DC converter inside, you might check out these computer RAM lighting effects:
http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l3/g6/c77/s120/list/p1/Lighting-LED_Lighting-LED_RAM_Lighting-Page1.html
It's more than 3 LED's per unit, but nothing says you can't make your flux capacitor "pop" a little, right? If you don't like the extra ones, you could always just paint over every other (or third) one with black paint (KISS simplicity).

[sci4me]

Cool!

[Phinehas]

Okay, bub. I got the twinkle lights from the website. Now, how about that schematic? I'm looking to re-wire this idea in miniature and using a 9-volt battery.

[woah_its_Micah]

Maybe you could use neon tubes that i saw at at autozone a couple days ago. They can hook right up to your car lighter and are brighter and made of glass. Just a thought.

[sponges]

would they be able to pulse? that's pretty key.

[georgemiles]

elbow tubes = High Voltage leads from an old color TV CRT - just a thought

[sponges]

OOOh! now THAT is a good suggestion! You might have to cut off the rubber ring that is around some of them, but overall it'd be a pretty close match. And of course you'd want to discharge the capcitors before you even thought about toughing that wire... FYI don't do that unless you know what you're doing.

[DJglass]

The original "elbow tubes" look a lot like spark plug leads. Try any auto wrecker, dealer or service shop or even lawn mower repair shop for scrap ones with cables, or buy a cheap set of 4 new ones. Some plastic tubing for an aquarium pump (pet store) could replicate the original more closely too. This is still a cool Instructible though :)

[sponges]

Someone else mentioned this already: yes i know! The original movie prop used spark plug wires. I couldn't find any cheap anywhere. Everywhere I tried they were 10-20 dollars and only came in sets. These were a total of 3.75 for the whole assembly. Clearly I got them right though, if they look enough like them for you to recognize it!

[WaxyChicken]

Well done, i Love it. I hope to do your DIY later on for my electric car. It'd be a nice touch.

[subsider34]

For the label maker just buy a DYNAMO labeler (the cheapest one) at any office supply store (though I found mine at Walmart).

[sponges]

Oh yeah, well i covered that in the parts list. I uh, meant I couldn't afford it at the time.