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introHow to Make a Solar Powered Walkway
I sure loves me some sun jars! They incorporate several of my favorite things to mess around with: LEDs, Solar panels, hot glue, man it's all there and they look great to boot!
However, there is one big fat problem: the sun! When it's dark out, oftentimes the places I'd really like to have a little extra light are just the spots you can't leave a sun jar due to lack of direct exposure to sunlight.
The obvious solution to this dilemma is to separate the solar panel from the sun jar. I extrapolated this a bit further and realized that the only thing you actually need in the jar is the LED, and since you don't have to cram all the other electronics in there, you don't have to stay with the classic sun jar shape.
With this in mind, I combed craigslist for some suitably shaped glass blocks, went to Home Depot for the appropriate solar light, stocked up on speaker wire and came up with the Solar Powered Walkway!
***UPDATE 5/5/10: If you build this project yourself, or something similar, post some pictures and I'll send you a patch!***
However, there is one big fat problem: the sun! When it's dark out, oftentimes the places I'd really like to have a little extra light are just the spots you can't leave a sun jar due to lack of direct exposure to sunlight.
The obvious solution to this dilemma is to separate the solar panel from the sun jar. I extrapolated this a bit further and realized that the only thing you actually need in the jar is the LED, and since you don't have to cram all the other electronics in there, you don't have to stay with the classic sun jar shape.
With this in mind, I combed craigslist for some suitably shaped glass blocks, went to Home Depot for the appropriate solar light, stocked up on speaker wire and came up with the Solar Powered Walkway!
***UPDATE 5/5/10: If you build this project yourself, or something similar, post some pictures and I'll send you a patch!***
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step 1The Walkway
Here is the little path that goes from my driveway to the front door. I decided this was the best place to put the lights, mostly because I wouldn't have to move a bunch of concrete, but also because I'd get to walk the path each night when I came home from work.
I figured I'd put one of the glass blocks in the path first just to see how it would look during the day. I dug a little hole, just a bit deeper than the end result would be. I poured a little fine gravel into the bottom of the hole, so you wouldn't just be looking at dirt through the glass. I filled it back in around the block, and left the top just a bit higher than the surrounding gravel, as I figured it would settle out a bit. Everyone who saw it thought it looked nice, so it was off to the next step.
I figured I'd put one of the glass blocks in the path first just to see how it would look during the day. I dug a little hole, just a bit deeper than the end result would be. I poured a little fine gravel into the bottom of the hole, so you wouldn't just be looking at dirt through the glass. I filled it back in around the block, and left the top just a bit higher than the surrounding gravel, as I figured it would settle out a bit. Everyone who saw it thought it looked nice, so it was off to the next step.
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Thanks for commenting, and if you do make something like this, please post a picture or two so I can see it!
Thanks for commenting and I'm glad you liked it! If you do make some, post a picture and I'll send you a patch!
If you look at the links in step 2, I've got some solar christmas lights there. In fact, I just got a package of them in the mail that I'm going to use to build a walkway like this under my brother's grape arbor.
Also, if you do build this, post some pictures and I'll send you a DIY patch!
Those ones you've pointed out look pretty bright, they'd probably do well placed underneath the brick. I just got a set of the dealextreme lights I linked to in the mail today, so I'll play around with them and let everyone know if they're any good. They're actually a string of 60 lights, but I imagine they aren't going to be that bright or last very long, running off a single panel and one AA battery. I might expand the power source though, to see if I can make it a bit better.
Check out step three, the third picture shows how I glued the LEDs to the blocks. I didn't drill them or anything, though I tried. I didn't have any glass boring bits at the time.
By the way, if you're on a PC, in most web browsers you can hit CTRL-F and it'll bring up a search window for the page you're on!
Have you done other projects with LEDs?
But what did you do with the bundle of wires at the end?
Don't they have to go up to the charging station, and wouldn't that leave them just sort of hanging there? I get the burying them underground as you go closer to the charger, but you said that you had mounted yours on the roof. Did you just feed them through a PVC pipe that is the color of your house?
As to slipperiness, I'm not sure how the etching would do. I suspect it might not be enough around a pool. I was thinking of doing more of these around the house, so I've been thinking of ways to reduce slipperiness. I know you can purchase see through grip tape for steps and walkways, so maybe that would be the way to go. You could even cut out different patterns or pictures and stick them to the bricks!
The bundle of wires from the ground to the charger is still visible for about a foot and a half . . . I had planned on running them through some PVC and never got around to it, but it wasn't too noticeable. Between the charger and the panel are only three wires, and I ran them along natural edges, so they're pretty well hidden.
If you do your own version of this, please post some pictures! I'd really like to see the results!
Either way, love the idea! Still trying to find the most convenient way to solar setup my condo. :) So many rules and regulations in a community. :|
Thanks for the tutorial.
The first is technical, basically it would be really hard to saw the block in half so you could install the hardware, and then you'd have to glue it back together, and if you ever had to replace the battery you've be right back cutting it in half and regluing
Secondly, the place I chose to install these is in shade most of the day, so having the panel away from the blocks, up on the roof, lets the batteries charge longer.
The final problem is aesthetic, simply that I wanted the whole block to glow and not have a solar panel and the hardware get in the way of that.
I'm glad you liked the instructable! If you do decide to do something like this, please post some pictures, I always love to see what people do with my ideas!
As to the freak-trap . . . watch out for version 3. I can't say too much here, but I'm thinking punji sticks or a crocodile pit.
Also too, I try to find an excuse for a reason to use my digital camera, so YES there will be pictures. Another thing I think I'll do different is put two led's in each block, diagonal from each other. I've seen these blocks at home-hardware in town here, so I know that won't be a problem locating some. But like I said, I really like the result of this, and the colors you picked really stand out. I'm not sure if I'd do green, but the blue definitely looks sharp.
i was going through the article on more time.
just wanted to now how did you made those glass blocks.
is it 2 glass plates sandwiched with resign?
or bought from market or so..
and as far as my complete resign block design,iam thinking of using a 8mm thick glass plate on the top and rest will be made with resign.
i think this will hold any shock loads coming while walking or dropping some load on it.
The blocks I have were bought from craigslist, though I'm told any home improvement store should have some of these in various styles. The blocks are tempered glass and very thick, I dropped one from about 5 feet onto concrete, chipped on corner a bit but the rest was fine so I don't think durability is really an issue.
What type of resin are you going to use? Have you settled on one type, or are you still in the planning stages?
good job
The only thing I couldn't find is this solar light (specially so cheap)... I tried the Home Depot website, but all was over 60 bucks, and I live in Brazil, so I'll pay taxes and freight... it will became expensive. Do you have any cheaper idea? :)
You know, it's weird . . . I just looked everywhere I could think of on the net, and the only ones I could find were 58 dollars each! I couldn't find them on the home depot site at all. I bought three of these things for $8 each less than a year ago. I guess they weren't popular or something.
Here are a couple of options I found that are less than 60 dollars, and might work:
http://www.amazon.com/Designers-Edge-L-949-Rechargeable-Solar/dp/B0013HPNRY/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1264605147&sr=8-1-fkmr0
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5501
This one looks particularly cool:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.7491
I hope that helps!
Ah, today I saw something I remembered your work: a computer table (in fact, only the monitor was over the table), but it was made from tempered glass, with some "hidden" red colored LEDs behind it. The effect was cool, 'cause the edges were glowing (the arrange of the LEDs made only the edges glow).
I particularly didn't like the red that much, but some kind of blue (green?) maybe would be cool, too.
Anyway, thanks for answering!
and are as hard as stone.
any expert here in resin field...?
but as always i couldn't find time.still i wanted to make them someday.
point here is iam not very good with the resin tech.i still need to work on it.
instead of clear plastic look i wanted to have milky opaque look.some thing like this
http://www.kiss-textil.de/wisizesen.htm
http://www.kiss-textil.de/wisdomdaten.htm
Let me know if your interested.we can work together.
Regards