This is a series of Paper Craft Lamps that use LED's. I modeled up a lamp in Blender, and then assigned textures to each of the parts, so if you want to change the look of the lamp there are several ways to do that. One is to use a paint or photo program to modify the blank pattern that I provided. The other is to use the provided .pod file in Pepakura Designer and just apply any texture that you like. I also have provided several different versions that can be mixed and matched to change up the look. Also this tutorial only shows 4 clear LEDs wired into the lamp but there is plenty of room for more than just 4 LEDs.
my other stuff
my other stuff
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Signing UpStep 1: Materials
Gather the materials needed.
These are needed for sure
*Rubber Cement
*Hot glue/Gun
*Double sided tape
*x-acto knife / razor
*4-LEDs (use High-Output or Ultra-Bright LEDs)
*4-Resistors to protect the LEDs (use between 10K-100K)
*3ft or thin wire (I used some 28AWG ribbon cable)
*4-sheets of Card Stock 8.5X11in or Heavy Photo Paper
*one on off switch
*DC power supply ~3V or (2AA batteries and battery holder)
These are optional
*wire strippers
*wire cutters
*soldering iron/solder
*multimeter
*ruler
*cutting mat
*super glue
*electrical tape
*markers
These are needed for sure
*Rubber Cement
*Hot glue/Gun
*Double sided tape
*x-acto knife / razor
*4-LEDs (use High-Output or Ultra-Bright LEDs)
*4-Resistors to protect the LEDs (use between 10K-100K)
*3ft or thin wire (I used some 28AWG ribbon cable)
*4-sheets of Card Stock 8.5X11in or Heavy Photo Paper
*one on off switch
*DC power supply ~3V or (2AA batteries and battery holder)
These are optional
*wire strippers
*wire cutters
*soldering iron/solder
*multimeter
*ruler
*cutting mat
*super glue
*electrical tape
*markers
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used a 9v, a 9v cap and a little switch i had.
made it for the wife, so she can see her jewelry on her dresser. it's a dark side of the room where there are no outlets.
thanks again!
http://led.linear1.org/led.wiz
this one said to use 39 ohm
http://www.hebeiltd.com.cn/?p=zz.led.resistor.calculator
???
why is it in all sideways?
you say to glue it in after the switch is in place, but there is no switch in this picture.
just a little confused on this step
Anyway. There is also another option for power supply. With only one additional electronic element you can connect the lamp to the powerline! The following explanation is to also give the electrically innocent reader some insight. If you already know about it or if you think: "I want a lamp and not a Ph.D.," then simply look at the schematic below.
Now for the math. We need some 20 mA for an LED. Each LED takes between 1.5 V and 4 V. You can look up the exact voltage in the datasheet - but for our lamp we only need to know that they consume at most a few volts.
Let's assume 3.3 V for a bright white LED. Two of them in series consume 6.6 V. From an AC power outlet we get some 115 V / 230 V (North America / rest of world). That's too much for our poor LED! It would simply explode in desperation from the current blowing through it if directly connected. We have to take care that it works as intended.
An LED conducts only in one direction. That's meant by 'directional' in step 6. We have AC. This means that an LED would only light up as the voltage is in matching polarity. But we connect half of them the other way round. This enlightens them alternatingly - at 60 or 50 times per second. Two fast to notice their short dark times.
Our LED limits voltage to 3.3V. We have four in total, connect half of them the other way round. Each group of two LEDs will be connected in series. Why not parallel? Well, no LED is like the other one. There are parasitic differences that might make one LED much brighter than the other one or even destroy it if we get the idea to use LEDs of different color or different brightness. In the instructable each LED has its own resistor which takes care of these differences as a side effect.
And to reduce voltage and current to an appropriate value we put a resistor in series:
o (115 V - 6.6 V) / 20 mA = 5,420 Ohm
o (230 V - 6,.6 V) / 20 mA = 11,700 Ohm
Yes, I could have rounded to 5,500 / 12,000. Input values are not that exact. We only have to take care that no critical value will be reached.
However, if we simply take a resistor with the appropriate value, then our lamp would consume 2.3 W / 4.6 W. What a giant appetite for such a small, dim light!
Let's take a capacitor instead! A capacitor has an imaginary impedance called reactance depending on its size and the frequency: R' = 1 / (2*pi*f*C). f is at 60 Hz / 50 Hz.. R' - well, see above. Now solve the formula: C = 1/(2*pi*f*R'). This leads us to capacitor values of 470nF / 270 nF. Oh, here I've rounded. They are not produced on demand. They are not offered having arbitrary values. It's as if you want to by trousers. Go to the shop and ask them: "Hi! I need four bright white LEDs and one capacitor of 489,406344071018867677994352314 nF / 272,05973178101766798099788610686 nF." They would probably answer: "4 LEDs? Yes. But for the capacitor we can only offer 470 nF / 270 nF."
Ah, one final point! Each capacitor has a maximum voltage. Usually it is has even two values: one for AC, one for DC. The AC voltages you know are average values but in DC terms it has to withstand the peak values. At 163 V / 326 V they are much higher. Simply tell the shop you need them for a powerline application.
So. That's it. Quite some text. I'm exhausted. Be shopping now.
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Airspace V - international hangar flying!
http://www.airspace-v.com/ggadgets for tools & toys
You have to insulate all wires used in this circuit in a way that nobody can touch them! Touching any electric wire in this device is dangerous! Touching this circuit can lead to death! You should even take care for cases the paperwork breaks while the lamp is plugged in.
Use shrinkwrap to cover all wires or insulating tape. This is important!
Maybe you should also add a resistor of 1 MOhn in parrallel to the whole circuit - i.e. from one plug contact to the other. The capacitor can hold a charge when you unplug the lamp. If you touch both contacts now you will feel that! Not dangerous, but tickling. If you bridge the plug with some metal after unplugging your lamp will flash.
--
Airspace V - international hangar flying!
http://www.airspace-v.com/ggadgets for tools & toys
Watch the voltages! The author talks about 230 V. For American 115 V you have to double the caps. Recalculate to be sure.
Hmm... my circuit could work if we put a resistor in series... Have to think about it. Maybe I'll try.
--
Airspace V - international hangar flying!
http://www.airspace-v.com/ggadgets for tools & toys
This reminds me of the lamp I tried to make a few months ago. The parts are kind of just sitting on my desk waiting for me. And I'm... sitting here... on Instructables, not working on it. >.<