LED flashlight for under $10 (solderless, flat)

This Instructable will show one how to build a LED flashlight without solder that will lay flat for under $10. The idea for this came from a need to have a flat flashlight that would not roll around when I was working on computers and wiring for my tech support business. Also, I needed something that could be inserted into narrow places, like behind furniture and inside computers. Since I could not find any flashlights that would be able to do these things, I decided to imitate the Free Software/Instructable Communities and build one to my specifications. For the construction of the circuit, many of ideas came from other LED flashlight Instructables on this site. A basic schematic is below.

Step 1: Assemble your parts and tools

Many of these parts can be found at Home Depot, Radio Shack and 99 Cents stores.
Parts from Home Depot:
1. One foot of Cat 5 cable (split for 20 gauge wire), Part #: 709489: 27 cents
2. Wood shims, Part #: 091-996-002-0000: $1.09
4. Electrical Tape, Part #: 0-775-78-03-777-6, 59 cents:
5. Light switch, Part #: 078-477-772-713: 64 cents

Parts from Radio Shack:
1. two - 5 mm high brightness white LED, Part #: 276-017: $1.99
2. AAA Battery Holder, Part #: 270-398: 99 cents

Part from Jack's 99 Cent Store, 32nd St. between 6th & 7th Ave, NYC:
1. 2 AAA Batteries: 99 cents
2. One 8.5x11 piece of paper: 1 cent

Tools:
1. #2 Phillips head screwdriver
2. Wire cutter/stripper
3. Scissors

Comments

[kurtnotkirk]

Hi, I just posted a question, looking for help with just such a project as this. If I understand this instructable, I can just get the LEDs, as you have used here, and wire them into the existing AAA circuit, without any sort of resistor? Thanks!

[jsilvers1]

i wonder if u could add a solar panel to this to charge the battery and still have the on/off switch so that u can turn the light when u don't need to use it

[marc92]

I believe it would be possible to make this light much smaller to better fit in the places described.

[matt392]

The size makes it easier to position since something smaller might get dropped into crevices and the like.

[ATG]

if 3v button cells r used in serie...this thng can fit into a matchbox...

[marc92]

With the obvious exception of the light switch

[Chiana_Rei]

This could be done smaller very easily, with junk computer parts, or just other electronic junk one accumulates. The switch you are using will cause more battery run down than a much smaller switch better suited to the amount of current you need to run an LED.

[matt392]

One of the design goals was to be able to build it with common, inexpensive parts from retails stores like Home Depot and Radio Shack.

[lifelong-newbie]

Radio shack definitely sell the simple parts that'd make this project much more efficient

[matt392]

Keep in mind, part of the design goal was to keep it under $10.  Radio Shack definitely has good parts, but they may have pushed it above $10.