LED tilt light box

This instructable will show you how to make a simple circuit board with a mercury switch (tilt switch) and LEDs, and then a little wooden box with a window to put it in.

Step 1: Parts needed, and where I got them

Alright so here is the list of materials that are needed for this project, everything can be found at local stores but online is cheaper...

Wooden Box (found at Micheal's arts and crafts)

Project board (I bought at www.besthongkong.com, also at Fry's Electronics)

LEDs (I bought at www.besthongkong.com, also at Fry's Electronics)

Resistors for my project I used 150 ohm resistors, but whichever kind you need for your LEDs, how I have found out is by going to http://led.linear1.org/led.wiz which is a LED calculator, you plug in your information and it tells you the array and what resistors to use. (I bought at www.besthongkong.com, also at Fry's Electronics)

Mercury Switch (found at Fry's Electronics, but I am sure Radio shack has them too)

9V Battery plug (found at Fry's Electronics, but I am sure Radio shack has them too)

9V Battery (found just about everywhere)

Fogged hard plastic (Home depot, Lowe's)

Comments

[Scooley01]

I had an idea to do multiple colors with separate switches so that rotating the box 90 degrees would have the effect of changing the color (I see a few others have mentioned that on the comments here).

My original thought was to use 3 tilt sensors in a triangular orientation so that two will always be off...however, when I actually did a drawing with the box around the triangle, I can't seem to come up with an orientation where one of the switches doesn't end up horizontal. It's my understanding that the horizontal tilt switch may or may not stay ON...is it possible to orient 3 tilt switches in such a way that only one of them is ever on at a time?

[DiyProjects]

i used rgbs it looks way cooler.

[seligtobiason]

RGB LED's are a good idea too, but depending on what look you are going for it might not be the best choice for everyone.

Glad you liked the project enough to build one! Thanks for the comment, but in the future please try not to put people's instructables down, thank you.

[Verathia]

Mines basically done, but I'm waiting for the 9v battery plug to get here. :) I'll be doing the same thing as you circuit-wise, but instead of a square on the top, I'm cutting out someone's name with a scroll saw. :)

[seligtobiason]

NICE! that sounds very cool, when you finish up you should post a picture, I would love to see it!

[Verathia]

Actually, I seem to be out of replacement blades for my scroll saw... so I ended up doing this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4YsZeHbTRk

The box isn't quite done yet... but I have the basic part of it done.

[seligtobiason]

That looks really cool, I like the creativity with the box!

[ElectrokV]

A couple of suggestions: 1. ALUMINUM DUCT TAPE TO REFLECT LIGHT (found at most hardware stores) - It can be used for about any LED or lighting project like this. [WARNING: THIS IS METAL AND CAN SHORT ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS! SO, INSTALL IT CAREFULLY AND INSULATE ANY WIRING TO PREVENT IT TOUCHING THE TAPE! THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT IN ANY DESIGN THAT USES HIGHER VOLTAGES AND POWER. IT CAN BE A FIRE OR PERSONNEL HAZARD. I RECOMMEND USING SOMETHING LIKE SCOTCH 33+ ELECTRICAL TAPE (600 V / wrap insulating capability) TO INSULATE USUALLY EXPOSED WIRING ANYWHERE NEAR THIS TO REDUCE SHORTING POSSIBILITIES!!!] (You don't want to short out and ruin any circuit anyway) - - -  The idea is to stick the very reflective tape inside boxes like the ones used in this and other experiments behind the LEDs to get more of your light output to shine through the translucent film.  You could just get some construction paper or other non-conducting material and size it to fit the length/width of the box and stick the tape to it and put holes around the LEDs and place it between the circuit board and the LEDs (remembering to insulate the LED leads from the aluminum tape). - - - - I've used this tape in many lighting projects to increase light output and it works fine.

2. I had this in mind before seeing Mr. Bond having the same idea - Experiment by adding more mercury switches and having arrays of various colored LEDs so once the box is upright and on, you can move the box to the other sides and the mercury switches can be setup to turn off one color and turn on another. So, you could have green when the box is on one side, move 90 degrees and it will turn red, move another 90 degrees and it can be blue, and so on.  AND, it's rather easy to break glass mercury switches and the stuff is toxic and almost impossible to clean up, so the switches that use the rolling balls is a good idea!

[teoeva]

oh my god, I have this project on my notebook for a year ... and I never realized ... how about applying this concept ... the cube? Put a cube with 5 internal cardboard for 5 different color (the sixth side to switch it off) depending on whose side you will support it a different color ...

[Saotome]

heh, weird.
I've been planning to do that exact thing for quite a few months now but never taken the time.
I was thinking about making the cube out of clear acrylic and putting white paper on the inside.
I was gonna use pretty bright LED's (one or two for each color turned toward each side of the cube) and use ping pong balls cut in half to try to disperse the light evenly over the interior surface. 

[polonium9]

can i buy one of your mercury tilt switches?!?!?!!? because i want one for my breadboard experiments and it would be cool to have one

[seligtobiason]

Here are a couple places online for the switches

http://shop2.frys.com/product/1908343?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G16165

[polonium9]

the mercury one is not available to order and the other one does not contain mercury but i knew $1.49 was suspicious, lol.

[seligtobiason]

Well the mercury switches are something you can purchase at many of the more elaborate electronic stores, I bought mine at Fry's Electronics, but have send them at other places too... There is another kind that doesn't use mercury, but a metal ball (ball bearing) instead, but it achieves the same outcome.

[DELETED_Negotive00]

(removed by author or community request)

[seligtobiason]

Here are a couple places online for the switches

http://shop2.frys.com/product/1908343?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G16165

[seligtobiason]

Very nice! Thank you for helping out the crew, I will try to find a place online to get the mercury switch and post it, but that is a great DIY tilt switch!

[rosswinky]

how much is the wooden box and the plastic

[seligtobiason]

Well the wooden box was about $2.99 and the fogged plastic was scraps that I found in my brother in laws garage... but you can get the plastic at home depot for a couple bucks, or you can get some plexi glass and sand it to make it fogged too. Either way pretty in expensive!

[Verathia]

I'm extremely new at this so bear with me: Here's probably the first question of many: I can't seem to find an 9v Battery Plug on Fry's website.

[seligtobiason]

I know how it can be with these search engines, its like you need to know the exact name for things, he he he... here is the link for the battery clips/holders. Let me know the rest of your questions, I will do my best to help!

http://shop2.frys.com/product/136740?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

[rosswinky]

would it be possible to do it so instead of turning of and on it changes colour

[shamanwhitewolf]

I would think so. A combo of colors for LEDs and four (or what ever your needs are) mercury switches, each in a different operational position. Turn the box, the currently on mercury switch shuts off and another turns on. You could do a 16-sided box with mercury switches for each side.

[rosswinky]

and just have 2 separate circuits? thanks

[shamanwhitewolf]

I was thinking of each mercury switch/LED having its own circuit, sharing the power switch and power source. If you have a lot of sides (especially if fully 3D like a dodecahedron), then multiple lights might be on, depending on how the switches are aligned and the position you put the box in. 20-sided light-box dice, anyone??

[Verathia]

Ohhh, I want to try a 6 sided box with fogged glass on each side! That would look superb.

[Verathia]

I think that would work, but it wouldn't be a smooth fade because the light turn on and off instantaneously. Still sounds fun to try. :)

[ryukyu]

You can add a capacitor in parallel with the LED and the sinking resistor. That should give you some fade.

[shamanwhitewolf]

I didn't think about the smooth fade. That's a good point.

[joetcochran]

Great Instructable - I used all white LED's and cut out some blue and yellow contact paper to make a St. Louis Rams logo. My brother is a big Rams fan, so he'll be getting this for Christmas this year

[cantthinkof bettername]

Wow, that looks really nice. Good work.

[Capt. Fat]

Now how the heck did you think of that?!

[guitarist24000]

Genius tutorial never knew about this tild switch before usingthis tilt switch i came up with a genius idea.... what if i were to oncorparate this with a wii sensorbar... so i made my own wii sensor bar tht ran off a 9v battery... but heres the big cool part to turn it on your simply tilt it forward... to turn it off you tilt it backwards however im not sure whether i should reveal all the details to the public

[seligtobiason]

That sounds really cool, I am really interested in how you did that... so if you ever decided to let people know please let me know! I am interested in doing that myself :D

[humberto_hr]

hi... how much time do the battery takes to consume?... i think a transistor will make more efficent that isnt?... ty.. great

[seligtobiason]

Sorry that I didn't respond right away... well I have had a 9 volt battery in each one of mine, and have had them on and off for a couple months now and have not needed to replace the batteries... so I am not sure how long exactly, but the definitely last a long while!!

[Romaida]

Great instructable! Do you think I can make this light disc using the same method except without the mercury switch? Any suggestions? Thanks!

[seligtobiason]

Well I think you could definitely make one of those disc lights... but I don't think it would be using the same method, because this method IS using the mercury switch... I think this would be a different project in itself. But as far as similarities, you could still solder the LED's to a circuit board and instead of using a mercury switch you use a regular toggle switch, and you would have to find some kind of round case that it all would fit in...

[Romaida]

The case doesn't need to be round. I could also use your wooden box idea. What size circuit board did you use in this instructable?

[seligtobiason]

Sorry, I assumed that you wanted them round to match the pictures you posted... and you said light "Disc", which would imply that the project would be round... so really all you are wanting to do is make this light box without a mercury switch, is that correct? That would most definitely work, you might want to see if you can find a shallower box so it wont stick up off the table so much, also you would need to get a sturdier fogged plastic, maybe plexi glass and then sand it to give it the fogged look. As far as the size of the project board, I used 5cm X 7cm from BestHongKong.com