Quick and easy homestead uses for Plastic Bottles (PET)

Step 8 LED Lightbulb

Cut the cone off a small plastic bottle.

With a box cutter, cut the thread off the mouth of the bottle, so that it is smooth.

Take an old incandescent light bulb and smash the bulb. Clean any glass off the screw-in part.

Cut a circle out of a piece of thin card (diameter should fit inside the plastic cone).

Pierce the card with however many holes needed to make the bulb you want. We made 12 VDC bulbs, because our lights run off DC. We made one bulb with 6 white LEDs (which is not very bright, but works for a lamp) and one with a mixture of several white and yellow LEDs. However many lights you want and whatever voltage you need, you will have to make the voltage regulator match.

You'll need a 12VDC voltage regulator, 6 white LED's and a resistor.

Solder your LEDs together, positive to negative. Solder the resistor to the negative end. Solder the ends of this array to the respective leads of the voltage regulator. On the input side for the voltage regulator, solder the positive to the tip of the light bulb base. The negative goes to the side of the screw in part of the light bulb. Glue the plastic bottle to the base.

Comments

[h0meIandsecurity]

can someone tell me how to repel rabbit i would like to at least see one! i saw one last time before 3 years in my village

[h0meIandsecurity]

attract*

[silver912targa]

You can also use bottles as a friendly mole repellent. Put them halfway in the soil and take the lid off. Because of the wind, the bottles start to make a sound => vibration and moles don't like that.

Michel
Portugal

[h0meIandsecurity]

thx silver912targa do you know something more about repelling/attracting other animals? could you write that all?

[Whatnot]

Of course it will depreciate property values in your area if people have a yard full of old bottles sticking out of the ground :)

[A good name]

You could always organize it in a pattern or make it look like a fence border...

[silver912targa]

Well instead of a "rock garden" you'll get a "bottle garden" something completely different ;-) Why don't we start thinking out of the box? Your garden doesn't have to be full of bottles, otherwise it's no use of repelling the moles isn't it? If you think a little you can place them in a strategic manner so the human eye can't see them but the moles on the other hand will...

[eveh]

Not in my area. LOL..you should see the garden junk in people's yards. It doesn't bother me. I get a kick out of odd things. I even made a life size potman out of terra cotta pots once. I think it is because we are Coastal and people expect this on the Coast. There are actually people who want to buy and live in artsy neighborhoods. Signed: An old hippie

[ceramiceye]

great idea. I'm gonna pass that on to my mom (the gardener in the family). I'm sure that could keep other animals such as woodchucks or rabbits away too, although they are not going to feel the vibration in the ground like the moles, the sounds may keep them away.

[silver912targa]

Good idea, maybe to gain more sound you have to experiment on how deep you put them in the soil and at what angle.

[trgz]

I've used them for handy disposable (or not) funnels for topping up car radiators/brake fluid etc - simply cut off the base and wrap a bit of rubber (self-amalgamating) tape around the neck for a better seal if needs be

[first1]

I am always using plastic bottles for stuff. You thought of some things I haven't used them for yet. If you cut the bottom from the plastic bottle it makes a great funnel.