Rainbow LED Paperweight

Build a mesmerizing and entertaining paperweight with lights that slowly change color.  This project embeds a simple circuit consisting of nine color changing LEDs in a paperweight made of epoxy resin.  Constructing the circuit requires very basic soldering skills and the epoxy resin for making the paperweight is very easy to work with.  The result is a terrific paperweight for anyone who likes desk toys or gadgets with blinking lights and the paperweight makes a terrific gift. 

This video shows the Rainbow LED Paperweight in action. 

Step 1 Parts List

You will need the following parts and materials for this instructable:

Paperweight Materials

• EasyCast Clear Casting Epoxy Resin (8 oz kit)
• Castin'Craft MC5 Mold (3" diameter x 1 3/8")
• Black pigment for polyester, epoxy, and urethane casting
• Castin'Craft Mold Release
• Multi-color glitter
• 6 Plastic mixing cups (you will use two when mixing each layer)
• 6 wood mixing sticks or tongue depressors
• Plastic gloves

The EasyCast Epoxy Resin, Black Pigment, Mold Release, MC5 mold, and mixing supplies are available from TAP Plastics.  Glitter can be found at most art or craft stores.

Electronics

• Nine (9) slow color changing RGB LEDs
• 9 volt battery
• 9 volt battery clip
• 270 Ohm 1/2 watt resistor
• Solderless breadboard and wire (optional)

The LEDs are available on eBay (I got mine from the eBay seller "bestshop2008hk").  The rest of the parts are available from RadioShack or most electronics parts suppliers.

Miscellaneous

• Small piece of scrap corrugated cardboard (4" x 4")
• 3" Diameter round cardboard container lid or something similar (available at craft stores like Michaels)
• Black Sharpie for coloring the cardboard container lid
• Small rubber feet with adhesive backs (available from any hardware store)

Tools

• Awl or equivalent pointy tool
• Wire cutters / wire strippers
• Soldering iron and solder
• Scissors

Comments

[agis68]

wow! really beautiful

[gloriousfactory]

we are manufacturer of leds in Guangzhou, skype: gloriousfactory

[talk2bruce]

The circuit is a parallel circuit as shown in the schematic on step 2. If your question was because of the cross section diagram on the same step, that's not intended to be a wiring guide or schematic showing three LEDs and resistors in series but to give folks a view of what the paperweight looks like when viewed from the side and how the LED assembply fits into the multiple layers of epoxy resin.

[Electronics Blurred]

Erm , excuse me sir , how do you add 3 LED's and a resistor (which is even larger then my circuit) .
into a 9V circuit ?
If it's parallel , i would believe you .
2 in a line at max . and a 150ohm resistor .
this how i wire it up .
I Positive
R Resistor 1
O LED 1
O LED 2
I Negative