Solar Necklace T-Shirt

Step 5 Conductive traces

Now that the three circuit clusters are completed (power, motor outputs and components) we need to create the network of conductive traces that will connect them with each other.

• The + from the solar cell needs to connect to the + loop of the component cluster broach, as well as to one of the sides of the motor.
• The  from the solar cell needs to connect to the - loop of the component cluster broach.
• The M leg from the component cluster broach needs to connect to the other side of the motor.

Using a fabric pen (one that will disappear over time) you can trace these paths onto your t-shirt before fusing the conductive traces.

FABRIC CONDUCTIVE TRACES
When you order stretch conductive fabric from LessEMF it does not come with the heat fusible interface attached. The fusible interface that you can buy from your local fabric store normally comes attached to a sheet of wax paper. The easiest way to make conductive traces is to fuse a long strip (the length of your conductive fabric and maybe 10 cm wide) to your conductive fabric. You do so by placing the interfacing (way paper side up) on top of your conductive fabric and then ironing it on. You'll want to experiment with a small piece of conductive fabric first to find the right temperature on your iron settings. The conductive fabric will burn if it is too hot. But it is normal if it discolours to become more golden to some extent. It become brittle the more it is burnt. You want it to stick well but not get too golden. Once you have fused the fusible to the conductive fabric. Pull of the way paper and cut the conductive fabric into long 1-05 cm wide strips. And now you can fuse these (interfacing side down) to your t-shirt. Again be careful to get the right temperature. You can use stretchy fabric glue to isolate and better attach these traces to your t-shirt, but it is best to do this at the very end, when you have checked that everything is working, and also because it takes a day to cure.

POPPERS
Read the instructions on your popper machine and connect poppers at the right ends of the conductive traces for the solar necklace and the motor. You might want to add little patches of non-stretch material behind the poppers (on the inside of the t-shirt) to reinforce the t-shirt fabric, because it rips quite easily when pulling the poppers apart.