led light saber/ glow stick

entry for led contest

Step 1 Parts

3 LEDS (same color), bic pen, pill bottle, 9v battery (not in pic), 9v clip, little switch,1k resistor

Comments

[sevndedlysinz]

DUM

[erustownsend]

if you want to get a little more technical you can add a diode in order to help prevent the improper battery hook up. LEDs are forward-biased. also make note: if anyone buys LEDs new, the 2 leads on them are identified by their length. the long one is the positive and the short one is the negative. If they are from wires then the white or black wire is the negative. All other wire color are positive.

[Brennn10]

Good use of extra parts!

[GorillazMiko]

Small, easy, and cool! You might want to add in a resistor to keep the LED from burning out fast, but this is an awesome idea! (added to favorites)

[stallsworth]

i did i forgot to put that in the how to

[GorillazMiko]

I didn't see it there earlier. And theres no resistor in the images. :-O

[acaz93]

O_o and 1kohm is way too much! use a 470 ohm resistor , since the resistor is mostly a currnet limiter

[stallsworth]

that is what i had to use

[GorillazMiko]

I was wondering the same thing. 1k? Wow.

[Bongmaster]

dang its a little similar to what i made ages ago wen i pulled out hte guts of a lighter i had with a blue led in :) I got a plastic tube a little bigger than the battery stack (3 button cells) and a button pusher from an old laser pointer. made a hole for it, pushed the bits in and added a roll of tracing paper to diffuse and capped the end with scotch invisible tape (its like the tracing paper). then wrapped black tape round the bottom where the led and battery's are.. its kool :) and bright, i use it to see at night wen getting up for bathroom or im power cuts cos its im my pocket all the time.. very usefull :) was toying with the idea of making another simpler one as an instructable..

[stallsworth]

sounds cool please put that up i want to make one