Enlightened Masterpiece: Crafting a Laser Engraved Mahavir Swami LED Art

Mahavir Swami is supreme preacher of Jainism. He is usually depicted in a sitting meditative posture. I made a Laser Engraved Mahavir Swami LED Art for a small temple that we have in our home where we perform our daily prayers.

I made this to create a sacred atmosphere and provide a focal point for spiritual practices within our home.

Supplies

Materials:

• Acrylic sheet 8mm
• Laminated MDF 3.5mm
• LED light strip - Warm White
• LED light strip - WS2811 (addressable LED)
• 21 Key Addressable LED Remote Controller
• Power supply - 12 V 2A
• Adhesive
• Wiring and connectors

Tools:

• Laser engraving machine
• Drill
• Screwdriver
• Wire cutters
• Pliers
• Hot glue gun
• Ruler or measuring tape

Step 1: Design & Laser Machine Processing

I searched for various drawings of Mahavir Ji online along with the circular design on boundary that is used in in final piece.

Our temple is made with white laminated board so any color light we put inside spreads uniformly inside the temple.

For this reason I designed it in a way such that the edge lighting in the art piece can form rings on the walls of the temple. There is no frame so light can come outside of the transparent acrylic sheet's edge which is illuminating whole temple in a soothing way.

I am using a 100watt CO2 Laser machine here.

I configured laser with following settings,

16mm/s speed and 50% of the power with two pass for cutting 8mm acrylic.

160mm/s speed and 20% of the power with single pass for engraving on 8mm acrylic.

18mm/s speed and 30% of the power with single pass for cutting 3.5 mm laminated MDF.

You can prepare the design file and adjust the dimensions to fit your desired acrylic sheet size.

Different machines have different power and speed settings and it also depends on the age of laser tube, lens and mirrors. Set up the laser engraving machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Once settings are done, load the acrylic sheet onto the engraving bed and ensure it is securely positioned.

Configure the engraving settings (power, speed, passes) based on your machine and acrylic sheet thickness.

Start the engraving process and patiently wait for laser to cut and etch onto the acrylic. :)

Step 2:

• Carefully remove the engraved acrylic sheet from the engraving machine.
• Clean the acrylic surface using water and soap and wipe it with soft cloth ensuring all dust and debris are removed.
• Paste the ring along the cutouts in acrylic made for LEDs fixture as shown in the video at 3:59.
• Pasting vinyl - Now this is not the necessary part. The laminate mdf I cut was of light shade and but I realized i should put a darker shade behind so instead of cutting again another laminate I just used a dark shade of wooden vinyl sheet.
• To support LEDs I used same mdf and stacked it to form walls for LEDs. You can see this process at 7:08.

Step 3: LED Installation

Here is what will bring the magic in this art piece.

I have used two set of LEDs. One is a simple warm white LED strip which stays ON and is facing inner side of the circle and another is addressable LED strip which is making all the colors and moving effects in boundary. In this one the LED lights are facing outer side of the circle.

Measure the dimensions of the engraved acrylic sheet.

• Cut the LED light strip to match the dimensions, ensuring it fits neatly along the edges.
• Attach the LED light strip to the edges of the acrylic, making sure the LEDs face inward for warm white and outward for addressable LEDs.
• Connect the warm white LED strip to the power supply directly and addressable LED via controller as shown in wiring diagram.
• Test the lighting to ensure it illuminates the engraved design evenly.
• Drill small holes at the backside of the mdf sheet for holding the back and tighten it.
• Secure the power supply and wiring in place using adhesive or cable clips.
• Double-check all connections and ensure they are secure.
• Carefully assemble the LED edge-lit Mahavir Swami art piece, ensuring all components fit snugly together.

Step 4: Final Touches

Final Touches and Installation in our Temple

Inspect the art piece for any imperfections or blemishes and make necessary touch-ups.

Clean the acrylic surface once more to remove any fingerprints or smudges.

Place the finished artwork in a suitable location, where the LED glow can create a serene ambiance.

Enjoy the captivating beauty of your DIY LED edge-lit Mahavir Swami art!

Conclusion:

Congratulations on completing your own LED edge-lit laser engraved art of Mahavir Swami ! You can make anything of your interest using same technique.

This project merges artistic expression with modern lighting techniques, resulting in a stunning visual representation of devotion. Share your creation with others and let the divine radiance of Mahavir Swami inspire and illuminate your surroundings.

If anyone wants to make it. I am happy to share files as well.

I have tried to put all of the build details still if I missed something I will be happy to answer all of the queries in comment section :) And yes do subscribe to my youtube channel Canvas of Dreams for more such content.