Introduction: How to Make a Color Changing EL Wire Hour Glass!
On this instructible you will learn how to make an color changing hour glass out of EL wire.
Step 1: Puting Together the Structure of the Hour Glass, and Parts List.
8 L brackets
One high toarc motar
9 volt batters
Black non glossy spray paint.
Half inch screws
Three foot PVC piping that is at least two inches thick
2 one foot wood rounds
11 feet of blue, green, yellow, orange, and red EL Wire
gel super glue
one seqencer
Alright, first you are going to have to find a three foot tube of sor, I used a card board tube that I had just siting around but you could use a piece of PVC piping instead, second paint the rounds, then attach four of the L brackects to the PVC pipe and the round, now do the same to the other side of the pipe.
Step 2: Adding the Motor.
Now drill a hole in the center of the round the size of the motor. Next stick some super glue in the hole and place motor in side and let dry. Also what I did is that I hooked up a switch and 9 volt battery.
Note: DO NOT DO WHAT YOU SEE IN THE PICTURES IT WAS A FAILED IDEA SO I COMPENSATED
Step 3: Adding the Five Colors of EL Wire
Now comes the last and final part of building the EL Wire color changing hour glass. Once you have the five colors of EL wire which are Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red, then attach them starting on the side of the wood round, then attach to the middle of the PVC pipe then attach the EL Wire around the bottom wood round. When attaching the EL Wire I used super glue in gel form. Last attach the EL wire to a seqencer and light it up.
Note: It took anywhere from 10-11 feet total of EL Wire.
Step 4: Pictures and Video of EL Wire Color Changing Hour Glass in Action!
Finalist in the
EL wire contest
17 Comments
13 years ago on Step 4
the still pictures are a little misleading, as the shutter speed is to slow to actually capture the el wire, just the light 'trail' it leaves behind. i was a little disappointed when i saw the video, but none-the-less, cool project.
Reply 13 years ago on Step 4
well thats was kind of what I wanted to happen.
13 years ago on Step 1
What the heck is a "sor"? I figured out that "motar" = motor and that "toarc" = torque and that a piece of PVC at least 2" thick meant at least 2" diameter but I just don't get this part of the riddle.
Reply 13 years ago on Step 1
I think he means 'sorts', as in "find a three foot tube of sorts" (either cardboard or PVC).
13 years ago on Introduction
Many years ago playing around EL wires, my friends found out that cheap one time cameras with flash can be used as power suply for EL wires. The curcuit that charges the capacitor for the flash, is high voltage. Beware of long time damage to EL wire because of over voltage. Most photo shops will give you used cameras for free. :)
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
wow, cool.Thanks for the info.
13 years ago on Introduction
Very nice, but if you can edit, "motor" is spelled as so. Still, very creative stuff.
13 years ago on Introduction
really cool!
13 years ago on Step 4
Nice video !
13 years ago on Introduction
You know it would awesome if you could put sections of EL in rings on the inside and program it so they turn on and off, making it show time too.
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
Interesting idea.
13 years ago on Introduction
This is cool, but it would be even more impressive if you embedded the video into the intro.
To do that, post the video on youtube or another site. Then edit the intro step and click on the little filmstrip icon. Paste the embed code and it'll go in.
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
Lol. You must just copy/paste this comment now, huh?
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
Actually, no. It's faster for me to type it up than find it, copy it, and paste it.
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
Thanks I was wondering how I do that.
13 years ago on Introduction
When I see this, I'm just glad I didn't buy the EL wire :) ... I had the same - kind of similar - idea :) ... I just wanted to ad one side to a motor and a weight on the other side. Then hang the motor on the roof ... and with different speed create a different patterns. Your instructable is very close to this ... nice job.
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
THANKYOU