Kids Night Light

Easy make, kid friendly night light, this gives the kiddies independence of turning the light on or off on their own and has a fun appearance. The best bit of the design is the lack of a traditional on/off switch as it is operated by a magnetic reed switch, see the video below.

Cost:
Magnet = £2.50 each set (I used alarm contacts)
Duck = £1.25 each (ebay)
LED's = 4p each (ebay)
Base = free (ofcuts and treasure found in garage)

Step 1: Magnet in Duck

• Drill a hole the same diameter as the magnetic contact mine required Ø15mm. Place it in the middle of the bottom of the duck. I used a hole saw in a cordless drill.
• You must ensure you use the contact without the wires on.
• The magnet is held in by friction, however if you want a more permanent fixing use hot glue

Step 2: Base - Cutting the Squares

• Cut MDF into 120 x 120mm squares
• The number of squares depends on the thickness of mdf used and how high you want the pillars
• I used 22mm thick MDF is it means less cutting and glueing of layers

Step 3: Base - Marking Out

• On three squares use a ruler to cross the corners to find the centre
• Use a compass to create a Ø120mm circle on the three squares
• Put these three squares to one side as they will become the top of the pillars later on.

Step 4: Base - Cutting the Holes

• Cross the corners to find the centre.
• Using an adjustable hole saw / Fly cutter create a Ø100mm hole in all the layers of MDF
• I used a hand drill, however i would recommend using a pillar drill set to a slow speed as its a bit safer.
• If you do not have the above tools you could use a coping saw or electric jigsaw to create the holes

Step 5: Base - Glue

• Using PVA wood glue stic the layers together until you reach the desired height
• You must ensure that the holes are aligned and not the outside edges
• Stick the top layer on that you marked out earlier

Step 6: Base - Bottom Plate

• Cut three pieces of 4mm MDF to 120 x 120mm
• Cross the corners to find the centre
• Using a compass create two circles at Ø100mm and Ø120mm
• Mark three positions of the screws in the layout shown in the photo, the hole positions are a-symmetrical so the bottom plate is easy to re-align when removed
• Drill and countersink the holes to take a standard CSK wood screw (approx 4x20mm)

Step 7: Base - Attaching the Bottom Plate

• Align the bottom plate onto the stack and drill the pilot holes for the screws
• Screw on the plate
   

Step 8: Base - Making It Round

• Use a band saw to cut as much material away as possible
• If you do not have access to a band saw you could use a hand saw

Step 9: Base - Making It Round

• Use a disk or belt sander to sand the MDF to the circle you drew earlier
• This could be done by hand with abrasive paper but it will take a very long time

Step 10: Base - Making It Round

• Use a table router to either add a chamfer or radius to the top edge
• If you do not have this equipment use abrasive paper to round off the edge

Step 11: Base - Marking LED Holes

• Use the base of the duck to set the diameter of the compass
• Use the centre you marked out earlier and draw a circle
• Where the circle intersects the four lines, it creates the drill position for the LED holes

Step 12: Base - Drilling the Holes

• Use a Ø15mm drill bit or a hole saw to create the hole in the middle
• Use a Ø6mm drill to create the LED holes

Step 13: Circuit - Soldering

• See the circuit diagram for component & wiring positions
• Solder all the wires onto the components and test with a battery and the other half of the magnetic switch
• I used
  • white super bright LEDs 5mm
  • Magnetic alarm contact
  • 9v battery clip
  • 9v PP3 battery
  • 360Ω resistor

Step 14: Circuit - Insulating

• Remove the circuit and cover all exposed metal with insulation tape, retest the circuit to ensure it still works
• Reinsert the circuit and glue gun the back of the LED's
• Screw the bottom on

Step 15: Base - Finishing

• You can colour the pillars in any way you like, some suggestions are
  • Paper mache
  • Glitter
  • Paint
  • Cut out strips of comics
  • Cotton wool
  • sand + PVA then paint
  • Fymo characters
• I used rolled paper to mask the LED's
• I used flock spray paint
• I spray varnished the paintwork to add protection.
• Remember to turn upside down and spray the aerosol cans to clear the nossels

Step 16: Enjoy

• Make as many pillars as you would like and........ enjoy :)