Light Up Gandalf the White Staff

I always wanted a Gandalf the White Staff since watching the Lord of the Rings. I found a design for one on Thingivers.com. Using Tinkercad I modified the design to light up.

Supplies

• 4 Super Bright White LEDs
• 4 100 ohm resisters
• 12 inches each of red and black 22 gauge stranded wire.
• 1 push on push off switch.
• 2 m4 8 machine screws.
• 4 m4 washers.
• 4 m4 nuts.
• 1 spring.(I used a spring out of some broken toy. I would recommend taking one from a small flashlight.)
• 3 AA Batteries.
• 1 1 inch by 4 foot wooden dowel.
• 1 M2 6 sheet metal type A screw. (holds battery cover closed.)

Step 1: Top Staff Piece

Using clear filament print the top 1 with the shell set to 2 mm and the infill 0%. I used clear so that it would light up better.

After printing it I spray painted the outside glossy white. I masked the crystal in the center to keep it clear.

I then drilled holes in the bottom so that I could insert the LEDs.

Step 2: Print the Remaining Pieces

Print the remaining pieces using white filament. I used 50% infill and -0.2mm horizonal expansion. The horizonal expansion setting adjust for the print nozzle size. I use a 0.4 mm print nozzle. If you don't use the adjustment several of the pieces will not fit and you will be sanding them to get them to fit. I printed 3 main_staff_5x and 1 main_staff_short. You can print different combination of main staff pieces to make that staff the desired length.

Step 3: Assemble Staff Bottom

Glue bottom 1 and bottom 2 pieces together.

Step 4: Install Power Switch.

Drill hole in lower section of top 2 for switch. you may want to wait until the wiring is completed before mounting the switch

Step 5: Assemble Battery Holder.

1. Using a m4 screw, a m4 washer and a m4 nut attach the spring to the end with the screw hole for the battery cover.
2. At the opposite end use a m4 screw, two m4 washers and a m4 nut to make the positive post.
3. Attach the black wire to the screw using a m4 nut. Then feed the feed the wire through the battery holder.
4. Attach half of the red wire to the screw for positive post.

Step 6: Attach Battery Holder to Top 2.

Cut a short section of dowel (58 mm to 75mm) and drill a hole lengthwise for the wires from the battery holder. Run the wires from the battery holder through the hole and glue the dowel into the end of the battery holder. Attach the red wire from the battery holder to the switch in the top 2 section. Attach the remaining red wire to the switch. run the black and red wire end through the top 2 section. Glue the top 2 section onto the dowel attached to the battery holder. There should not be any gap between the battery holder and the top 2 section.

Step 7: Complete LED Wiring.

1. Solder the cathode ends of the LEDs together with 1 LED pointing out and the remaining 3 pointing off in 3 equal distances.
2. Solder a 100 ohm resister to each of the LEDs.
3. Solder the other ends of the resisters together.
4. Attach the black wire to the resisters and the red wire to the LEDs.
5. Insert the batteries and test.

Step 8: Assemble Staff Top.

• Insert LEDs as far as possible into the top 1 section.
• Glue top 1 section to top 2 section.

Step 9: Final Assembly.

1. Glue the wooden dowel into the bottom section.
2. Add the main staff sections.
3. Trim the wooden dowel so that it can be inserted into the base of the battery holder with no gap between the last main staff section and the battery holder.
4. Glue the main staff sections onto the wooden dowel.
5. glue the battery holder to the exposed end of the wooden dowel.