I am a teacher currently working from home with the current
climate, one problem I am having is letting the other members of my household know that I am on a convenience call with colleagues or students or recording tutorials with voice overs.

I was inspired by old "On Air" signs I thought it would be a good idea to create a sign that lights up to mount outside my studio door.

I am only using things I have in my studio; I am also not soldering any of my connectors this is so I can dismal the sign later if needed, easily.

Step 1: Components and Tools

Components:

5v LED Strip
LED Strip light connectors
6v Coin cell battery pack
1x 3v (CR2032) Coin cell battery
3x Small toggle switches
2x M3 x 7mm Machine bolts
2x M2.5 x 20mm Machine Bolt
Small push connectors
4x Cable Connectors
Red and Black - 22 Gauge Wire

Tools:

Allen Key (for Machine bolts)
Push connector’s Crimper
Wire Stripper (Not Essential)
Wire Cutter
Hot Glue Gun
Craft Knife / Box Cutter
Scissors
3D Printer (I used Prusa i3 MK3)

Filament

PLA Sunlu Gray and Matteforge White for the case and main parts of the sign
PLA Sunlu Transparent for the diffusers
Ridgi.ink Red for the diffusers
Bq Bottle Green for the diffusers

Links for everything used at the end.

Step 2: Fusion 360

Font used Stencilia-A

https://www.dafont.com/stencilia.font

Step 3: Prusa Slic3er

Prusa Slicer allows you to easily add in the M600 G-Code.

The M600 command starts a filament change procedure within your print. I use this to allow me to print the diffuser with a colour change; this was from Sunless transparent to either Red or Green.

To her this this effect my setting where:

0.3mm Layer High
2 Bottom Layers
No Top Layers
45% infill in with the Rectilinear pattern

Once you have Sliced the model you are able to add in the M600 command by choosing what layer you wish it to happen on by using the slide on the right and clicking the add button to add the filament change. The really nice thing with Prusa slicer is that there is a visual reference to where the change will take place allowing to make sure it is correct.

In this video, quickly go throw the process of slicing your 3D printing and adding in the M600 command, along with the other setting I used for the diffusers.

Step 4: 3D Printing Settings & Time-lapse

All other parts of the model

were printed with these settings:

0.3 mm Layer High
4 Bottom Layers
4 Top Layers
20% infill in with the Cubic pattern
6 mm Brim
Support (Everywhere)

When printing the main body of the sign, I used the M600 Command to change the firmament, so I could change from Sunlu Gray to Matt-forge White, I did this as this would then print the chambers that hold the LED in white adding to their reflectiveness.

Step 5: Assembly Part 1

Remove all support and bring form prints
Hot Glue in the diffusers
Remove clips from switches, I used wire cutter and cleaned up with a craft knife (be careful with the knife)
Fit switches into the main sign body

Step 6: Wiring Part 1

Prepare red wires, with female wire connectors on one end
Prepare red wires 1 to 3 (one single end male wire connector and on all other female connects)
Now connect these wires to the connectors on the back of the switches as shown in the image
Cut your Led in into 3 lengths
- 2x 10cm
- 1x 17cm
Remove the rubber cover from one end of the LED Strips, I pulled back the rubber till the connector where exposed and then used scissors to cut the rubber off
Connect the LED’s to the Led wire connectors
Pass the wire through the holes on the backing of the light chamber
Use the adhesive already on the back of the LED to attach it to the back panel
Now repeat with all LED strips, for the longer strip copy how it is attached in the image

Step 7: Assembly Part 2

Attach the back LED panel to the main part of the sign, fix this in place with the 2x M2.5 x 20mm Machine Bolt.
With the battery pack, slightly bend the back connector together so when the case is shut, they will touch, then add the 3v (CR2032) Coin cell battery.
How hot glue the battery pack to the back of the LED panel

Step 8: Wiring Part 2

This could get complicated now, I have labelled the photo in the order I did the wire process as well as colour coded the last image, this will hopefully make it easy to follow. All connections are made with the cable connectors, which are being hot glue to the back of the LED panel to Keep thing organised.

Now join all the black wires from the LED connects to the Black wire of the Battery pack
Join the ‘1 to 3’ Red wire we made in Wiring Part 1 and connect to the switches. To the Red wire from the battery pack
Now join the Red wire from one of the LED strips to the unconnected red wire from the Switch for that light
Repeat that for the other LED wires and switches.

Now test your switches and each switch should turn on its corresponding LED strip lighting up the word. (if it does not light up check that the battery pack switch is turned on, if still no luck double check your connectors and the wiring)