Introduction: DIY ACRYLIC INDIGO BUTTERFLY LAMP.

The Indigo Butterflies looks so awesome, Aren't they?


Colors, Colors, Everywhere. Some are here, and some are there.

Mood Lighting to be Happy, Relaxed, or Focused.

In this Instructable I’ll show you how I build an Acrylic LED Lamp with WS2812B addressable RGB LEDs, Acrylic Cylinder with engraved butterflies and flowers on it and Wooden base with circular RGB Ring in between. Using 18 RGB-LEDs each controlled by a single WS2812 RGB-Controller. It uses only 5 or 6 watt and providing 6 different modes that are controlled by a Arduino pro mini 328 5V/16MHz board and runs on 5v power supply.

The potentiometers with knobs are used to switch between the modes and control speed, color or brightness of the several modes.

The single Base can be used by many interchangeable acrylic cylinders with different Designs and patterns.

There is also some cotton at the bottom of the Acrylic tube, which turns out to be like a coloured cloud, too satisfying to watch.

MODE is be changed by the First Knob.

Speed and Brightness is controlled by the second Knob.

  • MODE1 : Only one Color. (any of choice).
  • MODE 2 : Running through the Rainbow (unicolor).
  • MODE 3: Running through the Rainbow (chasing mode).
  • MODE 4: Running through Rainbow (Helix Mode).
  • MODE 5: Coloured Bubbles. (random)
  • MODE 6: Reading Lamp (Just White).

Step 1: ANY COLOUR WE WANT.

WS2812B includes 3 super bright LEDs (Red, Green, and Blue) and a compact driver circuit (WS2811) that only requires one data input to control the state, brightness, and color of the 3 LEDs.

In my opinion, this is the coolest type of LED. You can control the brightness and the color of each LED individually, which allows you to produce amazing and complex effects in a simple way.
These LEDs have a IC built right into the LED. This allows a communication via a one-wire interface. This means that you can control lots of LEDs using just one digital pin of your Arduino.

Step 2: Short Clip of Lamp in Action.

Step 3: Materials and Tools Used.

Materials:

  • Clear Acrylic Cylinder Tube.
  • Clear Acrylic sheet.
  • Wooden Cylinder block.
  • WS2812B LEDs (18 Leds).
  • Arduino Pro Mini.
  • Capacitor 1000uf 16v.
  • 2x 10kohm potentiometer
  • Epoxy Glue.
  • Foam sheet.
  • Masking Tape.
  • Wires.
  • Vinyls.
  • Old USB Cable.
  • Wood Wax.

Tools:

  • Rotary Hand Tool.
  • Hand Drill.
  • Soldering Iron
  • Wire stripper
  • Hot glue Gun
  • Hole Saw
  • Clamps
  • Laser Cutter (optional)

Step 4: The Design.

The LEDs are glued inside the wooden cylinder and a acrylic cylinder above the LEDs.

The Acrylic cylinder dimensions are: 240mm Height x 70mm outer diameter. The thickness is about 5mm.

The wooden Block dimensions are: 70mm Height x 90mm outer daimeter and thickness is 12mm.

Step 5: Laser-cutting the Designs.

I've Laser cut the stencil designs which I wanted to etched on the Cylinder using my Homemade CNC Laser cutter on Vinyls stickers. And afterwards I stick the stencils stickers on the cylinder in an uneven pattern by keeping in mind that not to overdo it, otherwise it won't look clean.

Step 6: Engraving the Design on the Acrylic.

Now the pattern is design to be transferred to the acrylic cylinder.

Using small Rotary hand tool with abrasive tip, I engraved the design onto the cylinder. The stencil will work as a boundary for the design.

Step 7: The Finished Acrylic Tube.

After Engraving, I removed the stencils from the tube and cleaned the whole tube, without scratching it.

Step 8: The Electronic.

MATERIALS:

  • Arduino Pro Mini
  • 18x WS2812B Leds
  • 2x 10k ohm Potentiometers
  • Wires
  • USB to TTL converter (for programming the arduino)
  • Old USB cable

I've used 18 WS1812B RGB-LEDs . It uses only 5 or 6 watt and providing 8 different modes that are controlled by a Arduino pro mini 328 5V/16MHz board. The potentiometers are used to switch between the modes and control speed, color or brightness of the several modes.

CONNECTIONS;

All leds +5V and GROUND common with Arduino.

Arduino Data pin 4 to Din of first WS2812B Led and Dout of first Led to Din of second Led and so on.

Potentiometer 1 and Potentiometers 2 to A0 and A1 of arduino.

"Install the Fast_LED library to Arduino IDE" Here

Attachments

Step 9: Making of LED Ring.

Here, I've used total 18 leds to form a ring like neopixel ring.

Using thing copper wire I've done all the connection of the Leds. All +5V and GND are common.

The Din of 1st Led is feed by Data pin 4 of arduino. the Dout of 1st led then goes to Din of 2nd led and goes and goes in cascade till 17th led. Dout of 17th Led is left open.

Step 10: Making of Wooden Base Enclosure.

For the Base, I've cut the Wooden cylinder in three 15mm, 15mm and 40mm length sections.

I've used only two section of wood, one big and the second small. Later the big ring is inner diameter is expanded from 55mm to 70mm using hole saw.

A clear acrylic ring is made out of the acrylic sheet using the same diameter of the hole saw.

Using Epoxy glue then I've attached the acrylic ring to the bottom piece of the stand, and smoothed the edge using a file.

Groove is made for the potentiometers, opposite to each other inside, and Hole is made by using 5mm drill bit for the potentiometer knobs.

Step 11: Cushioning for the Tube.

Using some foam I've cushioned the inner wall of the top piece of the wooden base using glue. The foam will prevent the Acrylic tube from scratching while attaching the tube or while removing.

Step 12: Final Assembly.

Finally attached all the components to the wooden base using hot glue.

The Power Source, USB cable is also connected to the Arduino from outside through a 5mm hole.

All connections are secured by heat shrinking tubing, prevent short circuit. Bottom cover is made up of thin wooden sheet and glue to the base, and some rubber feet are added for get grip on the surface.

Lastly using Wood Wax I've polished the whole wooden enclosure.

I've used some cotton at the bottom of the tube to stop the light refracting out through. Its turns out so satisfying to watch like it. Its like an coloured cloud.

Step 13: FINAL PRODUCT.

Mood Lighting to be Happy, Relaxed, or Focused.

If you have any queries regarding this project, feel free to ask.


Hope you liked this Project.

Thank you for reading.

Colors of the Rainbow Contest

Runner Up in the
Colors of the Rainbow Contest