Introduction: Magnetic Arc Reactor

About: Worked in electronics for 15 years. The soldering iron is mightier than the pen! ✍

This is my attempt at making the Arc Reactor from Iron Man 1.
I've added a reed switch in the electronic circuit so that when a magnet is near by, the Arc lights up which a pretty awesome effect!

Check out my video of it in action!

Step 1: Parts List

Bracelet mould
Clear Epoxy Resin
x11 White LEDs
2032 coin battery holder and battery
Kynar wire
Copper wire
Plastic lid
Reed switch (optional) or normal switch
Glue gun
Black plastic
Clear plastic
x3 M2.5 screws
Tin copper wire
Solder
Flux
Soldering Iron

Step 2: Clear Ring

Mix up your Epoxy Resin as per the box instructions and pour into your bracelet mould.
Make sure the ring sets before working on the copper rings!

Step 3: Copper Coils

This part is one of the most time consuming bits, so have patience!
Separate the clear ring into 10 sections using some black electrical tape.
Slowly wind your copper wire around each section and cut off any excess wire left over.
Tuck any loose ends under each coil.

Step 4: The Lights

Find your self a plastic lid to match the size of your bracelet mould.
Ideally you want it to fit underneath the clear ring so you can glue it in place.
It took me a while to find mine.

Make a tin copper ring to fit inside your lid, and a slighlty smaller one to fit inside that one.
Solder both ends of your rings and bend into place until equally round.
Solder your LEDs evenly spaced apart, positive to one ring and all negatives to the other.
Solder your reed switch to one end of the inner, smaller ring and the other end to one end of your battery terminal and one side of your inner, central LED.
Solder the large ring to the other end of your central LED and opposite battery terminal.

Make sure you get all your polarities correct! Test your LED light ring before placing it and glueing it into your lid.

Step 5: Battery Terminal

I've used a SMT 2032 coin battery holder as it's nice and small and doesn't add too much extra weight to the Arc.

Glue it in place on the back of the lid.
Solder two pieces of Kynar wire to each end of the battery holder.
Make two small holes using a drill and thread them through to the inside.
Solder each wire to one end of your reed switch and the other end to the larger tin copper ring.

Step 6: Inner Arc

The inner part of the ring I made using black, clear plastic, tin copper wire and x3 M2.5 screws.
Really it's a case of trial and error. I had no plans, and the only thing I went by was a still frame from the movie to roughly match what the Arc looked like up close.
It hasn't got to be perfect and if you're after a perfect replica, there are some other great Arc Instructables about!

I used a scalpel blade and small drill to sculpt the black plastic.
Soldered 6 different sized tin copper rings together and stuck all the pieces together. Then I attached them all using the 3 screws.

As you can see mine is very rough! But when the arc lights up you can't really see the imperfections.

Step 7: Neodymium Magnets

To activate the reed switch & arc it requires a magnet.
Neodymium magnets are the strongest of all and just so happens to resemble palladium in appearance, which is what powers the arc in the films, it can be seen more clearly in Iron Man 2!
Also it attracts to the lithium coin battery and can thirdly act like a clip on the inside of a t-shirt to hold your arc firmly on your chest.

Check out the video of my arc in action!!