Cheap Homemade LED Torch (full Build)
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Cheap Homemade LED Torch (full Build)
A cheap source of LEDs
A full torch / flashlight
A full torch / flashlight
LEDs
I found a pack of six gas-lighters with built-in LED lights for a pound.
Dismantling these was fairly easy, as shown in the pictures, it's not too dissimilar to 'breaking'
If you've got LEDs already, skip this.
Dismantling these was fairly easy, as shown in the pictures, it's not too dissimilar to 'breaking'
If you've got LEDs already, skip this.
LED Assembly
Wire all of the LEDs together.
I've pushed the +ve electrodes through a small piece of insulation, cut from some heavy mains cable, like an elastic band this holds the electrodes together.
Also looped around the electrodes is a bit of thick copper wire.
The (yellow) insulation holds the electrodes in place while solder is applied, joining them to the copper wire.
A quick bit of soldering and you're done.
Next wire all the -ve electrodes together (see pictures). I've used individual copper strands from mains-cable, soldered and twisted.
Take a strand of copper (extracted e.g. from some mains-cable), tin it, tin the LED electrode and solder.
When you've done all six, twist them together, around the the outside of the central electrodes, to form a single -ve
Spend a bit of time getting the LEDs correctly aligned here. You can tweak and nudge the LEDs so that they form a nice alignment pointing in the same direction, but it takes a bit of time. Once you've got this to your satisfaction, it's time to move on to the next step
I've pushed the +ve electrodes through a small piece of insulation, cut from some heavy mains cable, like an elastic band this holds the electrodes together.
Also looped around the electrodes is a bit of thick copper wire.
The (yellow) insulation holds the electrodes in place while solder is applied, joining them to the copper wire.
A quick bit of soldering and you're done.
Next wire all the -ve electrodes together (see pictures). I've used individual copper strands from mains-cable, soldered and twisted.
Take a strand of copper (extracted e.g. from some mains-cable), tin it, tin the LED electrode and solder.
When you've done all six, twist them together, around the the outside of the central electrodes, to form a single -ve
Spend a bit of time getting the LEDs correctly aligned here. You can tweak and nudge the LEDs so that they form a nice alignment pointing in the same direction, but it takes a bit of time. Once you've got this to your satisfaction, it's time to move on to the next step
Casting the Head
I'm encasing the unit in resin, using a handy mould I found.
Holes were drilled for the electrical connections, and I tried to seal up with Blu-tack (worked OK, but did leak a bit).
Regular resin for glass-fibre was poured in, and left to set.
The mould was cut away, but I could probably have forced it out.
Last (on this step) I've soldered a switch onto one wire, and a battery-contact onto the other. Both of these came from another horribly-cheap LED torch, which never worked (freebie)
Please see pictures, they are annotated
Holes were drilled for the electrical connections, and I tried to seal up with Blu-tack (worked OK, but did leak a bit).
Regular resin for glass-fibre was poured in, and left to set.
The mould was cut away, but I could probably have forced it out.
Last (on this step) I've soldered a switch onto one wire, and a battery-contact onto the other. Both of these came from another horribly-cheap LED torch, which never worked (freebie)
Please see pictures, they are annotated
The Rest
Roll a tube from paper around some AA cells.
I've coated this with resin, but tape would be just fine.
For the other battery contact I've got some wire through a plastic disc, screwed it up a bit and added a big blob of solder (this worked very well). The other end of this wire is soldered onto the switch.
Finally the tube is glued into place with some epoxy.
I've coated this with resin, but tape would be just fine.
For the other battery contact I've got some wire through a plastic disc, screwed it up a bit and added a big blob of solder (this worked very well). The other end of this wire is soldered onto the switch.
Finally the tube is glued into place with some epoxy.
End
Cut two slots in the end of the tube to retain the battery with a clip. Form the clip from e.g. a paper-clip, or other piece of stiff-ish wire. This has to be in just the right place, so take your time in getting it right. I can't think of the name for this type of clip (sorry)
Wrap the wire around the shaft, and finish with Gaffer-tape. It's not pretty.
So I took the tape off and improved the look of this, see next step.
Either 2 or 3 AA cells, will power this, slid down the tube (obviously). When using 2 I've had to improvise a dummy cell with card and foil.
L
Wrap the wire around the shaft, and finish with Gaffer-tape. It's not pretty.
So I took the tape off and improved the look of this, see next step.
Either 2 or 3 AA cells, will power this, slid down the tube (obviously). When using 2 I've had to improvise a dummy cell with card and foil.
L
Finished Torch
Gaffer tape removed.
Most of the insulation was removed from the wire and the strands re-wrapped.
A bit more resin was added to the rear-end, with the clip-slots filled (temporarily) with card wrapped in PTFE tape. The open end was blocked with a piece of Blu-tac, wrapped in it's own waxy paper. The switch was masked with Blu-tac, and the LEDs masked with Blu-tac wrapped in plastic-bag
Sprayed with metallic paint, this looks much better
Most of the insulation was removed from the wire and the strands re-wrapped.
A bit more resin was added to the rear-end, with the clip-slots filled (temporarily) with card wrapped in PTFE tape. The open end was blocked with a piece of Blu-tac, wrapped in it's own waxy paper. The switch was masked with Blu-tac, and the LEDs masked with Blu-tac wrapped in plastic-bag
Sprayed with metallic paint, this looks much better