CD Lamp
Procedure
Step 1:
Gather materials- 4 CDs, 6 LED's (your choice of color), USB, 12 120 ohm resistors, 2 positive wires (15 inches), 2 negative wires (15 inches), wire cutter/stripper, soldering iron, pliers, drill, hot glue, hot glue gun, and electrical tape.
Step 2:
Resistor set up- Put the resistors in pairs of 2. Twist the ends of each together to make a little circle. Cut the LED negative end down to 1/2 an inch and twist one end of the resistor to the LED end so that the LED is in series with the resistors which are now in their own branch making the resistors in parallel. Do this for each LED.
Step 3:
Drilling holes in the CD- In 2 of the CDs drill holes that are 120 degrees apart from each other and always exactly in the middle of the edge and the middle. This will create 3 holes on each CD to put the LEDs through. Make sure the LED lights are on the shiny side of the CD.
Step 4:
Wiring and soldering CDs- Solder the resistors onto the LED leg it is connected to. Repeat for all LED's. Take a negative wire and strip the end and solder it to the other side of the resistor not already soldered. Then strip it again at the next point the next LED's open resistor side appears and solder the resistor to the wire again at the knee connection. Do this again for the last LED on this CD. Repeat using the positive, but solder the positive wire to the positive or long leg of the LED on each LED. Now stick the extra wire through the CD hole. This will create a parallel circuit. Repeat this on the other CD with the LEDs on it, but on this one cut the extra wire off within an inch of the ends of the first and last connection to the LEDs.
Step 5:
Creating connection- Take a coat hanging wire and make it strait, cut it to 12 inches. Now bend the last 3 inches of each end to 90 degrees and thread the CDs onto the wire with the LEDs facing in towards each other, hot glue the wire in place to the back side of each CD, and hold until dry.
Step 6:
More soldering- Now take the extra wire from one CD and wrap it around the coat hanger down to the other CD to make a cool look. Thread the wire through the other CD hole and then connect the ends to any soldered connections already made and solder the new wire on to make another connection.
Step 7:
USB- Now cut the larger part of the USB cable off and the strip it down to the black and red wires. You can cut off the green and white wires in the USB cable. Now strip the red and black wires and solder them to the ends of the wire you cut off before to complete the circuit.
Step 8:
Finishing touches- Take one of the other unused CDs and put it on top the ugly wires lined up with that CD and hot glue the edges down to hide all the wires. Make sure the shiny side of the CD is facing out. Repeat this for the other side of the CD lamp. If necessary you can reinforce the connection of the CDs with tape.
Step 9:
Enjoy- Plug in the USB cable to a transformer in an outlet and enjoy your new decorative lamp!
Step 1:
Gather materials- 4 CDs, 6 LED's (your choice of color), USB, 12 120 ohm resistors, 2 positive wires (15 inches), 2 negative wires (15 inches), wire cutter/stripper, soldering iron, pliers, drill, hot glue, hot glue gun, and electrical tape.
Step 2:
Resistor set up- Put the resistors in pairs of 2. Twist the ends of each together to make a little circle. Cut the LED negative end down to 1/2 an inch and twist one end of the resistor to the LED end so that the LED is in series with the resistors which are now in their own branch making the resistors in parallel. Do this for each LED.
Step 3:
Drilling holes in the CD- In 2 of the CDs drill holes that are 120 degrees apart from each other and always exactly in the middle of the edge and the middle. This will create 3 holes on each CD to put the LEDs through. Make sure the LED lights are on the shiny side of the CD.
Step 4:
Wiring and soldering CDs- Solder the resistors onto the LED leg it is connected to. Repeat for all LED's. Take a negative wire and strip the end and solder it to the other side of the resistor not already soldered. Then strip it again at the next point the next LED's open resistor side appears and solder the resistor to the wire again at the knee connection. Do this again for the last LED on this CD. Repeat using the positive, but solder the positive wire to the positive or long leg of the LED on each LED. Now stick the extra wire through the CD hole. This will create a parallel circuit. Repeat this on the other CD with the LEDs on it, but on this one cut the extra wire off within an inch of the ends of the first and last connection to the LEDs.
Step 5:
Creating connection- Take a coat hanging wire and make it strait, cut it to 12 inches. Now bend the last 3 inches of each end to 90 degrees and thread the CDs onto the wire with the LEDs facing in towards each other, hot glue the wire in place to the back side of each CD, and hold until dry.
Step 6:
More soldering- Now take the extra wire from one CD and wrap it around the coat hanger down to the other CD to make a cool look. Thread the wire through the other CD hole and then connect the ends to any soldered connections already made and solder the new wire on to make another connection.
Step 7:
USB- Now cut the larger part of the USB cable off and the strip it down to the black and red wires. You can cut off the green and white wires in the USB cable. Now strip the red and black wires and solder them to the ends of the wire you cut off before to complete the circuit.
Step 8:
Finishing touches- Take one of the other unused CDs and put it on top the ugly wires lined up with that CD and hot glue the edges down to hide all the wires. Make sure the shiny side of the CD is facing out. Repeat this for the other side of the CD lamp. If necessary you can reinforce the connection of the CDs with tape.
Step 9:
Enjoy- Plug in the USB cable to a transformer in an outlet and enjoy your new decorative lamp!