Creative Switch- Box With Lights
This box is going to signal when is open by shining a red light, and when is close by shining a blue light.
Downloads
Supplies
- Plastic box
- 2 LED's
- Battery
- Male to female jumper wires
- Regular jumper wires
- Resistor
- Hot glue or super glue
- Drill or needle
- Soldering Iron
- Solder
Optional Materials:
- Breadboard
- Alligator clip wires
(Optional)-Plan Out Your Circuit
For this step, plan out a parallel circuit in a breadboard. This would allow you to see the order in which the wires should be join.
Drill Holes in the Plastic Box
With the use of a drill, or a thick needle, drill two holes to either side of the box that would allow the LED's to fit them.
(optional) Use the Breadboard to Plan Out the Layout of Your Circuit
With the help of the breadboard, create a layout using the alligator clips. Clip the negative wire form the battery, to the resistor and to the negative leg of the LED. Clip the positive wire from the battery to the positive leg of the LED. Do the same for the other LED.
Create the Close Signal
- Grab the male to female jumper wires.
- Cut the female part of the jumper wire, strip the wire and solder it to the negative leg of the blue LED'S.
- Grab the male part of the jumper wire and glue it to the lid of the plastic box using hot glue or super glue, and make sure it lines up with the female end. Then, join it to the battery's negative cable using the soldering iron.
- Grab a resistor and solder one end to the positive leg of the LED.
- Join the other end to the positive wire of the battery.
Create the Open Signal
- Grab the regular jumper wires.
- Take a wire with both ends stripped and using the soldering iron, join the positive leg of the blue LED and the positive leg of the red LED.
- Take a jumper wire and strip one end, then solder it to the negative cable of the battery. Using the hot glue, glue the joined negative cables of the battery and stick them to the lid of the plastic box.
- Grab the needle, warm it up and melt a hole to one side of the lid. Grab the other end of the cable, introduce the wire, and create a hook like shape.
- Take another jumper wire, create a hook like shape in one end, and hook it up the edge of the box. Using the soldering iron, create a high contact surface to create contact between both hooks when the box is open.
- Using the other end of the wire, join it to the negative leg of the LED's.
Play Around With Your New Switch Box
Close and open the box to see your box signaling whether its open or close.