LED Light Box Using 3-D Printing

Hello, My name is Alejandrina I am a High School student in Northern Colorado. I will be doing an instructable for an engineering class. In this instructable you will be able to learn how to create an LED Light Box using a laser and a 3D app to be able to create this Light Box. In the beginning of this project you will need to make an acrylic engraving that witch includes using google draw. You will also need to know what laser to use and the proper settings to it. Always be aware of making measurements because in this project you will need to measure everything correctly. This Light Box will be created using Tinker-Cad a website used to create any 3D design, it is an amazing website and not difficult to understand once you get the hang of it. You will also need to investigate circuit symbols to create a circuit diagram to help you learn how led strips work that is also going to be used for this light box. The light box will also include a lid for it and you can also create it using tinker-cad to create it.

Materials:

• 1.75 Pla Plastic
• 3 mm Acrylic
• Led Light Strips

Equipment:

• Computer
• Epilog Laser Helix (50 Watt Laser)
• Creality 3-Printer

To officially begin this LED Box you will want to start to create a design acrylic you are going to design and engrave the surface of a piece of acrylic for your light box. You can use the app Google Draw Template to create this design. Make sure the the design you choose is traceable and black and white because if not it will not come out correctly on the laser. In the google draw app you can use use the line setting at the top left corner to be able to trace a design that may be hard to trace with just a line so you can use all the lines provided to trace your design. I chose to do a quote to engrave in the acrylic so I just typed it and filled up the template with the quote. You will use the Epilog Laser Helix to cut and engrave your design. When you use the the laser to engrave you will need to use an "Epilog Laser Mini 18/24 and Helix Laser System Manual Book" if you don't have this book in hand you can always use google to look it up. Once you engrave the acrylic you will need to use the settings Text/Clipart Engraving 90s and 70p. As soon as you put the settings to engrave it will be time to cut the acrylic the settings you need for this is Cutting 1/8 3mm 5000F and 15 s 100p. When you have done these settings it will be time to print your acrylic.

As I mentioned you will be using a website to help you design a 3-D Box for your Light Box the website is called Tinker-Cad. First, you will want to create an account on the website then you will click Create New Design and start off with Clicking the Red Solid Box on the right. You will need to create a rectangle box with the dimensions of 120mm x 40mm x 30mm these are the dimensions that are for x,y,z. Make sure to Set Your Ruler so your able to get all your dimensions as you go on your box, and you will need to use the millimetre units of length. Then you will create another box but this time it will be a Box Hole you will need to make these 1.5 less of your original dimensions. When you do this it's always helpful to put them together, and then you will need to group them together to be able to create a whole in the center of your box to create space for your slot and switch hole. Once you have created this you will need to create a another box but this time change the color to green or any choice of yours, so your able to create your slot hole the dimensions will be show in the images I have provided for you to see the dimensions so you won't confuse yourself. You will need to create a solid slot hole then a hole slot to be able to put them together and create the actual hole for your box. If you do not understand how to group the shapes or align them together I will provide links to videos to help you. After you group the two shapes you create a whole in the center of it and know you are going to group it with your Red Solid Box so your able to create the official slot hole for your acrylic. You will have to move your slot hole ten spaces up to be able to also fit your switch hole, and make sure you have correctly created a whole through your Red Solid Box because at the bottom you need this space for your Led Strips. You will know need create the switch hole to fit you switch in, in the images I will prove you the dimensions once again so you won't confuse your self with the rest of them. This part will be tricky to do knowing how to be able to use your work plane to be able to set your work on the grid make sure it's on the grid and not high raised up, you can always look up videos to help you with this because it's a difficult process to do. Once you have done this group all the shapes you have created and do the hole for the switch. You are almost done with the Red Solid Box one of your last steps is to be able to create a side hole on the side to be able to fit your wires you will be needing in order to make your Light Box light up. Once you start to create the hole use the cylinder shape to create it to be able to form the hole correctly. As you see in the images I ended up putting my initials in my Red Solid Box this is called engraved, if you want to learn more about this you can look up videos on it. Your last step will be to create a lid for your box, the images I have provided will be useful to look at. They key to this 3-D app is to be able to know how to group shapes, align them, and use the correct dimensions. Once you have finished your box it will be time to print it you will select only one shape to be able to print them correctly then go in and print the other shape make sure you print it as a .STL after this step it it be time to officially being to 3-D print. I was able to print it on a Dell computer using Ulitmaker Cura to 3-D print.

Video links:

The Light Box will need 4 main important components. An Energy source is needed (AC,DC), Conductor (wire), Electrical Load (Device), and one controller (switch). If you don't know any of these components you can always look them up to get familiar with these because you will need these to wire your components. I have provided you the symbols and a blink circuit diagram. You will begin to solder it together it is important you do this correctly in order for your box to light up. If you need more experience with this I have provided a soldering instructable so you can know what materials to correctly use and other precautions you need to take while doing this. You will need to get to get two wires together and twist them together and solder them together. Once you have done this you will put a heat shrinkage solder sleeve and heat it up until all areas are closed and is heated to the max.You will know do the same to your switch to put them all together including with your Led Strip. Any additional materials you may need are helping hands, wires, rosin cord.

You have know completed the 3-D printing and soldering, know it will be time to to put everything together. You will want to organize your wires inside your box, and hot glue your LED strips to your slot hole so your acrylic can sit in place with it and this allows it to turn on and light up. Once you have completed this you can also put in your switch hole into the hole you created so it can be placed in order to have a on and off button. Lastly, you can glue your lid to the bottom of your LED Light Box so you won't be able to see any of the wires hanging. As soon as you complete that step you can also put in your acrylic so it can light up. You have know completed this instructable and hopefully you have enjoyed creating a LED Light Box.