Make an L.E.D Emblem Light!
How to make this cool L.E.D lit emblem using a sheet of acrylic. You can also watch the video for more guidance.
What you need
Thick A5 sheet of clear acrylic plastic.
Base - I used the lid from a Lego box
Strip of colour changing L.E.Ds
Hot glue
Stencil of emblem or custom stencil
Rotary tool with attachments
The Base
The A5 sheet of acrylic (plexiglass) I purchased from ebay. It's 2cms thick so I found a Lego box lid for the base. I used this because its hollow underneath and simple to cut using a knife. I chopped a strip out of the centre so it was thick enough to hold the acrylic. I also mad ridges at either side so the acrylic would slot in.
Carving the Design
I used a batman stencil for the design but you could easily create your own custom stencil. I taped the stencil to the acrylic and placed it down on a soft surface to prevent the back of the acrylic from scratching. I used a rotary tool to carefully etch the acrylic. I used a rounded pointy end piece in the tool for the out line and a the sphere end piece to colour in the design. It will take a while to completely fill the design. You don't need to carve to deep. Just enough to rough up the acrylic so the design looks etched.
Adding the L.E.Ds
Once I finished the engraving I placed the base on to the acrylic and stuck it in place with hot glue. For the illumination, I'm used a mains powered strip of colour changing L.E.Ds I have loads of these left over from previous projects. I chopped off a small strip and stuck them directly under the acrylic with a few blobs of hot glue. I also used a curved file to file out a groove for the mains wire to fit through the back of the base. Simple!
Finished!
Watch the video here-
There we have it! A cool lit up acrylic emblem!
Have fun and be creative!