LED wire Shamrock sign
2020-Jul-27, Monday 10:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chebeA long time ago, during Makevember I made a galvanised coated garden wire shamrock, for use as a sign at events. Here it is at Congress. To make it I printed the shape I wanted on A4 paper, put that on top of some cardboard, and used a pattern tracing wheel to transfer the outline to the cardboard. Then I cut the cardboard along that outline. And used pliers to bend and shape the wire to follow the outline of the cardboard shape. Including some feet so it could stand.
A while later I came into possession of some LED wire samples from Effulgent, which are now available on Tindie. I thought the green version would dress up the shamrock sign nicely, making it more effective.
The glosilq (LED wire) comes on a metal bobbin without a connector. Adding a connector is fiddly. First you must snip between the darker copper strand and the lighter copper strand. Pull the strands apart (as far as the next LED). Then you need to scrape some of the coating off each of the strands so an electrical connection can be made. I did this, gently, with a snips. And still managed to break one of the strands, forcing me to start over one LED down. At least five times.
I soldered silicone wire to each of the stands, and doubled up the heat shrink. I then soldered the silicone wire to regular wire with jumper lead attachments.
The controller is very simple; an old Gemma, and a potentiometer, separated by some sheet foam. Adafruit has deprecated this older style of Gemma because the trick they used to get them to work doesn't work anymore on newer computers. Which is something I also ran into, eventually having to program the Gemma on an old laptop.
The code is straight-forward; analog read the potentiometer pin, analog write the LED pin with that value divided by four.
I attached the glosilq to the wire with hot glue. This was trickier than expected, because the hot glue cools so quickly. My blistered finger also wants me to remind you that hot glue guns are not always your friend. The end effect is a bit messy, but shouldn't be too noticeable from a distance. Then just connect everything together and you have a light up LED shamrock sign.
Wire shamrock sign
Photo by chebe
A while later I came into possession of some LED wire samples from Effulgent, which are now available on Tindie. I thought the green version would dress up the shamrock sign nicely, making it more effective.
The glosilq (LED wire) comes on a metal bobbin without a connector. Adding a connector is fiddly. First you must snip between the darker copper strand and the lighter copper strand. Pull the strands apart (as far as the next LED). Then you need to scrape some of the coating off each of the strands so an electrical connection can be made. I did this, gently, with a snips. And still managed to break one of the strands, forcing me to start over one LED down. At least five times.
Glosilq on bobbin lit up
Photo by chebe
I soldered silicone wire to each of the stands, and doubled up the heat shrink. I then soldered the silicone wire to regular wire with jumper lead attachments.
Glosilq with connector attached
Photo by chebe
The controller is very simple; an old Gemma, and a potentiometer, separated by some sheet foam. Adafruit has deprecated this older style of Gemma because the trick they used to get them to work doesn't work anymore on newer computers. Which is something I also ran into, eventually having to program the Gemma on an old laptop.
The code is straight-forward; analog read the potentiometer pin, analog write the LED pin with that value divided by four.
Gemma with potentiometer attached, above
Photo by chebe
Gemma with potentiometer attached, side
Photo by chebe
I attached the glosilq to the wire with hot glue. This was trickier than expected, because the hot glue cools so quickly. My blistered finger also wants me to remind you that hot glue guns are not always your friend. The end effect is a bit messy, but shouldn't be too noticeable from a distance. Then just connect everything together and you have a light up LED shamrock sign.
Lit up LED shamrock sign, dimmest setting
Photo by chebe
Lit up LED shamrock sign, brightest setting
Photo by chebe
