Introduction: Cast Glimmer Jewels With Self Made On/off Switch
Inspired by the Glue-Juwel Glimmer Ring from "Make: Make it Glow" by Emily Coker and Kelli Townel I'd like to show you an energy-saving alternative: Glimmer Jewels you can turn on and off, to match your actual need for glimmer, using a switch made from a bottle screw cap.
And also how to cast your own ideas with an selfmade casting mould from plasticine (oil based modelling clay).
Note: The plasticine works. But there are better mould materials. This is just what I had lying around...
Step 1: Things You Will Need...
- PET bottle or Tetre-pack with srcew cap
- Saw or utility knife
- Scissors and isolating tape
- Plasticine and/or ice-"cubes"-form (here: Diamonds!!)
- LEDs and 3V coin cell
- pliers to bend wire
- metal a small piece of a spring and pliers to cut it
- Permanent marker
- Gluegun and gluesticks
- heatproof working surface
- patience
Warning: Hot glue can severly burn your skin! It can get up to 200°C. Please keep safety in mind!
Step 2: Collecting the Bottle Cap and Screw Thread
- Cut screw cap and thread from a soda bottle (using a saw) or a tetra pack (easier, using a utility knive)
- If necessary, sand the edge
Step 3: Prepare Your Mould, Cast With Hot Glue, Add LED
- Turn on your hot glue gun - the glue should be really hot to be liquid for casting
- If you want to cast your own design, prepare your mould (for example press a shell into the plasticine, it should be deep enough to host your LED and some extra space for glue)
- If you use an ice cube mould, find one, you can fit your screw thread in
- Add the screw thread, with the cuted edge downwards
- Fill the mould with glue - up to the cuted edge of the thread and the just a little bit farther to gue it in place
- While you wit for your glue to cool a bit, select the LED and mark the longer leg with permanent marker
- Test your LED before you put it into the glue
Step 4: Glue-casting and Making the Switch
Glue-casting
- When the glue has cooled a little, plunge the LED in it.
- Hold the LED in place, so that all of the "bulb" is in the glue, make shure, that the legs don't touch - you
can use your Hands or a piece of tape or a clothespin and...wait - Be patient
- Be even more patient
- Wait about 15 minutes, depending on the size of your mould - the glue should be max. luke warm and cloudy
- Unmould it. Admire your precious new gem, test den LED and admire some more
- If you made your own mould: Getting rid of all the plasticine can be a bit tricky (it's not the perfeckt mould material after all, ...), I chose to leave some of it on the shell, for an earthy look
The Switch
Bend the LED-legs:
The positive leg (longer, marked) should ly flat going radial to the edge and the 90° upwardsThe negative leg (shorter, unmarked) should ly in a curve rather close to the glue surface
Cover the part of the positive leg, that is on the glue surface with isolating tape
Big screw-threads only: Add a small spring on the negative leg
- Add the coin cell, positive suide upwards
- Bend the positive leg over it a little.
- Screw cap on - fiddle with the assambly until you have a leg position, that allows you to find a loosly srewed off position and a tightly srewed on position
- Potional: Sew/glue on a brooch needle
- Done!!
Have fun! And be prepared to make a lot of them, if you have kids around...