Wanderer Luminous Heart

First I'would like to apologize : I'm not a native english speaker so I could make some gramatical mistakes. Truly sorry...

Well,

Halloween's coming!

So the time has come to put all our heart into our work and out of our body preferably.

I'll show you a way to create your very own gelatin heart with a little bonus : beating light inside.

Step 1: Create Your Heart

For this step you'll need :

• Clay
• Aluminium foils
• A strong wooden clay

With the aluminium foils create a heart shape aroud the wooden stick. Just bigger than your fist. The wooden stick will help you to hang your heart during the drying phase.

Then it's time to cover it the clay. I'm not a great sculptor but I have successfully done it. So you will be able to make it easily. Use an anatomic drawing help a lot.

Once you're done with the shape, add some veins and model the different edges of inlets and outlets of tubes (normally 6 but if you found an extraterrestrial heart, perhaps much more...). I use the wooden stick as a marker for inlet and outlet of one tubes.

Let it dry at least for 2 days.

Step 2: The Latex Mold

For this step you'll need :

• Gloves (to protect your hands from the latex/ gelatin/glycerin...)
• A paint brush
• Latex
• Scissors
• Balloon

So, once your clay has dried it's time to use the latex. Cover the entire heart with at least 3 layers of latex. Let dry between each layer.

Then, slowly cut the mold from up to bottom until you're able to release the clay. Clean your mold from the remining clay.

To close the cut, just hold tight each end and cover with latex again. Keep it tight few minutes and you're done. Don't close the bottom opening made by the wooden stick yet.

Barely inflate the balloon and place it on the mold, the knot going out by the bottom opening. Secure it by latex or cellophane and close this opening.

Step 3: The Gelatin Heart

You'll need :

• Oil spray or silicon spray
• A bowl or large mug
• Tissue paper
• A large microwaveable container
• A microwave
• A chopstick
• A balance
• Gelatin (pork gelatin works well)
• Glycerin
• Water
• Food colorant or pigment

Spray silicon or or oil onto your mold to help release your final product.

Put your latex mold on a bowl or a mug to hold it during filling. Tissue papers may help.

Then the mixture :

The ratio for the mixture is 1 part of gelatin/ 1 part of glycerin/ 1.5 part of water. For my heart I use approximately 14g of gelatin powder, 14g of glycerin and 21g of water.

In the container first mix water/gelatin and add the glycerin. Then put the container 10s by 10s on the microwave until the mixture is homogeneous and quite liquid. Add your colorant, mix well and slowly pour it onto your mold by the remaining tube entry.

Let it cool few hours.

Once totally cold, remove the latex carefully. Don't forget the ballon inside!

And now... contemplate this almost terrific heart.

Let's add some effects!

You'll need :

• Transparent tubes (2 diameters)
• Red liquid or water + food colorant
• Hot glue gun
• Latex
• Plumbing nuts or any connecting systems or inventions

Fill your tubes with the liquid and secure each end with the hot glue gun then place them by inserting them in the gelatin to hold them. Don't forget to let one bottom entry open for the next step! When you're done, use some latex to strengthen it and add an organic effect.

Be careful when manipulating the heart, it's still fragile!

I use some plumbing nuts to finish my tubes, it's up to you!

Step 4: The Tricky Part : the Light!

For this step you will need :

• Arduino Pro or Pro mini (Atmega168 3.3v 8000Mhz)
• LED 8mm
• Wire
• Resistor 22ohms
• 2x1.5V AA battery holder case with ON/OFF switch

For Arduino's code, please use the file "heart.ino" I've developped for this project. And there're comments to understand each parameter.

For the electronic part, just see the scheme joined too!

And you're done!

Place your LED on your heart by the open entry and close it like previously. Hide the battery case under the cage or every support you use for the heart.

Et voilà! Have fun!