Golden Gate Bridge - Impressionist Art Piece

I wanted to create a piece that integrated 3D printing and LED lighting, so I combined 3D printed Golden Gate Bridge spires with diffuser tubing and RGB LEDs. The RGB LED 1 Watt lights shine up on the 3D printed Golden Gate Bridge spires in the official GGB International Orange (RGB - 240,74,0) and the Addressable Strip inside the curved diffuser tube emulates cars crossing the bridge in the fog - the "cars" are a combination of a whitish (randomized white/yellow hue) pixel followed by a low intensity red pixel to simulate headlights and brake lights, with every 20th car or so being a red/blue pixel combination to simulate a "police car".

Step 1: Golden Gate Bridge Spires - 3D Printed

I found a clean STL of the Golden Gate Bridge via the web and reduced the file to only the vertical spire. I printed this 6" tall and realized that it would be lost in the piece and the ratio was too small for adding all the lighting I envisioned. 12" tall turned out to be just right for my purposes. I printed these on the Stratasys 500 on the fast print setting (60 microns) using Vero Clear compound. Attached is the STL file - enjoy :) Also in the pictures are photos from a research boat trip...

Step 2: Diffuser Tubing - Roadway

I used High-Pressure/Vacuum Polyethylene Tubing (1-3/4" ID, 2" OD, 1/8" Wall Thickness, White) to make the roadway / fogbank to house the Addressable RGB LED Strip. I tested various diameters and thicknesses ranging from less than 1" to 2" and ultimately decided on the 2" (outer diameter) as it allowed a double run (side by side to enable Northbound and Southbound traffic) of the Addressable RGB LED strip. I used a vertical band saw to slice it and trimmed up the edges to fit into the 3D printed Golden Gate Bridge spires with a Dremel. I sanded it with fine grit (~400) to give it a smooth warm exterior glow.

Step 3: Diffuser Tubing - the Uplighting Spots

I used High-Pressure/Vacuum Polyethylene Tubing (1-3/4" ID, 2" OD, 1/8" Wall Thickness, White) to make the uplighting spots to house the 1 Watt RGB LEDs on each end of the GGB. I used a vertical band saw to slice it and sanded it with rough grit (~100) to give it a soft exterior glow.

Step 4: Lighting the Roadway / Fogbank

I am using the Arduino UNO with the LumiGeek 1xAddressable shield running a single strip of Addressable RGB LED. I cut two (2) 32 pixel strips and soldered them in series to simulate Northbound and Southbound traffic. I am sharing additional information regarding the Arduino / LumiGeek setup under a separate Instructable; for additional information on LumiGeek go to LumiGeek.com or https://www.facebook.com/lumigeek.

Step 5: Lighting the Uplighting Spots

I am using the Arduino UNO with the LumiGeek 3xCC shield running two (2) 1 Watt RGB LEDs (each has an 1.5" heatsink attached) wired in series. The LumiGeek shield manages the current so they LEDs receive constant current as their resistance declines as they heat up and we don't want to melt them. I set them to fade in and out the GGB International Orange color, which in RGB is 240,74,0 (determined by asking Mr. Google). I am sharing additional information regarding the Arduino / LumiGeek setup under a separate Instructable; for additional information on LumiGeek go to LumiGeek.com or https://www.facebook.com/lumigeek.

Step 6: Building the Base

I cut a piece of 3/4" plywood down to 24" x 4" to mount the lighting and 3D prints of the GGB spires. I used the drill press to create a partial hole to house the 1" rare earth magnets that keep the piece in place when it is on top of the Living Wall. I also routed a channel 1/4" wide and 3/8" deep to hide the wires from the 2x 1 Watt RGB LEDs.