Light Writer in About 1 Hour

I made this gift for a friend, it took about 1 hour, ( minus drying time ) it's for his 4 year old daughter, but I found it enjoyable to play with,
truth be told it's a proof of concept test for a much larger project, but lets keep that a secret.

Step 1: Construction

Construction is quite simple, I used a scrap of ceiling light defuser, but any clear material would work just as well, the rough surface of this plastic was good in that it allows places for the epoxy to settle as it cured, it was poor in that those same spaces left air bubbles.

I coated both sides of two peices then stuck them togeather to make a thicker surface, rough side in.

Varnish or laquer could be substituted, or even gelatine if you wanted a deeper look, you would have to make a seal round the edge though.

All I did was mix the  epoxy and stirred in the glow powder I purchased from United Nuclear.

While that cured I made a frame from some scrap wood.

Step 2: The Frame

If you want to really speed things up skip this step and just use a picture frame.

Here is how I made mine.

I cut a grove up the middle of the 4 sides, that was wide enough for the panel to losely fit in, then cut a corner slot to hold a tab
this makes for a strong joint so it won't break if dropped.

Remember don't place the reinforcing tab in the corners all the way in, this will get in the way of the panel, about 1/2 way is fine.

Glue it togeather and sand, I used a small promotional flash light by replacing the 3 white LED's with 1 UV Led. I got it from LED Supply.
there is no soldering since they just cram the wires from the led in a plastic fitting.

You're done quick and easy and lots of fun for kids.