Lylls

This project defies good photos, but I got a few that are OK.

LYLLS………

Here is a rudimentary ‘quick start’ guide to show how this LED lanyard/keychain thing comes together. Since I’ve never written a ‘how to’ guide, this will be interesting, for me. I traced photos of the parts to create the illustrations. Though I would like to be able to say the idea of this combination was mine, it was not. Another GF forum member posted something similar, but used a 3D printer to make the housing for the light. But, lacking a 3D printer, I took inspiration from it and came up with my own iteration.

The small box that houses the light source, a $2.66 mini LED flashlight, is designed to connect the lighting through an engraved bar of 1/4” clear acrylic (Proofgrade and just stunning). The box itself is 2” L x 1.5” W. The flashlight pushes into the box fairly tightly, with the power switch facing upwards. This cut out design also facilitates replacing the battery.

The box was cut from 1/8” PG black acrylic in 5 small pieces which were glued together using SciGrip 4 Weld-On. (I’m getting more and more adept at using that water-thin stuff!) The box design took many hours of calculating and math to come up with a tight fit for the accompanying parts that friction- fit together…not to mention many trial and error cuts and glues.I made it first in cardboard, then in Baltic birch, then acrylic. Fortunately, it’s a small thing and didn’t waste too much material. An engineer, I’m not.

The light slides into the box until the small raised parts just below the little switch prevent it from
going further. It will fit in fairly tightly, but can also be easily slipped back out.

Connecting the engraved bar ( 3.5” long in 1/4” PG clear acrylic);

The bar can be inserted either way, but the nicest looking way is to insert it with the actual engraving side up on the same side as the light switch on the box. Insert the blank section up into the box, first. You might even have to start it in at an angle, because the fit is so tight. The engraving is meant to be viewed through the smooth side. When engraving for LED edge lit work, it’s very important to remember to flip the image and all the text horizontally first. Ask me and a few test pieces how we know this.

These bars fit very tightly…which is a good thing. But, if you push it up too far, it will push the flashlight back out the other end.

Assembled, it’s 1.5” W x 4.5” L

LYLLS……Let your little light shine……

The real fun of these things to me is that you can make more than one engraving and switch them out. This is a purely fantastical and fun thing, with little to no practical value, but it has acrylic and LEDs……so I’m in heaven.

As with many other things, imagery used for engraving on acrylic can be great or not so great. These examples show that, as well. The great images look so much better in person.

19 Likes

What a fun little light! And I love that you can switch them out with the seasons or occasion! Great job! :grinning:

1 Like

Brilliant idea! Edge lit acrylic on-the-go—it doesn’t get any better than that! All that hard work paid off, since now you have the pattern and can make them anytime you want. Better get a gross of the little lights!

2 Likes

Oh, you know me so well…I just got another 12 or 15.

1 Like