We have proof. Jeremie uses up these deodorant sticks, and does stuff with them:
Now that the season of mass gift giving is (temporarily) over, publishing the details on this special gift for a wedding anniversary will not ruin a surprise. So I figured I'd share this personal project that uses simple but smart electronics.
First I soldered an interrupter switch to the SuperFlex LED Strand with Battery Pack in color purple.
I wanted the drawer that houses the ocarina to be rectangular in shape but also wanted the overall box to be circular. I compromised between the two requirements by making the box a semicircle that looked like a capital "D".
This shape also allowed me to hide the battery pack behind the drawer which was quite convenient!
I attached two laser cut tabs with #4-40 screws to the inside of the box.
They are serving as a stopper to the small lid that will host our battery pack.
Inside view of a battery pack platform.
Another set of #4-40 screws holds the cutout lid on the outside. The battery pack is glued onto it and can be easily accessed for changing batteries or troubleshooting.
Looks neat and concealed.
I attached the interrupter switch right with some #2 thread forming screws at the point where the drawer will sit when fully closed.
This way the LED string will only light up when the drawer opens, releasing the switch, and lighting up the contents of the gift box.
Here is the switch installed in a small cutout in the drawer's containing walls.
The LED string is threaded through a small hole in the back wall of the drawer. A small amount of extra length is stuffed between the containing wall and the back of the drawer so that when the drawer is opened, it does not pull on the LED string.
Now to the decorative part. For the lattice cutout I Google-searched and downloaded a nice vine pattern that I auto-traced in CorelDraw to make it a vector. I tweaked it by bringing the design elements closer together to increase stability, since the pattern is quite delicate. For the final design of the top lid I added a solid circle with text on it (a small quote from our wedding vows). I then laser cut out the vine design and lightly vector-engraved the text in the circle.
To complete the lid top I attached heavy purple card stock from a craft store underneath using a bit of white glue.
The kerf pattern that covers the semi-circular portion of the box was also found online. Every sixth point is slot-and-tab'ed into the top and bottom lids to ensure smooth curvature while maintaining stability.
The whole assembly is done using predominantly white glue - here are the lid layers stacked and pressed together for drying.
The front of the drawer repeats the same pattern as the top, but this time engraved instead of cut through. The crystal knob was found at a local craft store.
And here is the finished product, the intricate vine pattern adds complexity and dimensionality, the light golden wood grain stands out great against the opulent purple backdrop, and the LEDs inside illuminate and highlight the gift.
P.S. The final version added paper straw stuffing that helped to diffuse the light and provide extra cushioning for the fragile ceramic ocarina.
We have proof. Jeremie uses up these deodorant sticks, and does stuff with them:
Ahoy! Avast! Listen up me hearties, because we have a few important things to cover before we meander on to our weekly dose of Cool Links. First off... Solarbotics will be closed on Monday, May 20th. We're not sure who this Victoria broad is or why she decided to give us a holiday named after […]
No more rubber band tires for us! We've invested in getting our very own wheels made for us, with molded-on thermoplastic rubber wheels! These wheels are slightly larger in diameter than the old style, measuring 69.2mm (2.72") diameter and 7.65mm (0.30") wide. Ah, but how good are they? They're definitely better than the old style! […]
Calgary's fledgling hacking group is hosting an open-house at the ProtoSpace on October 27 November 3rd. We're planning to be there - come on down!
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Warning: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Please visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov for more information. This item was manufactured prior to August 31, 2018.