DIY Acrylic and Wood Color-Changing LED Lamp

Color changing LED lamp

Today’s project is this wood and acrylic color changing the LED lamp. It came out wonderful. I guess the combination of wood, acrylic, and light is a perfect match between materials that complete each other. Now let’s begin. I started with setting up the table saw by placing the crosscut sled and adjusting the stop block and the blade to be able to make all the cuts. For this project, I used 20 millimeters thick beech wood and 5 millimeters thick acrylic. The base of the lamp is 16 by 9 centimeters, which means that all of the cuts are repeated. Only one piece of acrylic needs to be larger, around 28 by 14 centimeters, and it will be placed vertically on the top of the base. While cutting the acrylic, I noticed that when I cut slower, the acrylic started to melt, so I needed to move the sled faster to get nice and clean cuts.

Here are all the pieces cut to size. There are links to everything in the description below. After I made all the cuts, I moved on to the larger part of acrylic that will stay on top of the lamp. I placed it on a piece of paper, traced its outlines with a pencil, and cut it following the lines. Then, I took a ruler and drew some lines. I wanted to make a pattern which consists of stripes with the same width, but different length.

I made all the cuts, and I got this lovely pattern that I’ll transfer to the acrylic. To attach the paper on the acrylic, I removed the protective film on one side and used tape to secure it in place. On this side that I’m going to engrave, I didn’t remove the protective film, because the acrylic scratches easily. To engrave the acrylic, I decided to use my new Dremel rotary tool. I won this multi-tool as a Grand prize on Instructables contest Workshop Hacks Challenge. The package includes so many accessories and attachments that can use in any project which is fantastic for makers and DIYers. For this project, I attached the flex shaft extension and inserted an engraving bit, which makes engraving much more comfortable and accurate. Now, I’m ready to start. Acrylic engraving is a technique that I’m going to try for the first time. That’s why I chose this simple pattern, which will help me achieve a modern and clean design of the lamp. A metal ruler can help a lot in making perfectly straight lines, so I highly recommend using one for this purpose.

It is effortless to use, and it cannot be damaged with the bit. Once I’m done engraving, I can make all the additional cuts with a coping saw. All the cuts should be done at a right angle, so I need to be careful here. OK. At this point, I’m done with the larger acrylic piece so that I can move on to the base. I marked the center points of the parts of wood and acrylic that will be placed in the middle of the base. The openings for the LEDs I made using a 35 millimeters hole saw a bit that I attached to the drill. A scrap wood underneath is a great way to protect the table surface from damage.

Lamp base

On top of the LED lamp base, I need to make a slot large enough to fit the engraved acrylic piece. Placing the acrylic vertically in the middle, I traced its outline with a pencil. So, I drilled as many holes as needed inside the outline and after that removed the excess with a rasp. LEDs will be placed right below the acrylic, so I need to make a space for them by chiseling out a groove around 10 millimeters wide and 4 millimeters deep. This is the LED lamp controller that will be placed on the bottom of the base. Even though it is quite big, I’ll find a way to insert it into the bottom. Instead of mounting it with some screws, I’ll attach it with hot glue only, so I’m cutting off these mounting holes to flatten the box. On that wooden piece, I need to make a large opening for the controller. To make the opening, I drilled a hole with 12 millimeters bit, and then inserted a coping saw into the hole to cut.

Using a rasp, I made some adjustments. Now, I’m drilling two holes on the back side of the bottom, one larger for the adapter and another smaller for the Infrared receiver. The lamp base can fit 50 centimeters long LED strip, so I’m carefully cutting with scissors along the designated lines in between the copper pads. The last step before putting all the parts together is removing the protective film from the acrylic. To assemble the lamp, I started from the top and glued the LEDs into the groove with an epoxy. Then continued gluing the other pieces with epoxy making sure I don’t damage the LEDs.Epoxy is one of the best adhesives for gluing acrylic to wood, and I highly recommend it.

Once I put all the parts together, I clamp it down and wait until it is scorched. I temporarily put the LEDs inside the hole, protecting them with masking tape to be able to send the base. Then, I lightly sanded the entire plate to make it nice and smooth. With that done, I can apply a bright finish to emphasize the natural beauty of the wood. Now, let’s move on to the controller installation. The cable on the controller is a little long, and I need to cut it off. I cut half of its length and removed around 1centimeter of the outer insulation.

It consists of 4wires, one common positive, and three negative wires for each of the three channels. I exposed the ends of the wires using wire strippers and then solder them onto the copper pads of the LED strip. Here you can notice that although the colors of the cables are in order, they don’t match the letters on the copper pads. The green wire should be soldered onto the R and the red wire onto the G.

To check if they work correctly, I plug the 12V adapter into the controller. Everything works great. I can glue the controller on the bottom of the base with hot glue. I carefully placed the LEDs inside the base, then inserted the Infrared receiver into the hole, and finally secured the controller in place by hot gluing it. To make sure the bottom doesn’t scratch any surface, I’m cutting out some squares out of felt for feet. Two squares in each corner will create enough space for the controller. Lastly, I removed the protective film from the engraved acrylic piece and used epoxy to secure it into the slot.

Using the right angle ruler, I’m making sure that it is positioned correctly, and leaving it to dry — our with this project. Now I can turn it on and enjoy this fantastic color-changing lamp. It is effortless and modern, and I think it would make a perfect accent in a living room.

Wood Desk Lamp with Color Changing LED Light

As found on Youtube