DIY RGB Flood under $22

[eurbani]

I had found a great deal on some Vfloods my first year using LOR. I've always wanted more, but floods are expensive! I came up with this. They are only 1/3 to 1/2 the brightness of a Vflood. 

The Video isn't great quality (partially due to the half-wave lights), but I am somewhat pleased with how these look.

This is what I did.

1) I took 4 packages of store-brand mutli-colored 60 LEDs from target and swapped the LEDs to create a set each of Red, Green, Blue, Amber lights.
2) I painted the bulbs with Contact Cement
3) I cut 13 strips of light cardboard (like from a shoe box) to about 3 5/8" X 1"
4) I painted 11 of the cardboard strips with contact cement on both sides and 2 of the strips on one side
5) I cut the light sets into two segments each
6) I used the cardboard and the the light segments to create a block of LEDs (30 lights of each color -- 90 total)
7) I wired the block and mounted in a work light case (using a piece of white plastic table cloth as a diffuser).
8) I added Vampire plugs

Photos and parts list to follow. Edited February 28, 2014 by eurbani

[eurbani]

Parts list:

4 sets of store brand lights from target ($7.49 each before Christmas). I paid 50% off after Christmas. 4 sets gives you enough for 2 floods, plus a bonus set of Amber lights. === $7.94/flood (including tax)

1 work case from Home Depot === $10.57 (including tax)

4.5 feet SPT1 wire === about $.70

3 vampire Plus === about $1.50

Total ==== $20.71

Supplies:

Electric Tape

Contact Cement

White Plastic Table Cloth

Packing Tape

Cardboard

Tools:

Wire Cutters

Phillips Head Screw Driver

Paint Brush

[eurbani]

Step 1 is self-explanatory. Steps 2 and 4 are all about contact cement. If you never used it before, it is great stuff. Paint the sockets and the cardboard with contact cement. They will be a bit tacky when dry, but when you press the two together, they stick nicely.

 

(Yum!  Looks like bacon.)

Edited February 28, 2014 by eurbani

[Ron Boyd]

Use Photobucket or Dropbox and then just post the link

[eurbani]

Use Photobucket or Dropbox and then just post the link

Yeah, I did it via facebook.

Step 6, is building the block of lights. -- First layer is strip of cardboard with one side contact cement, followed by 7 lights.

 

Cover the 7 lights with a strip of cardboard with both sides contact cement

 

Start a new layer of 8 lights.  

Continue until you have a block of 90 lights.

Edited February 28, 2014 by eurbani

[eurbani]

The block will look like this when done.

 

 

I wrapped mine with packing tape to keep the pressure on the contact cement.

 

[eurbani]

Mounting in the case is tight, but not difficult:

 

I posted more details here:   https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.469934783136128.1073741828.240864832709792

 

Final product looks like this:

 

 

 

[eurbani]

Posted more interim pics on facebook:

 

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.469934783136128.1073741828.240864832709792

[cpj2008]

maybe instead of using plastic u could use frosted glass spray paint and frost the glass cover they sell it in home depot 5-6 dollars

[Plumber Plays with Lights]

Thanks