DIY Project Tutorial: Glowing Shelf Light

 Over the previous few years, LEDs have turn out to be increasingly more frequent thanks to their energy-efficiency, versatility, and ease of install. From retail signs and symptoms to kitchen cabinets, rest room toe-kicks to bar countertops, LEDs have helped supply upward jostle to the thinking of mild redecorating in the modern-day world, remodeling the easy and useful into some thing spectacular.

One of the redecorating developments which has lately helped to make LED lights so popular, each in houses and in business settings, is the illuminated acrylic shelf. Whether it is for a collection of small accents on your amusement center, or a glowing income counter for retail displays, this is an pleasing impact which, agree with it or not, is pretty handy to achieve. All you want is some fundamental tools, a piece of clear acrylic, and (of course) some LEDs. Check out the following steps, or watch our DIY video for an instance of how to recreate this appear with Inspired LED!

Materials:

¼ ” – ½” thick acrylic panel (thick sufficient to cover the LED tape alongside the edges, however no longer so thick that it definitely traps the light)
220 – 60 grit sandpaper (selected based totally upon favored effect, the decrease and coarser the grit, the extra texturized closing product will be)
Blow torch
Sheet of pearl white reflective cloth (if desired)
Mega Bright Flexible LED Strip(s) in warm, pure, or cool white (equivalent in size to edges of acrylic) *we endorse ordering this strip with a flying lead for handy strength connection
12V energy supply
Scissors
Scotch or painter’s tape

To mount the LEDs, you can use either-

Foil tape and a razor blade or
Metal U-channel, dikes or tin snips, and clear silicone sealant (+ paper towels or historic newspaper)

Disclaimer: This mission requires the use of energy equipment and must be done by way of certified and skilled people in a secure location

Step 1: Plan your design. Depending upon the application, your diagram will vary. If you are growing a single accent shelf, you will possibly want to side mild simply one aspect of your acrylic panel. If you are planning to illuminate a large piece (such as a countertop), you will prefer to mild round all 4 edges to make sure most mild penetration. For our sample, we are the use of a single 1’ x 1’ sheet of 3/8” acrylic, which we will mild alongside one side.

Step 2:  Begin by means of sanding the underside of the acrylic. This will assist to entice mild inside the panel, giving it that “glowing” effect. For a light, frosted look, use a fine, excessive grit sand paper. For a rougher, extra texturized appearance, you’ll prefer to use a coarser, decrease grit paper. For our panel, we utilized one hundred ten grit. When sanding, be positive to hold shifting in small circles, making sure an even software throughout the complete panel.

Step 3: Determine which of the acrylic edges you will be lighting. Use the blow torch on a mild flame placing to cautiously polish the chosen edges till they shine clear. This will assist to make sure that a most quantity of mild is in a position to penetrate the acrylic. When polishing, the blow torch need to be held at a distance so that simply the tip of the flame touches the acrylic, be certain to hold the flame shifting persistently aspect to facet to keep away from melting.

Step four (if desired):  At this point, a sheet of pearl white fabric can be brought to the underside of the acrylic panel to assist attain most mild output. Adhere the white cloth to the sanded underside of the panel, then reduce to dimension the use of scissors or a razor blade. For our project, we have chosen to set apart the white backing in prefer of the frosted appear completed with the sander.

Step 5: Line the favored part (or edges) of the acrylic panel with a bendy strip of mega shiny LEDs, making sure that the strength enter (or “flying lead”) will be placed in a handy location. Note that the LEDs ought to be dealing with inward, pressed towards the acrylic. Once the LEDs have been aligned and measured, reduce the bendy strip to size alongside the copper solder pads only, slicing at different factors alongside the flex strip can also motive factors to fail. If lighting fixtures more than one edges, the LED strip must be allowed to wrap round every corner, do now not reduce every section separately. Do no longer take away adhesive backing from the flex strip.

Step 6 (option 1): If using foil tape to invulnerable your LEDs, start by way of the usage of scotch or painter’s tape to quickly preserve LEDs in location alongside the outer edges of the acrylic panel. Once you are at ease with the placement, start adhering foil tape round the exterior of the LEDs. Be positive to put off the brief tape as you go. Once the foil tape is in place, use a razor blade to cautiously reduce away the excess, leaving a easy edge.

Step 6 (option 2): If using a metal U-channel, first cautiously measure and reduce to dimension so that the channel will cowl preferred aspect of acrylic. For our sample, we are the use of a shallow 8mm aluminum extrusion. Begin with the aid of peeling the adhesive backing off of the LED strip and putting it internal of the U-channel. Run a small bead of silicone sealant alongside the channel on pinnacle of the LEDs, then slide the acrylic panel into place. Use paper towels or newspaper to wipe away excess, taking care to keep away from contact with clothing. Scotch or painter’s tape can also be used to keep the U-channel in vicinity whilst permitting silicone to therapy for at least 30 minutes (see directions on silicone bottle for curing time).

Step 7: Once your acrylic panel is complete, it can be mounted in the favored location, and linked to a 12V DC energy source. Then, voila! Your new lighted shelf is prepared to glow!

Inspired LED gives a broad range of easy-to-use lighting fixtures merchandise for DIYers.

About Bbier

Shenzhen Bbier Lighting Co., ltd, Professional Commercial LED Lighting Supplier. It was founded in 2008 LED luminaires manufacturing organization (Factory), Our factory has ISO9001: 2008 standard and leader in manufaturing all series of innovative energy saving projects LED luminaires for United States wholesale distributor (Importer) and solution company of lighting. Mainly product categories: UFO LED High Bay Lights, LED Grow Lights, LED Post Top Lights, Solar Post Top Lights, LED Shoebox Lights, LED Stadium Lights, LED Street Lights, Solar Street Lights, LED Gas Station Lights, LED Corn Light Bulbs, LED Flood Lights, Temporary Work Lights, Explosion Proof LED Lights, LED Canopy Lights, LED Classroom Lights, LED Emergency Lights, LED Exit Signs, LED Office Lights, LED T8 Tubes, Linear LED High Bay Lights, LED Dock Lights, LED Garden Lights, LED Industrial Lights, LED Retrofit Kits, LED Wall Pack Lights, Portable LED Work Lights, Rechargeable LED Work Lights, Solar Flood Lights, Solar Lawn Lights,Solar LED Garden Lights, Solar LED Yard Lights,etc. We have 10 Years of LED Lights Development Experience, 50 LED lights patents, 200 LED Lights Certifications, all LED products have 5 Years Warranty and ETL DCL Listed... View More