DIY LED lighting fixtures - Page 2

Daox · 01-01-13, 05:02 PM

Thats what I figured, thanks for clearing it up.

abafred · 01-02-13, 12:11 AM

Either people need to quit posting such good info or I need to quit reading them. My project lists keeps growing - how to you folks find the time to do all this stuff?

Great info. Thanks.

opiesche · 01-02-13, 12:21 AM

Haha - primarily weekends when I have them :P

The holidays have been a good opportunity to take on some of this stuff. Now that my heating system is in place, I can concentrate on moving more of the house to LED lighting - the kitchen is next!

I hear ya though - in addition to the lighting all over the house, I've still got crawlspace insulation, office shelving, and a fireplace renovation on my short list. Sometime over the next four years or so is also hydronic heating and new floors upstairs, staircase refinishing, a complete kitchen overhaul, and a patio renovation. Seems like once you own a place, the renovating and tinkering never stops...

Exalta-STA · 01-04-13, 09:06 PM

Very nice project and write-up! Looks like I will do the same to light up my hallway and dining. Thanks for sharing this with us

opiesche · 01-04-13, 09:15 PM

Glad my tinkering is of use to others

Woreldu · 01-07-13, 05:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daox

Those look really nice! Sounds like you came up with a great way for a good looking fixture that is also quite inexpensive.

Where did you get your transformers?

I just ordered some parts yesterday for my first LED project. I have a staircase that I want to light up at night. I'd like to mount my LEDs under the handrail and have them illuminate the stairs. I'm also going to get a little fancy and use some PIR (passive infrared) motion sensors on each end so there won't be a need for any switches. I still have no idea what LEDs I'm going to use though.

Yes these lights looks very impressive. How expensive these lights are?

opiesche · 01-07-13, 12:36 PM

Economies of scale play a role here. Since you're unlikely to be able to buy a single strip of acrylic and plywood of the right size at a good price, building a single one is nearly as expensive as building 5 or 6 of them (not taking the price for th LEDs into account

The writeup lists rough prices for the materials. All in all, it should be less than $20 for one fixture if you buy 24"x48" sheets of plywood and acrylic and just build as many fixtures as you can make out of that. That's also assuming you've got the power supply already taken care of - needing only one transformer for multiple lights keeps the cost down.

opiesche · 01-07-13, 12:46 PM

By the way, I've got some really cool new transformers:

I'm going to use one of these for my kitchen lighting - these go for on the order of $15 a piece. 75W, and they're small enough they could conceivably fit inside a light switch!
If it does fit, I won't have to make another hole in my drywall, and I'll always have easy access to the transformer in case one does go out over the years

jlaw · 01-07-13, 03:18 PM

I believe it against any electrical code I have ever seen to enclose junction boxes, transformers and splices inside of a wall. Just something to think about.

opiesche · 01-07-13, 03:27 PM

Interesting... What do you mean by enclosed in a wall? I mean, junction boxes and switches by definition have to be enclosed in a wall - what am I misunderstanding?

01-01-13, 05:02 PM	#11
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	Thats what I figured, thanks for clearing it up. __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

01-07-13, 03:18 PM	#19
jlaw Learning to save Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Eastern North Carolina Posts: 19 Thanks: 1 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Caution I believe it against any electrical code I have ever seen to enclose junction boxes, transformers and splices inside of a wall. Just something to think about.

01-02-13, 12:11 AM	#12
abafred Lurking Renovator Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: WI Posts: 7 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Either people need to quit posting such good info or I need to quit reading them. My project lists keeps growing - how to you folks find the time to do all this stuff? Great info. Thanks.

01-02-13, 12:21 AM	#13
opiesche Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Rohnert Park, CA Posts: 99 Thanks: 4 Thanked 14 Times in 9 Posts	Haha - primarily weekends when I have them :P The holidays have been a good opportunity to take on some of this stuff. Now that my heating system is in place, I can concentrate on moving more of the house to LED lighting - the kitchen is next! I hear ya though - in addition to the lighting all over the house, I've still got crawlspace insulation, office shelving, and a fireplace renovation on my short list. Sometime over the next four years or so is also hydronic heating and new floors upstairs, staircase refinishing, a complete kitchen overhaul, and a patio renovation. Seems like once you own a place, the renovating and tinkering never stops...

01-04-13, 09:06 PM	#14
Exalta-STA Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: May 2012 Location: Philippines Posts: 107 Thanks: 12 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Very nice project and write-up! Looks like I will do the same to light up my hallway and dining. Thanks for sharing this with us

01-04-13, 09:15 PM	#15
opiesche Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Rohnert Park, CA Posts: 99 Thanks: 4 Thanked 14 Times in 9 Posts	Glad my tinkering is of use to others

01-07-13, 12:36 PM	#17
opiesche Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Rohnert Park, CA Posts: 99 Thanks: 4 Thanked 14 Times in 9 Posts	Economies of scale play a role here. Since you're unlikely to be able to buy a single strip of acrylic and plywood of the right size at a good price, building a single one is nearly as expensive as building 5 or 6 of them (not taking the price for th LEDs into account The writeup lists rough prices for the materials. All in all, it should be less than $20 for one fixture if you buy 24"x48" sheets of plywood and acrylic and just build as many fixtures as you can make out of that. That's also assuming you've got the power supply already taken care of - needing only one transformer for multiple lights keeps the cost down.

01-07-13, 12:46 PM	#18
opiesche Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Rohnert Park, CA Posts: 99 Thanks: 4 Thanked 14 Times in 9 Posts	By the way, I've got some really cool new transformers: I'm going to use one of these for my kitchen lighting - these go for on the order of $15 a piece. 75W, and they're small enough they could conceivably fit inside a light switch! If it does fit, I won't have to make another hole in my drywall, and I'll always have easy access to the transformer in case one does go out over the years

01-07-13, 03:27 PM	#20
opiesche Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Rohnert Park, CA Posts: 99 Thanks: 4 Thanked 14 Times in 9 Posts	Interesting... What do you mean by enclosed in a wall? I mean, junction boxes and switches by definition have to be enclosed in a wall - what am I misunderstanding?