Brilliant LED Filament Wand
LED light wands fit for Harry Potter or Luke Skywalker!
As outlined here, lonesoulsurfer had a number of 300mm filament LEDs left over from his last project, so here he decided to use them once again to make a series of LED light wands. These devices look like a cross between a light saber and a magic wand, with the flexible filament LED illuminating the length, while a 3mm LED in the tip shines a different color.
Both LEDs are powered by a common positive lead, while the negative of each is individually switched via a momentary pushbutton on the handle. Inside, electronics are fairly straightforward, with a small LiPo battery supplying power, and a micro USB board used for recharging. Power is provided to the tip of the wand via thin copper wires recycled out of a small motor, though a length of purchased .2mm wire could be used as well.
4.8mm diameter polystyrene tubing forms most of the length of the wand, while a shorter length of 6.3mm tubing reinforces the base. The handle is made out of 15mm PVC pipe, with a cap on each end. One cap is drilled to accommodate the wand, while the other is drilled for micro USB input. The write-up also has directions for building a stand if you’d like to show it off.
It looks like a lot of fun in the video below, and something that would be fairly easy to make!