stcline / chapstick_flashlight

Make a flashlight

🤖 Build a Chapstick Flashlight

🤓 Overview and learning outcomes

Soldering is a skill that takes practice. This assignment will allow you to have some fun practicing soldering. In the end you will have a pushbutton flashlight made from a chapstick tube.🚀

Preparation

You will need the following items:

• ChapStick Tube
• Tactile Switch
• A23 Battery (12V)
• 470-Ohm Resistor
• 10mm White LED (28,500mcd, 20mA, 3.5V)
• Solder
• Heat Shrink Tubing
• Wire
• "N" Battery Holder
• Epoxy and/or super glue

1. Remove the Chapstick from the tube and remove the bottom piece and screw from the tube assembly.
2. Cut 6 mm of the chapstick off the may body and set it aside.
3. Clip off the opposite leads of the tactile switch.

The Circuit you will build

The circuit for this device is simple enough. There are only four components as shown here:

Build the circuit on your breadboard first to make sure you understand how it works.

Soldering the LED to the Resistor

1. Cut the cathode of the LED to 6 mm.
2. Solder the resistor to the cathode.

4. Shrink some heat shrink tubing over it.
5. Push both leads through the top of the ChapStick platform.

Complete the top section

1. Cut the spring from the "N" battery holder (leaving the plastic portion it's attached to intact)
2. Insert the 6 mm section of the battery holder with the spring attached into the bottom of the platform (this will help to make the base of the spring more stable.)
3. Slide the positive lead of the LED through the center of the spring.
4. Solder it to the base of the spring and then clip any remaining portion of the lead off.

Build the Switch Base

1. Cut a square in the bottom portion large enough to put the tactile switch through.

2. Position the switch to where the button sticks out just slightly past the bottom.

3. After it's in place, glue the back side (the portion that goes up into the tube). Be careful not to put too much on. If it leaks through to the other side it can make the switch inoperable.
4. After the Epoxy/glue dries, you can trim it up with a razor blade or exacto knife.

Wiring the Switch

1. Place the top assembly, including the battery, inside the tube and position is so that the resistor that is attached to the cathode is sticking out of the tube.
2. Position the switch base next to the tube so that you can solder the resistor lead to one leg of the switch.

3. Solder that connection.
4. Solder the base to the other leg and be careful not to create a short between the two legs.

Final Assembly

Close up the base. Test out the switch. If everything is connected properly, your light should come on.

📝 Next steps

In order to complete the assighment, take a video of the working flashlight (mp4 or mov file type). Create a new markdown file which describes, in your own words, how you think this flashlight works. Use the technique in the video below, embed your video in the file so I can see your working flashlight.

Embed.a.Video.in.a.Markdown.File.mp4

📚 Resources

This lesson is in no way an original lesson plan by this author. It is based on this Instructible from BCat. Thank you for the insiration!