Alex Berger
Chicago, USA
This 3.75" cube lamp is made from matte black acrylic and littleBits electrical components
You can do the cutting one of two ways – with a laser cutter, or with a band saw.
If you’re using a laser cutter, you can download the laser cutting file, and your box will have interlocking tabs to help hold it together. I cut mine on a 40W Full Spectrum Laser using a speed of 15 and a power of 100.
If you’re using a band saw, you can download the band saw cutting file, and your box will have straight edges. You will most likely either need to leave the top or bottom off the box since you won’t have tabs to hold it in place (although I included both the top and bottom in the cutting files in case you find a way to use them both). Simply feed the acrylic through your saw as you would any other material (make sure you wear safety glasses, and watch those fingers!). Once you’re done cutting the pieces, you will need to drill the holes. For instructions on how to properly drill acrylic, please watch the attached video.
I find it easiest to tape the acrylic pieces together using scotch tape to hold the cube in place. However, you’ll need to leave the top off as that part will have to be removable. This acrylic is matte on one side and glossy on the other. I had the matte side facing outward because it has a more finished look and doesn’t fingerprint easily.
Once the other 5 sides are taped together, use a glass eyedropper to apply Weld-On to the inner edges of the box. Keep it taped together for a few minutes while the adhesive does its thing. Then slowly remove the tape and make sure the edges are securely welded together. If they aren’t, repeat the process and apply light pressure for a few minutes to any areas that aren’t bonding.
Once the 5 sides of the box are glued together, plug the littleBits power bit into the 9V battery and cable. Then, plug the light wire bit into the power bit, and turn it on (you may want to cover the red light on the power bit with duct tape if you don’t want a red glow accompanying the green glow from the light wire). Then, place the bits inside your cube, putting the battery on the bottom and the light wire filling the rest. Snap the lid on and you’re good to go!
To turn the lamp off, just remove the lid and flip the power switch to off. You can also choose to mount the power switch inside the cube on one of the walls and cut an opening so you can access the switch without taking the lid off.
