I love technology and I love colorful blinking things. That's why a RGB LED matrix was one of my first projects when I got my 3d-printer some years ago.
However, this project did'n turn out well in my opinion. First, the 3d-printed frame always looked boring in my opinion. Second, I was not able to build a good diffusor (I tried clear filament and paper) so individual LEDs were still visible.
Now, two years later, I found the old matrix again decided to give the project a second chance. Being a member of the FabLab München, I now have access to laser cutters. Therefore, I decided to use different materials this time:
- Wood (MDF) for the frame and internal structures
- Acrylic glass for the diffusor
I started this new project by disassembling the remainings of the old matrix and taking exact measurements of it since I wanted to re-use the leds and the 3d-printed grid. I used CorelDraw to design all components I had to laser cut:
Then I used a small laser cutter (Epilog Zing) to cut everything from MDF wood
After priting the Acrylic diffusor (I used this material https://acrylglas-shop.com/plexiglas-gs-led-wh-14-opal-weiss-hinterleuchtung-3-mm-staerke) I assembled everything using hot glue
Some Pictures of the Finished Project (Including the ugly back side)
In general, I'm very happy how the project turned out this time.
