LED edge-lit acrylic
John Marino of Cross View Church lately found an interesting use for the 3D Lab’s laser engraver. An engraver can etch text and images onto extruded acrylic, the result having a sand blasted appearance.
When light side is applied to the acrylic’s edge, it passes through the clear material, only to be seen on the opposite edge. In many electronic gadgets, that is how light passes from an LED on a circuit board to the gadget’s case as a power light, status light, etc. With John’s acrylic project, light also catches on the engraved imagery. The result is a glowing image that appears to float in mid-air.
As an aside, engraved images onto extruded acrylic have a transparent effect where the image is barely seen. Cast acrylic is best for this project.
Cutting and engraving acrylic is easily done with the 3D Lab’s laser engraver. To light the design, Amazon sells inexpensive bases with battery or USB powered LEDs built in! Here and here are examples of such bases.
If you want to try this project yourself, the 3D Lab has an ample supply of acrylic for you to use at no cost, courtesy of Wooster Glass Company. Stop-by the 3D Lab with a lighted base and we’ll help you create a glowing design!
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