10W Retro-Futuristic LED Lamp

LEDs could be very efficient and  economical in long term use. A 10W LED lamp can replace a 100w incandescent lamp or a 30W compact fluorescent lamp. Despite an relatively high initial cost, compared with other kinds of domestic lamps, your electric bill could drop significantly if you use it instead.

Here I will show to you how to make your own stylish 10W Retro-Futuristic LED Lamp, spending around US$ 25 bucks. Let's go!

You will need:

1. One old burned compact fluorescent lamp, for the LED lamp socket  (anyone serves);

2. Two grip flat connectors;

3. One 10W LED: www.satisled.com/10w-high-power-led-white-600800lm_p134.html - color of your choice;

4. Two little screws (search in your tech scrap);

5. One 10W LED driver: www.satistronics.com/constant-current-power-supply-for-10-w-power-led-100240vac-input_p2174.html

6. Thermal paste;

7. One old computer cooler (search in your tech scrap);

8. Heat shrink tubing;

9. 30 cm of wire (2 mm). 

You will need also:

1. Soldering iron;

2. Little screwdriver;

3. Small plier cutter;

4. Long nose plier;

5. Medium plier cutter;

6. Puncture tool;

7. Flat screwdriver;

8. Grip plier;

9. Little drill;

10. Electric drilling machine.

Your will need some oil drops too.

Be careful to not break the CFC lamp. The glass could cut you and there are mercury inside the lamp. 

Slowly try to open the base of the lamp, inserting the flat screwdriver and moving it up and down along the junction. These could damage the plastic a little, but it's not critical. You could after scrape the plastic with a knife or sand it to minimize the faults.

Carefully cut the two wires that join the circuit with the socket, without break the connection. Now cut about 0.5 cm of the insulation of the wire.

Place two pieces of heat shrink tubing around the wires. It is important to isolate them and make a good finish.

Now solder the two wires to the AC wires of the LED driver and position and heat the heat shrink tubing for shrinking.

Make a little V cut in the plastic base to pass the wires.

Make two little aligned opposite holes with the soldering iron, and scrap them with a knife. 
Now pass the 30 cm wire through them.

Place the LED in the center of the cooler.

Mark the holes with a pencil-case and make a punctuation in them.

Drop a bit of oil and make the holes with the driller. Choose a drill a little smaller then the screws. They will make the screw when you tighten it in the soft metal of the cooler (cooper or aluminum).

Before you tighten them, apply some thermal paste below the LED.

Cut a little dent in the side of the connector of the LED, to not interfere with the sliding of the grip flat connector.

Make some adjustment in the grip connector with the plier, if necessary. They have to stay tightly connected in the LED contacts.

Now, put the cooler above the driver and pass the wire inside the fins of the cooler. 

Cut the wire leaving approximately 1 cm above the cooler.

Bend tightly the wire on the cooler, so that all stay firm.

Grip the DC wires of the LED driver to the LED connectors. If one wire is short because the position, solder another piece on it.

The standard polarity is positive (red) to the LED contact with a little semicircle mark.

However, the chinese have poor standards and I have found some LEDs that have inverted polarity. Don't worry, if it does not turn on in three seconds, just switch the two wires that go to the LED contacts. The LED will not burn out.

Don't look directly to the LED! It's very, very bright and could damage your eyes. Be safe.

The LED alone is very bright and cast sharp shadows. You could make the light more smooth with a diffuser.

Cut the base of a 2L PET bottle and sand it grossly. Make four holes and put little hook wires in them. Now fit the diffuser below the LED lamp and voilá! You are the first in the block to have a 10W Retro-Futuristic LED Lamp!

Have fun and help to save the planet!