Globe With Lights and Detachable Continents

(Dutch) Children these days are still learning geography the same way children did a decade ago.
There are so many others ways than just memorizing from a piece of paper, like an globe where you can stick all the continents on by using magnetic foil and the children can check their own results by just turning on the light. Interested? See our instructable!

Before you start:
The mold for the globe was 20 cm.
The continents are scanned and scaled, because the original globe was 28 cm.
Besides the scaled files, I added the original files so you can scale them yourself if you choose to use a bigger or smaller globe.

What do you need? – Materials

The globe isn’t formed from one piece, there are several components.
Here is a list per component.
For the Dutch people reading this, there are links where you can buy the materials.

The globe itself:
- Two sheets of acrylic plastic, each 250 grams.
In the best case scenario the color of the sheets is blue like the ocean.
- A styrofoam globe,20 cm.
- One roll plastergauze, 300 x 7.5 cm.

The inside of the globe:
- Vinyl foil, about 30 x 60 cm.
We recommend to buy a little more for testing.
- An (old) lamp, with or without standard. With standard is ideal.
- A lightbulb. The lightbulb we used is a E14 fitting. In our case it also needs to be a halogen lightbulb.
We recommend a E14 fitting, to keep the hole at the bottom of the globe as small as possible.

The outside of the globe:
- Magnetic foil, about 30 x 60 cm.
We recommend to buy a little more for testing.
With the option to write on it with a whiteboard marker.
- Magnetic paint, the lightest color there is.

What do you need – Tools and necessities

The globe itself:
- Pricker
- Screwdriver
- Utility knife or Stanley knife
- Glue

The outside of the globe:
- A large paintbrush

What do you need? – Hard- and software

Hardware:
- A device to install the software on.
Click here and here for the system requirements.
- Vacuüm Former
- Lasercutter

Software:
- Adobe Illustrator CC
- Adobe Photoshop CC (only if you are planning on rescaling the continents)
- Trotec Jobcontrol
- Google Earth

If you bought all the materials above and saw the hard- and software list, you need to do a few things next.

First you need to download Adobe Illustrator CC and if you are rescaling the continents, also AdobePhotoshop CC. Just click on the hyperlinks. If you’re using a lasercutter, you can use Trojec Jobcontrol.

You also need to download Google Earth.
Then you need to download the file named ‘Continents scaled’.

If you are planning on rescaling the continents, you download the original files. Beware of the extra work, you have to scale (Adobe Photoshop) and make a vector of all the continents with Adobe Illustrator CC.

Materials:
- One part of the styrofoam globe
- One roll plaster gauze, 300 x 7.5 cm

Tools and necessities:
- A little container with water
- A few old papers
- Pricker

Lay down the old papers to protect your table or workspace and get a little container with water.

After that, get the Styrofoam globe and the plaster gauze. Then cut it up in the length of the globe. Beware, you have to fold it under the edge for firmness so cut them a little longer.
After finishing, you dip one patch in the water and lay it over the globe.
Rub carefully and then place another patch. Do this until you have covered the whole surface of the globe. Let it dry for at least 30 minutes.
The last thing you need to do is making holes with the pricker.
The holes are for ventilation and have to be on the lower part of the globe, all around.

Hardware:
- Vacuum former

This is the manual of the vacuum former we used, you can also look at this instructable if you don’t have a vacuum former you can use during the process.

Materials:
- The mold.
- Two sheets of acrylic plastic, each 250 grams.
In the best case scenario the color of the sheets is blue like the ocean.

Tools and necessities:
- Screwdriver
- Utility knife or Stanley knife

Place the mold into the vacuum former and get one sheet of acrylic plastic.
Lay it on top of the vacuum former in the clamp frame. Then use the toggle clamps to fixate the sheet.
Turn on the vacuum former and set the Energie (Heat) Regulator on FULL. Pull the Heather Hood towards you.

Now you have to wait untill the sheet has lliquefied a bit. When you can see the top of the globe, you can use the platen elevating handle to move the mold up. After that you switch on the vacuum pump and wait until the plastic is formed around the mold.

Let the plastic cool and take it out of the vacuum former.
Then you have to separate the mold and the plastic by using a screwdriver.
The mold and plastic are still a bit warm so be careful!
After separating you can use the utility knife of Stanley knife to cut out the half globe.

Repeat this step one more time so you have the whole globe.

Hardware:
- A device with the installed software. Lasercutter (manual in Dutch)

Software:
- Adobe Illustrator CC
- Trotec Jobcontrol

Materials:
- Vinyl foil, about 30 x 60 cm.
We recommend to buy a little more for testing.

You will also need the file ‘Continents scaled’.
Open the file you downloaded in Adobe Illustrator CC on the device linked to the lasercutter.
Trotec Jobcontrol needs to be opened as well.

Go to file > print > setting > preferences. Select the material, in this case vinylfoil which can be found at the category Plastic. Click print again and place the vinyl foil in the lasercutter. There is a measuring device you have to hang to the laser. On your right side there is an panel, you have to move the ^ button until the measuring device falls off. Then you can adjust the starting point with the buttons < >.

Close the lasercutter. You can find the file in Trotec Jobcontrole at the right side of the screen, you only have to drag the file into the workspace. Then go to file > print settings > properties. Choose for process options stamp and set for grammage > medium.

Now press the play button and wait till the job is completed.

Take the foil out of the lasercutter and stick the continents one by one at the inside of the globe.
If you are not sure about the places of the continents, you can use Google earth.

Tip: Use the equator as a guideline.

Hardware:
- A device with the installed software. Lasercutter (manual in Dutch)

Software:
- Adobe Illustrator CC
- Trotec Jobcontrol

Materials:
- Magnetic foil, about 30 x 60 cm.
We recommend to buy a little more for testing. With the option to write on it with a whiteboard marker.

You will also need the file ‘Continents scaled’.
Open the file you downloaded in Adobe Illustrator CC on the device linked to the lasercutter.
Trotec Jobcontrol needs to be opened as well.

Go to file > print > setting > preferences. Select the material, in this case you have to adjust the setting yourself. Click on the icon next to the gearwheel.

Set:
Power 100
Speed: 10
Passes: 3

Click print again and place the magnetic foil in the lasercutter. There is a measuring device you have to hang to the laser. On your right side there is an panel, you have to move the ^ button until the measuring device falls off. Then you can adjust the starting point with the buttons < >.

Close the lasercutter. You can find the file in Trotec Jobcontrole at the right side of the screen, you only have to drag the file into the workspace. Now press the play button and wait till the job is completed.

After the lasercutter is done, take out the foil and press the continents very carefully out of the foil.

Materials:
- Glue
- Lamp

First you need to make two half holes at the bottom of the globe - the size has to match with the standard of the lamp so you can attach it later.

Put the glue on both sides of the globe. Press firmly and let it dry.

Materials:
- Glue
- Lamp
- Lightbulb

Press the bulb into the mounting.
Put glue on both sides of the holes you made in step 5, then put glue on the lamp.
Press firmly and let it dry again.

Materials:
- Magnetic paint, the lightest color there is.

Tools and necessities:
- A large paintbrush.
- A few old papers.

Lay down the old papers as cover for your workspace.
Then open the can of magnetic paint. Make sure you mix the paint properly, because the metal parts in the paint will sink to the bottom of the can.

Paint horizontal and vertical stripes on the globe, just like on the picture below.
Let the paint dry for at least half an hour.