Handmade AAA Copper Tube Light

Very clever way of holding the light together. Great job!

Very VERY nice!

nice and clever build!

I love it. I’ve always considered making a tube light out of copper plumbing pipe, but could never figure out how I would access the battery without the ability to make threads.

Nice job! Enjoyed the pics.

Nice work!
I think every modder has at least thought about how to make a light of plumbing pipe.

12mm Copper tube? That is one tiny (skinny) light. Great light you have built from scratch using your own mind and tools at hand. I love every bit of it. Now for the million dollar question. Whats next? :slight_smile:

Congrats on a good looking and handy creation.

Excellent work! It’s been a while since I’ve seen a thread on a copper pipe light.

Bump to the top, this is what makes this forum great! Super

Nice light…. Creative I guess!!! LOVE THE PATINA ON BOTH!!! BEAUTIFUL! TL

Love it! Thanks for sharing!

If these were for sale, I’d definitely consider buying one… :cool:

CRX - that is just lush. I love the industrial look.

Well done,

SP

I’m with you here Beachlogger. Its certainly a change from some of the shenanigans thats been going on lately. :slight_smile:

Pretty clever! :+1:

Wow, this is VERY cool! Fantastic work, CRX. Would be so great if at some point you could do a write-up of assembly and where you got the parts. What’s the inner tube you fashioned that the copper tubing slides over? Is it aluminum?

I could see this easily being used as a flashlight prop on some minimalist sci-fi production.

Hey, thanks for all the great comments, much appreciated!

Yes that’s the barrel from a silver aluminium pen, it’s the only piece of tubing i had handy that was a snug fit for both the inner diameter of the (plumbers radiator) copper pipe and the outer diameter of the cell. It is quite thin, approx 0.5mm.

The pill is made from the same pen with a piece of aerial tube press fitted inside to make a ledge on which the 10mm copper MCPCB sits, the LED board has a 3mm round of copper ( made from copper squares ) soldered onto the back which fits tightly inside the aerial tube inside the aluminium tube inside the copper tube… :laughing:

The driver is potted with RTV silicone inside the pill and filed down to press fit in the copper host with a 5x2mm neodymium magnet soldered on, same with the switch.

Because of the design waterproofing is not really possible so the copper switch cover made from 1mm copper squares again is epoxied to the top of the switch, but there’s a fair amount of thick silicone grease around the plunger and this is also press fitted & fixed in place with thermal adhesive so i reckon it could take a quick dunk. :wink:
I also soldered a round piece of 1.5mm solid copper wire to the underside of the outside rim of the switch cover to help with stability. The TIR from an old light is filed slightly to press fit also and sanded on front.

The decorative lines are done by wrapping insulating tape around the light three or four times at 0.5mm intervals to make a guide for a junior hacksaw, i just sit the light on top of open vice jaws and lightly go around the grooves a few times while rotating the piece.

The patina is achieved with Birchwood Casey Brass Black .

The light was made on a whim when i came across a couple of cuttings of pipe from when the radiators were installed, the other stuff i already had and it took about six hours to make.

I’m not sure if I read the above correct. Pens, silver at that, aerial tube, bits of copper and on we go. I think I best go have a lie down and come back and read it again. :stuck_out_tongue:

Might be wise :laughing:

I keep finding myself wandering back to this post. These are both just so creative and innovative. Thank you for sharing.
TL