BUILD A BACKLIT LED SIGN!!! Tips and Tricks for DIY

Welcome back to the Channel everyone! If you're new here I would appreciate it if you hit the like button and subscribe if you enjoy the content. Now that we have that out of the way... I decided to build an inexpensive backlit LED sign for use on our mobile bar that we are in the process of finishing up. All the finishes and colors were chosen for this sign to tie together the finishes used on our trailer/bar. You can obviously change the colors, finishes, fonts etc. to design a unique sign on your own! The purpose of this video is to give inspiration to the DIYer looking to build a great looking sign as easily and affordable as possible. If you have any questions on any of the tools, materials used in this video I've provided a link to most of them down below. If i missed something feel free to leave a comment and I’d love to help you out if I can!
Social Media & Contact
Channel Instagram:
/ jamesofalltradesny
Contact me:
[e-mail]
Rum and Colt Instagram / rumandcoltmobilebar
Tools and Materials I used in today's video (Helps Support the Channel)
LED Lights
amzn.to/3JKPxWQ
LED Connectors
amzn.to/3HCGe8K
3rd Arm Soldering Tool
amzn.to/3HCB7VV
Dewalt Jig Saw
amzn.to/3jtTwMN
Dewalt Table Saw
amzn.to/3xiBBfn
Ridgid Miter Saw (My Version was Discontinued)
amzn.to/3x0034J
Dewalt Impact Driver/Drill
amzn.to/3X3bmnj
Brief Background of Rum and Colt
Rum and Colt is a mobile bar that was conceived in the Summer of 2020. It is a 90’s horse trailer that we are converting to a bar on wheels for use at weddings, parties and corporate events. When we purchased the trailer we thought it would be a quick conversion and we could start using it relatively quickly but we soon learned that was not the case. Through this series I will be taking you through the remaining projects all the way to the finished project ! Hope you enjoy it!
Background: For those of you that are just joining, Hi I’m James. I'm a Mechanical Engineer that works in Project Management who spends most of my time building, creating and modifying bikes, cars, motorcycles, trailers etc..Basically anything with wheels or an engine. I've developed various skills and over the past several years and I want to start sharing them with you all through this channel!
THANKS FOR WATCHING AND SUBSCRIBE!

[@gabbybsizemore6375]

The sign is beautiful!!!! Can’t wait to hang it 😍

[@snoopu2601]

👍🏼awesome looks great I always wanted to make a light sign. With the lighting they make these day's gives the average builder a chance to make one.

[@flgirl250]

I love it! Great job

[@davidfelipecamachoalba5704]

Beautiful

[@suffokatekc]

That looks spectacular! Gonna save myself a tonnof coin and do one for my brand! This will look amazing in my little shop or to take with to events and such! Could be a great business venture as well

[@reylcayat5608]

Excellent... No other words to say...

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Thank you!

[@NeneMiko22]

Soo cool! Thanks for the inspo and informative video! :)

[@Kaleidum_TCG]

professional work bud

[@Retaysign]

so amazing

[@rockforever7268]

awesome !!!! it's a good start for something amazing

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Thank you!

[@dwightcarter6046]

This sign looks great. I am gonna try one of these myself.

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Glad I inspired you to make one!

[@artificial_intelligence_kenya]

It is beautiful., man...💪

[@caroleburton7232]

Amazing!

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Thank you!

[@MikeGameKillaMGK]

This is actually one of the best examples of sign making i have seen great job.

[@morgandangerfield6173]

Thank you. I'm far to electronics stupid to do this. Great job!

[@coachjoy763]

Amazing...thank you for sharing

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Thanks for watching!

[@trinaberks]

This turned out really great. Good stuff!

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Thank you! Putting up another video this weekend!

[@flowerstone3d]

Came out really awesome! Nice work

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Thank you !

[@learner9660]

Very nice

[@jobeliahbangcong5631]

That was awesome! Wish I could also have these kind of tools for my DIY's

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Thank you! You’ll get there

[@tanner809]

Doing this for my parents new garage bar as a Christmas present. Wish me luck!

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Tag me on Instagram or email me I’d love to see the finished product!

[@Mr_Ben119]

so cool!!!

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Thank you!

[@Olaoniwasu]

I really love this man♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️🍷🍷🍷🍷

[@RGB-Sign-Board]

wow beautiful

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Thank you!

[@peterjohnson4904]

bad bad sign my friend and i mean bad as in kick a- -. i just built a shed and wanted a sign just like this. brilliant and easy to follow

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Thank you! Appreciate the compliment!

[@RDAUGIRD]

Great job!

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Thank you!

[@baddogcreative]

Awesome project. Making one myself soon. Good ideas here, very helpful to see how you did it.

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Thanks!

[@danaznmar6173]

That's dope bro

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Appreciate it!

[@indiamultistore]

Best !!!

[@TECHGUY417]

Superb!!!!❤❤❤❤❤👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏😍😍😍😍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@davidj.gallardo4553]

Thank you!!! Helped me to design an address sign for my house.

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Glad it helped!

[@___koutflachpeyia____3458]

So great... I wanna make this work like you Bruh

[@robstaudigel9639]

Wow

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Wow at how good you looked on that bike or the sign 😂

[@9primeofficial]

Great job

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Thanks!

[@ganeshchari604]

Such a great video sir.... This video helps me aa lot .... And learned a lot

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@millenniummartialartshtx3215]

Kool!

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Thanks!

[@Jerome____]

You can use a carbon paper underneath and draw over it to get a clear mark on that plywood.

[@martinduffy3835]

great sign.. quick tip for your next sign, instead of using the entire paper template once you have it taped in place cut all the top of the template except 1inch makes it much easier to put in place and not have to pull it out from under the sign. Not needed on a stand off sign but good for flush lettering.

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Appreciate the tip!

[@ericdiver3897]

Nice jobs

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Thank you!

[@MIXTAPE0711]

Nice job man! Using wood waste in the equation..Respect👍🏼You've earned a new subscriber

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Thank you for the support!

[@tomgray7049]

good job

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Thank you!

[@diytwoincollege7079]

You could get those letters cut out on a CNC router. So much easier. There are plenty of hobbyists that would do it for you, like me.

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Definitely could do that, but there is something about making it by hand

[@henoktekle7636]

What is CNC?

[@donbirmingham8609]

Another idea for the stand offs would be to use a dowel rod and just cut it into the right length pieces and then just drill holes on the back of the letters and the back board. Looks good what you did though.

[@jamesofalltradesny]

That’s actually a great idea, if I build another I’ll try that!

[@terryspross1484]

Another tip to get the letters to sit off the wood. Use studs and a clear plastic spacer Works so good

[@jamesofalltradesny]

That is a great tip, I just used what I had!

[@lightdelight4771]

Awesome. Thanks a million. Please can I use the same type of wood for outdoor signage?

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Perhaps you could if you coated it in an outdoor rated finish. You would probably be better off making it out of something else though.

[@paularodriguez350]

❤

[@hughseagraves7036]

Suggest that you show the end product first, then explain how to make it. Thanks for the info!

[@theimprovist4158]

Awesome video. What's the song in the background??

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Not sure, it’s from epidemic sounds. I would go back and check but sadly the computer I edited this on has since died

[@zouhairnainiaa9210]

Good work until the end, it is recommended to use clean wood and one piece for completeness, the aesthetics of handwork

[@thegoldenbites3682]

Wow this looks really great! how do I need which led light connectors connectors to get please? Regards

[@jamesofalltradesny]

It depends on the led lights you purchase there are 3 and 4 conductor led strips so just match the connectors to whatever lights you go with!

[@lourdestienda9396]

Love it! Question - could this be an exterior sign?? Is this method waterproof? I'd like to do something similar for my house numbers that i bought w just plain white lights of course. Lol

[@jamesofalltradesny]

I would think if you got exterior leds and sealed everything with waterproof heat shrink it would work fine!

[@boriskingsley8341]

Please what Font Type did you use for your printing?..

[@Jeremiah_Johnson139]

Well done, sir! Thanks for the tutorial! I do have a question, though. I have a similar project, except it has a black background. To achieve a good backglow from the LED's, in my case, would you just make the areas directly under the letters, white? Or will I need to figure out a different solution?

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Honestly, I think you will still get a really nice glow effect with a darker colored background. The leds through quite a bit of light.

[@Jeremiah_Johnson139]

@@jamesofalltradesny Awesome! Thanks again for the help! Subbed.

[@bengkel2176]

Nace..from indonesia

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Thank you!

[@hailtonsantana7284]

Show 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👍🏽🤝🏾🤝🏾🤝🏾🇧🇷

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@LoveKambry]

Holy Crap the LED part looks insanely complicated, but you did a good job. I'm just really confused on how I'm supposed to learn how to do that on my own for the sign I'm making.

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Very easy to learn, you’re connecting the lights the same way you cut them just with wire in between!

[@revampstudios2316]

Can you uses different gauge wire to connect to the LED strips connectors ?

[@jamesofalltradesny]

You can, but as a minimum I would confirm the wire you intend on using is rated for the current you intend on drawing or upsize the wire to the next common size to be safe.

[@dmgfxinkslangatattoos9844]

Or try misting in some paint lightly

[@jadenell9439]

What font did you use for the sign? I love it!!!

[@jamesofalltradesny]

I’m not sure, I found it on Canva!

[@jadenell9439]

@@jamesofalltradesny thanks!

[@DRGoecke]

How long did this take you? It looks great.

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Probably 3-4 days ~ 20hrs or so.

[@DRGoecke]

@@jamesofalltradesny Thanks! That really helps set a ball park plan for a similar project of mine.

[@jamesofalltradesny]

@@DRGoecke glad I can help!

[@rogersemwaga2268]

I suppose this is for indoor use only, cause the wood can't resist weather outside. Is it write? what if you have to do one for outside use?

[@jamesofalltradesny]

You could make the letters out of polymer wood and uses water proof leds.

[@aliciahassan7049]

Where did u get those wires to connect the connectors? The extra wire?

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Amazon sells them, they make 3&4 wire connectors

[@prokill00]

SPAGHETTI

[@jamesofalltradesny]

I knew someone would like that hahaha

[@cognitostudy]

How tall were the wooden blocks that you used as raisers?

[@jamesofalltradesny]

3/4 of an inch

[@SioTonyaEthan11]

How would you cover the back so it wouldn't show all those wires?

[@jamesofalltradesny]

You could cut a piece of 1/4” mdf and finish nail it if that’s what you are looking for. You can check out @rumandcoltmobilebar on Instagram to see it hanging up.

[@bradleysmith4974]

Could you use the USB powered leds with a USB enabled outlet and use the same connectors?

[@jamesofalltradesny]

If they are still the same 3 or 4 wire LEDs yes, you definitely can! just match up the connector to the strip type.

[@bradleysmith4974]

@@jamesofalltradesny Thank you for the reply James! By the way, the sign is awesome. I couldn't sleep thinking of all the ways I want to try this. I think I'll start with a big Fender guitar pick sign! Heavy pick of course.

[@jamesofalltradesny]

@@bradleysmith4974 if you post it anywhere make sure to tag me, I'd love to check it out when it's done.

[@user-wb9yc2pc3s]

Is there a need to use Adobr Photoshop or Illustrator ?

[@jamesofalltradesny]

No not at all you can do a design on canva !

[@ronalddelvalle6080]

Traducir a español

[@DujuanWatkins]

ok so do you make custom signs??

[@jamesofalltradesny]

If you’re interested shoot me an email!

[@arkuljeetsingh1673]

This board is water proof??

[@jamesofalltradesny]

No this sign is not waterproof, but you could make it out of pvc board and by an outdoor version of the leds and make a weatherproof one!

[@thepadre4551]

Nice light. New York sucks though

[@xanyadavis5109]

Can this sign be used outside? Are the lights waterproof?

[@jamesofalltradesny]

No this cannot be, but you can find waterproof leds and different materials to get the same effect!

[@xanyadavis5109]

@@jamesofalltradesny I just found the waterproof leds and waterproof solderless connectors! That plus precut wooden letters should make this project even more DIY friendly (hopefully 🥲) Thanks for the reply!

[@fsballer]

How large was this sign?

[@jamesofalltradesny]

48x20 inches roughly

[@AbdulMannan-rz4te]

Very nice, would like to work with you.

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Thanks, send me an email!

[@AbdulMannan-rz4te]

@@jamesofalltradesny please send me your email address.

[@rickybranch4717]

Need a sign like that for my new dog kennel business. how much for one that says NAKAZATO FRENCHIES

[@jamesofalltradesny]

If you’re serious send me an email! [e-mail]

[@terryspross1484]

Should of just sprayed glue the paper letters to the wood then gut em out

[@jamesofalltradesny]

I’ve actually seen that done a few times. I just always forget to do it 😅

[@mrmoe5440]

Could u buy the letters at Walmart?

[@jamesofalltradesny]

If they sell letter of course you could! That could be a better alternative for someone with fewer tools. Whatever gets the job done.

[@mrmoe5440]

@@jamesofalltradesny .,thanks

[@mahmoodkhan6623]

Hi James, I'm trying to make an address led backlit sign. Your instructions are too fast. Do you have a detailed instructions booklet or something? I'll email you now

[@jamesofalltradesny]

I do not have instructions but if you have any specific questions I’d be happy to try and help

[@navigator2476]

In

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Out

[@vishwasverma2528]

Did he say "DIY"???

[@daltanionwaves]

this is what happens when a fabricator does wood work 😬

[@craigrosa7722]

Shouldn't the sign read "Rum & Coke"???

[@jamesofalltradesny]

This was for our horse trailer bar! Play on words

[@craigrosa7722]

@@jamesofalltradesny Oh I see it makes sense then

[@mikeburke1993]

IN 22 years of the sign business, we never put electrical on wood products. Big no-no.

[@wizardman1313]

Explain

[@jamesofalltradesny]

3 years of use and not a single issue… everything is fully insulated. Wiring in homes are run through wood everywhere…

[@IndiaInkAkron]

My first thought was…..electrical in houses always runs through wood, no??? Lol

[@jondoe5866]

yikes you need a cnc machine a little time wasted

[@jamesofalltradesny]

You’re telling lol, me but I usually try to do projects people can do with minimal tools!

[@FOOJFOOJIYAMA]

This is not DIY for peasants like me because i don't have thousand dollars worth of equipment😂

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Definitely not 1000$ in tools to build this!

[@artificial_intelligence_kenya]

It is beautiful., man...💪

[@jamesofalltradesny]

Thank you!