Making My Own Version of Nanoleaf Hexagons - DIY Project (No 3d printing, programing or soldering)

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

📦 AMAZON’s BEST DEALS (updated daily): bit.ly/3VWZKVS 📣 AliExpress’s BEST DEALS (updated daily): bit.ly/3VwoaDW ☑ Check out my sponsor to begin your FREE 14 day trial to Aura: aura.com/chrismaher Recommended: Govee LED lights: amzn.to/3Bn7mod Plates I used: If you cant find the plates at your local store, it looks like amazon has them but they only sell this kind in bulk: amzn.to/2WWfyZz Gorilla Wood Glue: amzn.to/3o3KfqG Painters Tape: amzn.to/3pUMyh1 Wood: Any 1inch x 2 inch lumber will work. Try getting wood that is straight as possible. I covered the back of the project using white poster board: www.dollargeneral.com/artskills-premium-white-poster-board-22-x-28.html ============================= Support My Channel Directly: Become a monthly contributor on Patreon: www.patreon.com/ChrisMaherDIY Buy me a Coffee: paypal.me/ChrisMaherDIY ============================== Links to a few of my other complete how-to projects: RGB Baseboard Trim: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5ybeaF9rcuEp5I DIY Customizable Images: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aKLCq6V7mMeLfqc RGB LIGHT PROJECT: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHrFha2LeZd4as0 LED Strip Diffuser Ideas: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmqQl5yNn7VnaLs DIY Hexagon Project: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qmrbeKx4acabr7s DIY Corner Project: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kHOYeaSNnbKLhNE DIY Edge Lit Designs: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpC3pXuhd6dmrKM DIY Govee Glide: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pGqvpJyHdrd5l9U DIY Black Acrylic Floating Shelves: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJTWhICqi8SippI Shop Tools: Sliding Compound Miter Saw: amzn.to/303kopD Music used in this video: Song: Ikson - All Night Music promoted by Vlog No Copyright Music. Video Link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmLdpYiDbLuNerM Song: Fredji - Happy Life (Vlog No Copyright Music) Music provided by Vlog No Copyright Music. Video Link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gau0moV3d7t0iM0 Song: Extenz - Gravity (Vlog No Copyright Music) Music provided by Vlog No Copyright Music. Video Link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqLElaZqjZKKq7M Song: Lvne - I Need Music provided by Vlog No Copyright Music. Video Link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJ_KdKmjeMxpmLM The best way to help support my channel is to like, comment, make sure your subscribed and share my videos with as many people as you can. The other way is to use my links above as I get a small % at no extra cost to you if you buy something. Thank you all for the support!

[@chris4869]

I think you should raise some of the cells higher than the surrounding cell so you'll get more of a 3D effects. It'll look better than Leaf.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

That is a really good idea! Might have to try that sometime down the road if I ever try a version 2! Thanks so much for watching!

[@kozz3]

2:10 "If you don't have one of these ask your dad" lol

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Lol the older you get the more likely you are to have tools. That's my theory haha

[@bella-mi8wo]

@@ChrisMaherDIY wait "if you dont have one ask your dad" if you didnt have the machine how could your dad have it if your family does not own the machine lol

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

@Pepiitoo QC maybe a friend would have one? Or might want to just save up for one likes I did!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

@Pepiitoo QC lol man I'm gullible. I was first like that's so sad!

[@lupusk9productions]

OOooo! This is the best tutorial for these i think I've seen yet. I will have to try this.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks! If you do, let me know if you have any questions!

[@casualsnozz8021]

"I can't afford nanoleaf" -proceeds to recommend buying a saw that costs more cuz its "not that expensive" XD

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

hahahah so true! I will add though that if I were to buy around 40 Nanoleaf Hexagons which is about how many I made, it would have cost around $800 dollars and I would not have a saw lol.

[@casualsnozz8021]

@@ChrisMaherDIY Its a great tool to have- I just thought it was a funny comment.

[@berkle]

@@casualsnozz8021 you can always rent from home Depot for a day or two

[@TheJacklwilliams]

Maher is a beast! As my Uncle, the Legend, always said “The tools make the man”.

[@owenjohnson5030]

You can use a saw on many different products. A nano leaf is a one trick pony.

[@darkosub2806]

Right now we are remodeling our garage so I can use it as a bedroom and I will be making these Nanoleaf panels for the room

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

I'd love to see how they turn out and any ideas you have along the way to improve on how to make them!

[@TeslaDIY]

Good job Chris, like everyone had said, best video on DIY "Nano leaf" hands down, both cost and the outcome is perfect. Also easy to make, altho i will still 3D print mine just because i am a big 3D printing person. Question on the LED tho, I saw some photos you've attached showing color of the lights matching the ambient/tv screen, was it done manually or did you somehow get it to mirror the color of the screen like "dreamscreen"?

[@TeslaDIY]

also, look into amazon affiliate program (maybe you will need a few more videos to get approved) but once you're eligible, you can start posting affiliate links in the description for items used for your project, you'll get a small cut from amazon

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much! I would love to get into 3d printing as well but not enough hours in the day currently lol. I wish I was smart enough to figure out how to get the lights to match the tv but I just did it manually via either the app that's used with the lights or through alexa.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

@@TeslaDIY I'll have to look into that! Thanks, I didn't know something like that existed!

[@TeslaDIY]

Chris Maher it’s an awesome program! Let’s say you promote led lights, I clicked it because i want to see what u used, I ended up not buying it but within the next 24 hours I go back on amazon and bought something else, let’s say I bought dog food for my dog, totally none related, guess what, you still get a cut from that, not as much but still pretty awesome! Good luck and make more videos!

[@ShocktorGaming]

This is a great video and using Hefty plates is genius... I've been searching for perfect diffusers and this is great. Also, with LEDs that are 30 LED/meter, you need 34mm from the light to the diffuser to get a "spotless" effect.... by using 2" boards with a slight indent (and considering the light source is slightly higher than the back), you managed to hit that 34mm perfectly, it seems. Did you plan that out ahead? If you use LED strips that are 60 LED/meter, you can cut the side height in half... for any future projects.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much for watching and the great advice! I didn't plan it out, it just was a lot of trial and error before I got the look I was going for! That's great advice! Cutting the side height in half would be great since keeping a low profile is preferred in my opinion! Thanks again and thanks for the feedback!

[@newtech2633]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/j33JqJWoYpqDrq8

[@animetonsyoutube8559]

I dont understand what you mean, why do you need 30 m led

[@Chuckles-mz3oj]

Later he found that white acrylic with 32 percent transparency looks better, but it costs way more.

[@grabasandwich]

I love how honest you are in the description. I suck at putting my mind to things, so I've spent most of my 40+ years being a dreamer. I'm trying to overcome that now, so I think I'll give this a try for my kids rooms. I bought some bulk individually addressable WS2812 strips from BTF lighting, but still need to get power supplies and controllers. Anyway, thanks!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much for watching! For sure give it a try! If your kids are old enough, they might even enjoy helping! BTF lighting is now my go to for projects so great choice on those! Thanks again buddy!

[@Danuka_Savinda]

Try WS2812b led strip with a weMos D1 mini and flash that with WLED it's open source too that's the best way to control ARGB leds🔥

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for the update! Doing that would definitely make things look even better. Does it require much programming skills or soldering?

[@Danuka_Savinda]

@@ChrisMaherDIY not at all

[@thepepishow9878]

@@ChrisMaherDIY and if your intrested look at drZzz channel he haves alot of information about wled and how you could intergrate it to home assistant so you can controll it with google home or alexa and your smartphone

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

@@thepepishow9878 thank you! Just watched a few and great stuff! I am already thinking of ways I could improve on future builds.

[@thepepishow9878]

@@ChrisMaherDIY good to hear🤙🏻🤙🏻🤙🏻🤙🏻

[@thunderbear0]

Just go to home decoration market you will find alot of cool and cheap stuff and then customize it You can make alot of nice and cool stuff for cheap without any machines

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for watching and the great idea! Definitely easier to start with something and customize vs building everything from scratch.

[@exodeus7959]

I really do like this project. Looks really good. And you described everything exceptionally well. You ever get the SKU number for the wood in the description? Because there is no way that was $1.85 for those boards. Looks like select pine.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much!! Here is the link to the wood. Its from Home Depot. The link should work if you are in the US. Looks like the price has gone up a good amount since making this video over a year ago! At least its still not as bad as gas! www.homedepot.com/p/1-in-x-2-in-x-8-ft-Premium-Kiln-Dried-Square-Edge-Whitewood-Common-Board-914584/100037592

[@DagrtOne]

The Hefty plates made me chuckle. This was a surprise, but it makes sense. 😀

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for watching! They worked perfect for this project! However if i wanted to make bigger hexagons, i would have to find something else as the plates are only so big.

[@LinzJc]

This is probably the best of the maker videos for these....... nice work, looks cool and nice project to do. You can probably use chrome reflective tape inside of the hexagon and maybe get away with just using 1 LED strip. Just in case people can't find the double strip LED and only the single is available etc.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

I'm going to look into that! If it looks the same using that reflecting tape but I only need 1 strip, that would be amazing!

[@SoulfullSinger]

So I followed your video, and I have to say I'm super impressed by how they came out!! I love it!!!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

That's awesome! So glad they turned out good! Definitely a fun project!

[@Study_with_MeE132]

Hey man. I was wondering. Does paper diffuse the light well enough?

[@SoulfullSinger]

@@Study_with_MeE132 The paper does a really good job of diffusing the light in my opinion. One thing I would suggest is you paint the inside of the HEX white to better diffuse the light.

[@matthewallen6183]

24:44 "you can't splice them back together".... um.... yes you can. I've done it before. It's fiddly but possible. You just have to cut on the right spot, where the blobs of solder are. In my case I soldered wires onto those solder blobs. If there isn't enough solder, you just add some of your own first. And have something to keep the LED strip from moving around. Weight it down.

I believe you can solder a piece of a previously cut LED strip at the end of the first one so you can have only one input, or if you want to “recycle” some old piece of LED strip (meaning it wouldn’t become useless when you cut it, providing you cut at the right place).

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

That's a good idea! I'll have to try that next time! Thanks for watching!

[@not.lynwood]

why do you look like the beans I ate for dinner

[@Re7nuh]

@@not.lynwood no cap I had beans as a side for dinner to ight

[@not.lynwood]

@@Re7nuh yes

[@tezgray]

That should work to extend the first strip with an off cut, just got to be a bit careful with the arrows and joining the same pads. But would you be able to get the 2 distinct colours like in the still picture? Now I'm torn between it costing me 2 strips and being able to control them individually , damn I hate choices , I want both 🤣

[@jesusbibieca52]

Great job, I loved the project and its simplicity for that good of a result. I'd suggest that you add the same demo v roll of the finished project at the end. I felt that was a missing piece, like yeah I saw it at the start of the vid, but after the long vid I totally forgot that it looked and had to go back and look at how it ended.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for watching and for the feedback! I agree with you. I should have put it at the end. I'll for sure do that with my next how to led project!

[@DrZzs]

That's super awesome! Well done! I'm working on a similar project. I love the look of black gap inbetween the hexes!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much!! I love all your videos! I watched your sphere one yesterday. Blown away at how much work went into that and how awesome it turned out. My kids said "we need that Dad" lol.

[@corbintheintern6229]

If you're going to do this again in the future, or with larger ones, I would suggest looking into Plastazote foam. It's commonly used in cosplay to diffuse LEDs.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

I'll take a look for sure! That is something I don't think my many hours of googling came across! Thanks so much!

[@corbintheintern6229]

Hey, no problem! It's also known as LED foam sometimes, too.

[@victorx3820]

if you use 2812b leds you could cut them and still make the rainbow effect y recomend you using the sp501e controller sorry for my english its not my first langauge

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for the comment and the recommendation! I'm going to have to try this! I'm also going to check out the sp501e controller. Thanks so much!

[@lanarm4942]

These are absolutely amazing! This is not what I came to look for on KZbin, but I had to watch and have zero regrets. Thanks for such an awesome video!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much for watching and you are welcome! Glad you enjoyed!! Thank you for the support!

[@adrenalinem4n]

You should have went back to the intro to show the finished product... Letdown at the end but maybe it makes watchtime >100 what do i know Good work.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much for watching and for the feedback! Yeah i should have put something at the end. All my other videos I now put something at the end based off feedback from this one. Thanks again!

[@nandowski6109]

@@ChrisMaherDIY when the video ended, I went back to the beginning so I could get amazed once again xD I saw a video, also using those plates, which has almost a million views, but he made the hexagons with cardboard... Your approach was far more sofisticated by doing it with wood! In my opinion, you're the one who should be getting all those views :P Please, keep up the good work!!! This is exactly what I was looking for, but I might go for some black wood to contrast with the plates at daylight, and if possible, a less thicker one to cut, since I don't have all those tools... Simply amazing!!!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

@@nandowski6109 thanks so much for watching and the comment! Glad you enjoyed it and dark wood I think would look really nice!! Good luck and feel free to reach out with any questions you might have! Thanks again!!

[@JonLake]

Use a router or table saw on the 8foot piece for the slide cut. Time saving !

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

100% yes! So much easier than doing what i did for every piece.

[@bonertv9375]

@@ChrisMaherDIY That wouldn't work as you had to flip the board to get the same angle on each end of the 4" pieces. So you would end up having some pieces with the slide cut on the wrong side.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

@@bonertv9375 yeah you are right! Half of the cuts would be on the long side of the wood when you need them to all be on the short side! Good catch!!

[@bonertv9375]

@@ChrisMaherDIY Still though, excellent craftsmanship. Your jig to bust those cuts out quick is wicked and the styrofoam plates for diffusers is brilliant. I'm an avid maker as well and watching your process was a lot of fun, cant wait to see what you post next!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

@@bonertv9375 thanks! It was for sure a fun project! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@alexosow]

What kind of power supply did you use? I'm trying to make the same thing but I'm having a really tough time picking out the right power supply. Mine uses 54A, 5V, or 270W

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for watching! For this one I was just using the power supply that came with the led strip lights. (same way that Govee led strip lights come with the power and everything you need) But if you are using lets say some ws2812b individually addressable strip lights, then I would recommend: 60 Amp Power Supply: amzn.to/3qHd93x Wall plug for 60 Amp Power Supply: amzn.to/3pNM27G

[@cooljaybz]

try using addressable leds.. Ws2812b or ws2811... that gives you the aurora effect.... it usually is a 5v led strip. its easy also to use sp107e sp108e controllers...

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

I love where your head is at! If I were to do the project over, that's exactly what I would use. In most of my newer projects I use ws2812b lights with an esp8266 controller and love how they look! Thanks for watching!

[@cooljaybz]

try using addressable leds.. Ws2812b or ws2811... that gives you the aurora effect.... it usually is a 5v led strip. its easy also to use sp107e sp108e controllers...

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for watching and the comment! When I made this video I had no idea what I was doing. If I were to do it again now that I know a little bit more, I would definitely use ws2812b lights! They are so much more customizable! Thanks for the suggestion! you were 100% right!

[@nczioox1116]

Any thought to 3d printing to save some effort?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

I am for sure at some point wanting to get into the 3d printing game. It would open up so many different options for all my project. Just haven't had time to really jump on the bandwagon yet. When I do though, do you have any suggestions for a good printer?

[@nczioox1116]

@@ChrisMaherDIY Good to hear! I highly recommend Creality for beginner printers. The ender 3 series is probably the most popular

[@exystml7254]

What can you recommend a much cheaper substitute material to the wood frame? Like rubber or styrofoam that is enough as substitute, i want to try

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

I would say the only thing that might work is cardboard. Wood is pretty cheap where I'm at but requires more tools. I think if I took the time I could make a really sweet looking one using cardboard!

[@exystml7254]

@@ChrisMaherDIY yeah i meant foam board , sintra board there but yeah cardboard is good. Thank you

[@jack0cat]

Before I saw this I was thinking of the diffuser panels for ceiling lights but that would involve a lot of cutting and waste I never dreamed of using styrofoam. Dude you saved my life 😂

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Lol Jesus is the only one who can save but I'm glad the plates worked! Dude I was close to using ceiling light panels! However it was going to cost way more that I was willing to spend. I still might try to make something from puff cloud diffuser light panels since I love the way it looks with led lights but that will be down the road. Thanks for watching!

[@LittleJa2002]

@@ChrisMaherDIY the styrofoam plates idea is genius, plus cuts down on the weight too.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

@@LittleJa2002 That is true! So much lighter than pretty much anything else! Only downside is the size of the hexagons or whatever shape you want to build has to be pretty small since plates are not that big. But for the price, you cant beat it!

[@LittleJa2002]

@@ChrisMaherDIY your hexagons are only 1 inch smaller than the large nano hex from point to point which is just fine. I’ve already taken your tutorial cuts and measurements and put it into AutoCaD to figure out how much wood it would take to build my design. $1374 for 52 Nano project is build cost is ridiculous! Your hex light build and tutorial is the perfect alternative! “Subscribed”

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

@@LittleJa2002 Thanks so much! Yeah they are just crazy expensive! Even if i had the money, it would still be hard to justify spending $1,400 for the real thing. Let me know how yours turns out and thanks again!

[@yDelicious]

The moment you realize, you live in europe and can't buy any plastic plates ... :(

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Yeah man, I had no idea plastic plates were not available over there! Probably just use acrylic but that isn't cheap! I dont know if this exact same acrylic is available, but this is the best stuff I've found on amazon! amzn.to/3zyiUCL

[@lorish430]

Nooooo ! you cut the clip before your reaction ! 😭😂

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

My bad! I have a lot to learn on how to properly make a how to video. My apologies 😥

[@lorish430]

@@ChrisMaherDIY don't worry it was a great and useful video ! 😁

[@JmanRx81]

Cool. BUT, all that hard work then using hot glue to join them together... 🤦🏼‍♂️

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Yeah lol should have used something else, anything else lol. Thanks for watching! Appreciate the support!

[@fearlessones]

Thanks a lot for the video! I just made 17 of them for my home office, they look great! My first big precision wood project...thanks for making it look easy enough for me to try. Had to make a jig to cut these all precisely since I only had a circular saw but worked out.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

You are welcome and thanks for the comment! Glad you were able to make them yourself. So cool! If you have as picture or video of your finished project I'd love to see!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Very nice! I like yours better than mine! Looks amazing!

[@caparzo5693]

if you're wondering how many days it took him to finish this video, only the intro took him a day.

[@mbon7925]

The blocks it don't move 🎵

[@TheRainHarvester]

Something to try: Just use paper, or a string, instead of tape. Just tape the end. Saves tape. Any way to replace a broken Styrofoam plate?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for the comment and great ideas! I definitely did go through a lot of tape so anything to save on resources would be helpful! As far as replacing a plate? I don't think there is an easy way. Just pray nothing happens lol. I'm sure you could take apart a hexagon, replace the plate and glue things back but it probably would not be very easy.

[@Southernhosp]

Correct me if im wrong cause im not sure either way. But I was told not to lift blade back up while its running to reduce chances of it catching on the cut piece and tossing it out.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

I think you right! I'm not a woodworker so I'm not 100% sure but keeping it down until the blade stops does seem like it would be a lot safer!

[@NateTubeReviews]

Amazing video uncle Chris!! How did you make this?! It’s so awesome!😀

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks Nate!! I bet you can make this yourself. Just make sure your dad helps you cut the wood :) you can call me if you have any questions at all!

[@NateTubeReviews]

@@ChrisMaherDIY Yea! I asked my dad to try it out!

[@shaunengler9740]

I would paint the stick black then cut and retouch it up afterwards to make it look cool for day time and lights then it’s going to look cool

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

That is a great idea! Probably easier to paint before like you said and touch up after! Thanks for watching!

[@zsavage1820]

funny in the title... No 3d printing (3d printer, $200.00..Material $40.00) but need a $400.oo dollar miter saw and a $60.oo dollar router... lol just had to mess with you..

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

lol yeah the tools did cost money. I was pretty sure I could recoup the money by building some little end tables to sell on Facebook which I was thankfully able to do! My mindset is if I can build something to sell to get my money back, then its a worthwhile investment since I will then have the tool for hopefully a long time! I do really want to get into 3d printing though at some point. Looks like a fun hobby!

[@zsavage1820]

oh ya and that is a mask I printed that i am wearing in my profile pic :)

[@davidvanson1786]

Try the SK6812 RGBW tape they save a bit of power by having the white led included so you don't have to use the rgb at full brightness white.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thank you! That's a great idea! Love the recommendation and thanks so much for watching!

[@carlosbucheli7012]

Con esa herramienta quien no

[@ttss5726]

Why not straight cut the board on a table saw before doing the 4 in cuts…. Would have saved alot of time

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for watching and that is a great idea! I tried to picture doing that in my head and I could be wrong, but if I did that, when I then went to cut them in 4 in, would the groove be on the wrong side for half of them?

[@tanasemihai5002]

:))did you have part 2 of them LIGHT????????

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

I just did 1 video. I made the large Hexagon design first but didn't record the steps so I made another smaller design (flower shaped one in this video) and recorded that. Thanks so much for watching! Hopefully you enjoy some of my other videos!

[@andrewii115]

YOU ARE A F***ING GENIUS

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thank you for watching!

[@dannymolns3573]

I have the nanoleaf ones but I'm here watching this lmao

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

hahahah love it! Well thanks for watching. I appreciate it!

[@genin69]

You should have done the slit cut on a table saw beforehand.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Yeah I for sure think that would have been easier overall. I would have had to make an extra cut when making the small pieces since I couldn't simply flip the board over each time (this would result in the slit cut being on the wrong side for half of them) but definitely easier and safer than what I ended up doing. Thanks for watching and for the tip!

[@debreczi2]

This is awesome. Liked and subscribed. What I'd like to know is what happens after you connect the wires? What hardware and what software? How do you make one hexagon red, the other blue? How do you program this? Thanks.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much and great question! The big hexagon project with the red and blue as well as the one I made in the video I just used the basic controller that came with the led light and used the app that they said to download. Since the larger project was so big, it required 2 controllers. So one controllers lights I had set to red, the other controllers lights set to blue. Hope that helps but I should have incleded that in the video as well. Next time!

[@emilys1770]

I’m glad you asked; I was wondering this as well! I love the look of the two different colors. I’m going to make these for my boys. Thanks for explaining Chris!!

[@yukig4584]

i open this video and watched it for 3min ops sereslly ？ Chainsaw and wood？ video closed

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for watching! I'll try making some videos in the future that done use chainsaw and wood.

[@scottcampos2134]

hello, I am trying to follow your project, however i have a question, What did you use to hang it on the wall? I am currently trying to figure out how to hang it on the ceiling. Any ideas I would highly appreciate. Thank you

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for watching! I just used some picture hanging hardware to hang it on the wall. Nothing fancy. I'm not sure what would be the best way to hang it on the ceiling. I would recommend going to your local hardware store and ask some workers what they have for attaching some wood to a ceiling! Best of luck! I'd love to see how it turns out!

[@scottcampos2134]

@@ChrisMaherDIY Ok awesome. I will make sure to send you a video. It's for a nightclub. The idea is to put hexagon shapes across the whole ceiling with LED controlled light strips and some type of sync software. Thank you for your video. highly appreciate it

[@spfttt]

Awesome. Beautiful. I will start this build tomorrow. I have the same exact sliding compound miter saw, I have the 1x2x8 furring boards, I have 1 package of plates, and the Goove RGBIC LED strips. EXCITED AS HECK. I've been going crazy, "smart-homing" and RBGing my house with all the fun stuff. Liked, subscribed, and THANKS!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Sounds like a fun weekend! Let me know how it turns out and you are welcome! Thanks so much. Also, what are the odds you have the same saw lol!

[@haye101]

you can cut Ws2812B led strip and it still works fine

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks!! appreciate the comment and thanks so much for watching!

[@mxstafa1357]

How did you link both the LED strip animations together? Also did you plug them into 2 different sockets or did you get an adapter to plug it into one?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for the comment! You can somewhat control the led animations from the app. The big hexagon shape I made required 2 controllers because of its size so I am able to control those independently. I plugged them into 2 different sockets. Hope that helps but let me know if it's clear as mud. Lol

[@obviouslytwo4u]

Can I just double check do you mean 60 degree, not 30 degrees? As you said 30 degrees in the video which makes a triangle

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

lol yeah you are correct. I think I was going off of what angle my saw said! Good catch!

[@obviouslytwo4u]

@@ChrisMaherDIY Thank you very much for confirming this. my brain was flipping biscuits trying to get my head around that

[@nazibuddin480]

How are you controlling the leds

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

I'm using some tasmor led strip lights that just have your average controller with their app. It's basically Govee lights but a different brand. If I were to do the project over again, I would use ws2812b lights and use WLED to control. Thanks for watching!

[@Chernyavskiy]

0:40 is that one have more than one strip?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for watching and the comment! Yes, the design at 0:40 I ordered 2 of the LED's that I put the link to in the description.

[@OGKenG]

"if you don't have this saw, go ask your dad..." My dad never owned anything more than a hand saw And, he's been dead for 20 years.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for watching and I'm sorry for your loss. Perhaps someone you know might have one you could use?

[@OGKenG]

@@ChrisMaherDIY Nope. Don't really know of anyone who owns tools like that.

[@jewdd1989]

Never use a mitre saw without a full proof jig to cut dados into thin, short boards like that! You will lose fingers or a hand!!! No doubt about it. Use a table saw or router 🤦🏻‍♀️ it’d be smarter to route or use the table saw for the dado PRIOR to making tiny angled cuts on the mitre

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much for the safety tips and advice! Always good to hear from woodworkers who have much more experience than i do on how to go about things better. Thanks for watching and the comment!

[@fictionfacts8910]

keep it up bro! make a triangle will more interesting!

[@ElliottRodgers]

That's a really good idea

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

I actually started out making a triangle but switched to a hexagon. I definitely to want to try making a triangle at some point!

[@jerowns]

I’m planing to make straight strips connected by pivot points like a snake. No clue yet how to make them tho

[@BiswaRanjanNanda]

How much would it cost if you can make it for me and ship it :)

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Lol I dont think I will ever have the patience to make this again lol. Thanks so much for watching though and I appreciate you taking the time to comment!

[@carrycartoon]

I'm your 350th subscriber bro best wishes for your next videos

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks! I appreciate the support! Working on the video now!

[@ReviewyCA]

Hexagons are the bestagons!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Lol amazing!

[@neemgaram6690]

sir i want to buy this

[@CatDribble]

Can't you solder the strip back together with some wires, I'm sure the one I got said you were able to connect back using connecters and I've seen people solder other led strips with wires

[@EJTechandDIY]

yes that is 100 true, you can use an adapter or solder them.

[@xathridtech727]

They are solderless

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for the advice! You are right. I tried this out after all the comments saying I could and it worked hooking up the leftover strips to a separate controller I found on amazon. Thanks!

[@jdawgtv]

how long of led lights did you use

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

For the small project in the video it was about 12 feet I believe. For the big one in my thumnail, it was about 25 feet I believe. Thanks!!

[@REDxFROG]

You should 3D print, program and solder Nanoleaf hexagons.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

I would love to get into 3d printing! Do you have any recommendations for a good printer?

[@REDxFROG]

@@ChrisMaherDIY Yes, to be honest only PRUSA printers. Many people are avoid PRUSA because they are expensive. Just like I did for years. But now that I own two Prusa printers, the previous 3 china printers and nowadays other china 3D printers...they just aren't on the same level. They look good on pictures but in detail a PRUSA printer is purest quality in every aspect/part. It's just that good. You start power and press print and you can go away. And you don't have to mod it. It's a tool that just works. I'm not associated with Prusa in any way.. :)

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

@@REDxFROG Thats good to know! Sounds like you get what you pay for and also sounds like its worth the price tag! Appreciate the input!

[@MysticMachina]

The title made it look easy, but even without soldering etc. It doesnt make it easy if you use all those tools just to cut the wood. 3d printing at a local store would be easier

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

I would love to try using a 3d printer but I thought I would end up using a saw more than a 3d printer so I opted for that instead. But at some point I really do want to get into 3d printing because it looks so cool!

[@MysticMachina]

@@ChrisMaherDIY yeah same. I dont have the money for those tools or the printer. But we do have a store nearby where you can jus come in with your 3d files and let them print against a fair pricd

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

@@MysticMachina that's awesome! I'll have to check around where I live to see if they have that available. I would love to try that!

[@Chernyavskiy]

Is it good idea to paint it white?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Yeah I think painting it white would help the colors pop a little bit more so if you have the time and patience go for it. Thanks for the question!

[@drewskiofdunbar]

I love this project and I will probably tackle it in the next few months. One suggestion: use a table saw to slot the boards before cutting the edges on the miter. Any thoughts?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much! Let me know how it turns out! Someone mentioned the same thing and I was like yeah, that would be super easy! But then someone also mentioned that if you did that half of the slots cut would be in the wrong side since you have to flip the board with every cut on the miter. You would just have to make 1 extra cut each time in the miter if you use the table saw but in my opinion it would be worth it since using the table saw to make that cut would save a lot of time!

[@berrberr3194]

Chris Maher Maybe you could mirror the cut to the other side of the board as well to cover the other half of pieces, and then it would form the same continuous line on the exterior and would simply look like an intentional design.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

@@berrberr3194 i think that would work and probably look pretty cool with a line on the outside as well! Thanks for the great idea! Brilliant!

[@minhalraza8791]

I feel so dumbfounded after seeing you use plates that’s genius!!! Going to try this soon

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Lol Thanks! It is shocking that after everything i tried, they looked the best. Thanks for watching and that's awesome your going to try it!

[@Igazmad]

Led strip without cooling?!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment! I think most people recommend using something like an aluminum profile to help with heat dispersion which should make the lights last longer but they have been working just fine for a couple years now with no issues!

[@fruferSK]

Nice tutorial! Instead of suggested WS2812b you can use newer WS2815. It has DC12V input instead of DC5V. And "with 12v input , the WS2815 LED strip can run longer than WS2812B strip light because of less voltage drop."

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

I'll for sure take a look at those. Is Amazon still a good/best place to buy LED strips like this or is there a different place that is better?

[@fruferSK]

@@ChrisMaherDIY aliexpress for sure. I just checked them there

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

@@fruferSK thanks!

[@LifeofTechUK]

Amazing work, Chris. Thanks very much for the video 🙂

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much and you are very welcome!! Glad you enjoyed!

[@Aimero]

any idea how to get such styrofoam in germany? Here these plates are banned due to environment regulations

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment! That's a great question. I"m not 100% sure how you could go about doing that. I do know that you could maybe try some thicker type paper instead of the plates. Paper can surprisingly be a good diffuser!

[@Aimero]

@@ChrisMaherDIY hi Thanks for answering. Figured out those plates are called "styrodur" in Germany. You can get that in Hardware stores, but the plates are always too thick. I asked a friend with a 3d printer if He can print me some thin white covers. He says that should work. I have to wait some weeks until I get them because of Christmas and stuff ;)

[@LSTMND]

Dear sir in the video you say 30° angels but apparently it should be 60° angle so 2 can equal 120° which is the angles of a hexagon , I literally cut so much wood to find out that they all don’t make a hexagon 😂😂😂

[@maikhahn4297]

did you make the wood from the big one black ? and did you glue the wood with hot glue or wood glue?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for the comment! The wood on the big one is just normal wood color. It just looks dark with the way the camera pics up colors at night. I used wood glue to glue the individual pieces together but used hot glue to glue the hexagons to one another. I should have used wood glue for everything but I was impatient since hot glue dries very quickly.

[@maikhahn4297]

I think i Make it black. Looks very nice hopfully

[@threadchemistry]

Hey just FYI, not sure if someone has mentioned this, but you could've gotten away with using only 1 strip to cover the whole thing without doubling over and/or back. Starting where you did and staying on the right just like you did, and circling around to the 10th one (where you circled all the way around) instead of going all the way around and coming back right there, stop where that last one (10th) connects with the center, go in the center, loop the full center piece, exciting back into the 10th where you came in, then finish the 10th till circle, go into the 9th, and continue back to the beginning now on the left side... Save you some led strip. Hope that helped if it hasn't already... Awesome job though man. Very impressed with all your work. You're about to save me hundreds, probably thousands of dollars without losing nearly any, if at all, quality to the look. So thank you for that my man.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for watching and for the great idea! I didn't think of that but it sounds like it would work great! Appreciate you taking the time to comment and help me out. Hope you have a good one buddy!

[@tiggerci]

Love your Channel man! Would ripping the (diffuser slit) cut first on a table Saw work better than cutting each individual piece?

[@brianmi40]

Curious how these are holding up 1.5 years later? Are the plates getting brittle?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Great Question! So far so good. Nothing has broken and plates are still intact although I have not tested how much they can take of me tapping them.

[@brianmi40]

@@ChrisMaherDIY Thanks for the reply. Planning to make some, but 1/16" HDPE sheets are not that expensive if you search a bit... so was curious about longevity.

[@kecil-kecilgaming3342]

lha hasil e ndi lek , kok reti"bubaran

[@Robotinnovations]

Hi you can remove the silicon from the point to cut. Then you need to use the very first led set that is the driver ic to the cut point . That's it enjoy

[@theimpulse77]

This is an older video and I know you have a table saw now, but I wanted to comment for anybody watching as well. Cutting those slots in the little pieces would be done much easier with a tablesaw on the full length boards. Then you would cut them down to length. Great job coming up with a jig to get this done on a miter saw though! When I first saw you holding that piece like you were gonna cut it, it freaked me out. Thanks!

[@BodoPoker]

It looks noble, custom and great built quality... and all that for a reasonable price. Well done dude ♥

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much!! Appreciate the support and thanks for watching!

[@tdmallet]

Umm, did I miss the finished product lit up?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Sorry, this was my first time making a how to video. I put all the final pictures and videos at the beginning and nothing at the end. I won't make that mistake again! Thanks for watching!

[@yaagul]

At the very end it didn’t work what happened?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Sorry! Since I put all the finished pics and videos at the beginning I didn't show anything at the end. First time making a how to video and I realize I should have at least put something at the end! My bad.

[@patrickmckowen2999]

Great project - thx

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

You are very welcome and thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment!

[@gurthbroox]

So the plates you used, now have a circular “stamp” on the matte side lol. I’ve searched all over creation looking for a plate that works. SOMEONE HELP!

[@stephenpatterson9499]

When you strung the LEDs through like you did, how did you group them in each hex for programming? An example would be hex 1 you'd have LEDs 1-4 and then let's say 80-84. Can you group those two segments so they work together?

[@bbrown6057]

Great job dude! One question. What is the little adapter at the 23:25 mark you used to hook the 2 strips to plug into?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for watching! Those are the controllers that most led strips come with. They are what the led strips are plugged into that allows you to control the color, brightness etc. The controller is also generally where the power source is then plugged into. Hope that helps!

[@bbrown6057]

@@ChrisMaherDIY ok, thanks....so any issues getting the 2 separate lengths synced up to get the light effect you're after?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

@@bbrown6057 Great question! Its not perfect but it was good enough for me. In my thumnail picture you can see the red hexagons were controlled with one of the controllers, the other was controlled with the second unit. If I had to do it all over again I would use WS2812b led lights and use WLED to control them all. It would have been a little bit more work but now that I know a little bit more, I think that is the rout i would have gone. Thanks!

[@katethani]

nice work.. but kinda upset with the ending video. I wanna look at the final result..

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Yeah that is my bad. First ever how to video and I didn't know what I was doing. I put all the final pics and videos at the beginning instead of the end. So sorry but thank you so much for watching!

[@katethani]

@@ChrisMaherDIY I mean the result right after you put the rgb light inside,how it works, and how you install it on the wall. coz I know nothing about those things. lol... anyway don't be sorry about it tho, the whole video is amazing. 😊👍

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

@@katethani yeah I definitely should have included that :(

[@RobertMehrer]

Great video on how not to use a miter saw...

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much for watching the video and I too cringe at some of the cuts I made knowing what I know now! Thanks again for watching and taking the time to comment!

[@Dasgath]

Ill take your word it worked -.-

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

I should have for sure done the ending of the video better. I thought since i put all the pics and videos at the begining people wouldn't want to see it at the end but I should have at least showed then turning on. My bad!;

[@jakakosten7485]

you are genious!! Thank you!!😊😊😊👍👍👍👍 I have just one question... From what material are the plates??? Thanks

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thank you for watching and the comment! The plates are made from styrofoam.

[@jakakosten7485]

@@ChrisMaherDIY And how many lights did you buy from link in description? i mean quantity... do you get 2 rolles of lights or 2 rolles in 1 pack for cca $30?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

@@jakakosten7485 The flower shape design i made in the video only required me to order 1 pack of the lights. (in 1 pack, it comes with 2 roles) For the larger hexagon design that there are pictures and videos of at the beginning, i needed to order 2 packs of lights. Hope that helps!

[@jakakosten7485]

@@ChrisMaherDIY Thanks man... you are awsome!!!

[@alexandertschanz1532]

How thick is the saw blade? thx

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Looks like it's 1/8th of an inch.

[@notagamer6]

U should try to make an epoxy river table with leds

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Man i would love to try something like that but epoxy seems like its on a different level from a difficulty standpoint and I could be wrong but doesn't epoxy cost a good amount of money?! Maybe someday I can try doing something like that! Love the idea!

[@notagamer6]

@@ChrisMaherDIY definitely something to think about in the future because it can be an expensive project. But if anyone can figure it out and do something unique with it, it's you bro. Keep up the great content man

[@TeezMonkey]

Great job. One concern that came to mind was if one of the styrofoam diffusers gets damaged? Some idiot pokes a hole in it or a curiou kid toucjes and makes a hole

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Lol yeah that could definitely happen. I'm sure it's possible although not easy to break apart and remove a hexagon and replace it with another one. You could certainly use acrylic but I didn't find any that did as good of a job as the plates diffusing the lights at such a close range.

[@kloudz2668]

Hey Chris this was awesome bro and I’ve seen your other projects but I wonder if you could use something else than a plate for the top of the hexagon or if you could do triangles instead of hexagons

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much! Glad you liked the video. You for sure could change up the material and make any shape you wanted. Acrylic is obviously more expensive but here is what i recommend: Acrylic: amzn.to/3zyiUCL With everything I usually do, I try to make 1 and test it out to make sure i like the look before going through all the work to realize I don't like it lol. Let me know if you have any questions!

[@kloudz2668]

@@ChrisMaherDIY yeah acrylic would work great , thanks man

[@gunjeetsingh9035]

your glue gonna come off soon...should have used epoxy...but your IDEA of everything else was IMPRESSIVE!!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for watching! I'll have to try epoxy next time, or if it does come apart, I'll use epoxy lol. I appreciate the feedback!

[@OpinionFactChecker]

Even with the cost of materials in Australia (about 5 times as much) this works out cheaper. Seeing how cheap material were in America I'm not surprised inflation has hit hard, it's called the elastic band effect!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

A few other people have also commented on how cheap stuff is here. I just take it for granted but I probably should not! Yeah, I think if things were 5 times the cost of what they are now, DIY might not be as popular lol.