DIY Nanoleaf - Black LED Acrylic

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****At 15:33 of the video it has been recommended by a few people to use thicker wire than the jumper cable wires that I used. You can easily use thicker wire in this step and just solder it to the posts of the esp2866 board.
Materials Used:
Black LED Acrylic from Tap Plastics: www.tapplastics.com/product/p...
@tapplastics
LED Lights WS2812B on Amazon: amzn.to/3pngBDO
AliExpress LED Lights WS2812B: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Der...
Big Power Supply: amzn.to/3oev7c4
Smaller Power Supply: amzn.to/3dpIwdX
ESP2866 LED Controller: amzn.to/33BwvvP
Jumper Wires Used: amzn.to/37mAqPd
Extension Wires - Non Silicon - amzn.to/3uItkyl
Extension Wires - Silicon: amzn.to/33DX5nX
Extension Wires - Other Silicon Wires I used - amzn.to/3bnbhpv
Painters Tape: amzn.to/3pUMyh1
Gorilla Wood Glue: amzn.to/3o3KfqG
Small Cable Hider: amzn.to/3hnxsQs
Large Cable Hider: amzn.to/3yaRL9x
Wood I used: 1in x 4in wood as well as 1in x 2in wood
Game Over Sign: amzn.to/3w1QwaP
Soldering Tools:
Soldering Iron: amzn.to/3s0kgmq
Solder: amzn.to/2ONlaVn
Solder Smoke Absorber: amzn.to/2ZpYaNS
Helping Hands: amzn.to/3jUe3FW
Shop Tools:
Sliding Compound Miter Saw: amzn.to/3s0EMn3
Portable Table Saw (my brothers-in-laws. Maybe someday I will be able to afford this on my own): amzn.to/3qCLVsX
Miter Gauge Tool: amzn.to/3o1H4A6
Digital Angle Finder: amzn.to/2Np7QWq
Router Bits I used were part of this set: amzn.to/3d4OoIH
Router Table - amzn.to/3218dun
Router - amzn.to/3wEYTdL
Videos on how to set up what I used to control the Lights:
Installing WLED onto ESP8266:
• EASILY make your own L...
• WLED Quick Start Guide...
Links to a few of my other complete how-to projects:
RGB Baseboard Trim: • DIY RGB BASEBOARD TRIM...
DIY Customizable Images: • DIY LED Lightbox - Ful...
RGB LIGHT PROJECT: • Crazy DIY Light - Comp...
LED Strip Diffuser Ideas: • DIY LED STRIP DIFFUSER...
DIY Hexagon Project: • Making My Own Version ...
DIY Corner Project: • Easy DIY Corner Lights...
DIY Edge Lit Designs: • DIY LED Gaming Room Li...
DIY Govee Glide: • DIY GOVEE GLIDE / LIFX...
DIY Black Acrylic Floating Shelves: • DIY Nanoleaf - Black L...
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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!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

☑ Check out my sponsor to begin your FREE 14 day trial to Aura: aura.com/chrismaher 🚨 UPDATED DAILY! BEST TECH DEALS on AMAZON: bit.ly/48FGnUv ****At 15:33 of the video it has been recommended by a few people to use thicker wire than the jumper cable wires that I used. You can easily use thicker wire in this step and just solder it to the posts of the esp2866 board. Materials Used: Black LED Acrylic from Tap Plastics: www.tapplastics.com/product/plastics/cut_to_size_plastic/black_led_sheet/668 @tapplastics LED Lights WS2812B on Amazon: amzn.to/3pngBDO AliExpress LED Lights WS2812B: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Der0k7N Big Power Supply: amzn.to/3oev7c4 Smaller Power Supply: amzn.to/3dpIwdX ESP2866 LED Controller: amzn.to/33BwvvP Jumper Wires Used: amzn.to/37mAqPd Extension Wires - Non Silicon - amzn.to/3uItkyl Extension Wires - Silicon: amzn.to/33DX5nX Extension Wires - Other Silicon Wires I used - amzn.to/3bnbhpv Painters Tape: amzn.to/3pUMyh1 Gorilla Wood Glue: amzn.to/3o3KfqG Small Cable Hider: amzn.to/3hnxsQs Large Cable Hider: amzn.to/3yaRL9x Wood I used: 1in x 4in wood as well as 1in x 2in wood Game Over Sign: amzn.to/3w1QwaP Soldering Tools: Soldering Iron: amzn.to/3s0kgmq Solder: amzn.to/2ONlaVn Solder Smoke Absorber: amzn.to/2ZpYaNS Helping Hands: amzn.to/3jUe3FW Shop Tools: Sliding Compound Miter Saw: amzn.to/3s0EMn3 Portable Table Saw (my brothers-in-laws. Maybe someday I will be able to afford this on my own): amzn.to/3qCLVsX Miter Gauge Tool: amzn.to/3o1H4A6 Digital Angle Finder: amzn.to/2Np7QWq Router Bits I used were part of this set: amzn.to/3d4OoIH Router Table - amzn.to/3218dun Router - amzn.to/3wEYTdL Videos on how to set up what I used to control the Lights: Installing WLED onto ESP8266: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGKYoZ2LaL6NnMk kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5WVaoZ4jKZnh9U 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 Music: Song: JayJen - Angels Music provided by Vlog No Copyright Music. Creative Commons - Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported Video Link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5_Ni4qnmN-Ib9U #NoCopyrightMusic #VlogMusic #VlogNoCopyrightMusic Song: Markvard - Dreams Music provided by Vlog No Copyright Music. Creative Commons - Attribution 3.0 Unported Video Link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnTKqXmobJhgqZI Song: Lichu - Backpack Music provided by Vlog No Copyright Music. Creative Commons - Attribution 3.0 Unported Video Link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qYKtq3aQpZqGiLs Song: Lichu - Island Music provided by Vlog No Copyright Music. Creative Commons - Attribution 3.0 Unported Video Link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnu3aGd8haqChKs Song: Pierse - Journey Music provided by Vlog No Copyright Music. Video Link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXrJfq2ZrLuNf9U Song: INOSSI - Far Away Music provided by Vlog No Copyright Music. Creative Commons - Attribution 3.0 Unported Video Link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5fKXmttjN6EjsU Song: InRp - Golden Hour Music provided by Vlog No Copyright Music. Video Link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6Sadomoo8eceLc Song: Jarico - Landscape (Vlog No Copyright Music) Music promoted by Vlog No Copyright Music. Video Link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6i1lX6Aird3ftk Song: InRp - Ocean Blue Music provided by Vlog No Copyright Music. Video Link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iXSxXnhnrrumZ7s Song: AERØHEAD - Path Of The Fireflies Music provided by Vlog No Copyright Music. Creative Commons - Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Video Link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m6fKkKZsZ95_mbM Song: InRp - Last Summer Music provided by Vlog No Copyright Music. Video Link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKWzeJiDeNh7gJI Song: Thomas Gresen - Another Life Music provided by Vlog No Copyright Music. Creative Commons - Attribution 3.0 Unported Video Link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aoTLaaiOmpp-qLs 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!

[@AK-ln8pm]

WOW the ending is amazing

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks buddy! I do like the ending as well :)

[@sarahwaller5760]

Art teacher here: So love that you said, "Hot Dog style" for the folds. Brought me such joy! lol

[@TheHookUp]

Cool project. FYI, the much better way to hook up your strip and ESP8266 to power is to connect the red/white power injection wires on the strip (the ones not connected to the harness) to the 5V adapter, then use male to female jumpers to power the ESP8266 by pushing them into the LED strip harness. In your project you are running all your power (even the injection wire) through the jumper wires, which are WAY too thin to handle that amount of current.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much and thank you for the advice! That makes sense and I will definitely do that. I am very much a beginner and the power/wiring is for sure an area I have a lot to learn so I appreciate the help! Thanks again!

[@CLBorges92]

" "to hook up" your strip... ", i see what you did there...

[@lisaariottiart]

This is dope-- 🙌🏻

[@ahmedelboghdadi5328]

So happy to see a comment from @The Hook Up supporting @Chris Maher. I actually consider both of you my tutors!

[@Phasefellatv]

by the way "the hook up" guy got skills too. I got a question if I get like 4 of these separated can I plug them all in to the power box and can I control them all together ??

[@jupamoers]

Damn...those black acrylics are awesome :O

[@hcaulfield898]

What a cool project!! Looks really good.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thank you and thanks for watching! Its a long one lol.

[@L3X_T3CH]

Love how this looks

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment!

[@christianjohnbannister1606]

Great work! Best DIY on LED use to date.. been searching online for a solution for signage, product display and ambient lighting. thanks. 10/10👍

[@chrismenon9811]

The video is amazing! It keeps getting better. Nice job Chris

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thank you Chris!! Glad you enjoyed and thanks for watching!

[@BenJolley56]

Great... now i have to order a bunch of black acrylic lol. Awesome vid! Everything came out looking sweet!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks buddy! Yeah the black acrylic is so sweet! Thanks so much for watching!

[@Alphaking85]

Great job Chris. I just made my first one thanks to your great info. Keep it up bro 👍🏼

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Awesome!! Thanks as always buddy and appreciate the support!

[@lisaariottiart]

True Artist! Amazing Stuff!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks again! Appreciate the support!

[@markroles7304]

WOW! I do not know how this video of yours slipped past me. I really now have to go back to my square LED acrylic set up that you showed us in earlier videos and replace them with the black LED acrylic ones.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Hey Mark! Good to hear from you! Lol I don't blame you, I've made way too many videos the past few years lol. But yeah, the black acrylic is awesome! Just wish I could find the stuff on Amazon! Hope all is well buddy!

[@abubakrjajja]

W0W. Thanks for motivation. I'm gonna make it now.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Glad you enjoyed!! Go for it! Not too difficult!!

[@waltermelon7736]

Great video and great job!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much and thanks for watching!

[@neermud1126]

wow..all your efforts paid off at end..superb..

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much!!

[@kaizenzenkai402]

Shelving is where is it at for me, thanks for the idea!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Glad you liked it and you are very welcome!! Thanks for watching!!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Glad you liked it and you are very welcome!! Thanks for watching!!

[@pizza_ts8549]

Looks good ❤️‍🔥

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thank you!!

[@JordanPike]

Looks incredible man

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment! I appreciate the support! Glad you liked the project!

[@KrazyKaiser]

It looks like a star wars set in the dark. Also it's literally this project is the example photos on their store page, they must be pretty impressed with your accomplishment.

[@OAbbas]

This video must gain views 🔥

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks buddy! Appreciate it! I hope so!

[@OAbbas]

@@ChrisMaherDIY this is not only cool light gadget. Also beautiful interior accessory. 👍🏽

[@DLWoodCraft]

Nice job this give me some ideas to make for my room thanks 🙂

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks! Glad I could help! Thanks for watching. I appreciate the support!

[@SethCohn23]

The "extra pixel" is a common fix, because it acts a regulator, (ws2812s all regenerate signal to pass onto the next pixel) and so it cleans up the signal voltage.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks Seth for the explanation. That makes sense.

[@Somerandomgeologist]

The extra pixel method is used to fix the data line voltage that comes off the board at 3 volts and LEDs require a data line voltage of 5 volts. The data voltage exits the first LED at 5 volts fixing the issue down the line. You can also use a logic level shifter.

[@BTFLIGHTING]

Yes, it is.

[@dilshansalith5785]

Great video.thank you

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

You are welcome and thank you for watching!! I appreciate the support!

[@catchdjaks]

Awesome.. Looks lit af 🔥

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

outrunprojects

[@catchdjaks]

@@ChrisMaherDIY check dm on insta

[@shadowr2d2]

This video was educational, & informative as well. Thank you for posting this video 📹. You sir have a new subscriber. Keep up the great work 💪..

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much!! Glad you enjoyed and thanks for watching!!

[@markroles7304]

WOW! Yet another awesome project from you. Now I know what to do with that black acrylic panel that I recommended for you (thanks again for the shout out) I used 1/2" x 7/8" staples for your Nanoleaf project by inserting three of them to each adjoining hexagons and just used a few nails in the wall for the top hexagons and mad a small hole into the white paper backing to slip the nails thru. I also was lazy and did not cut out individual white backing paper, put just took a couple of full size lengths of it and traced out the silhouette of the nanoleafs

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Yeah I think it was one of my first videos you told me about this black led acrylic! I ordered some right away but it took me a long time to decide what I wanted to make first with it! Thanks again for showing me them! They are rediculously cool looking! Can't wait to see how yours turned out. Sounds like you secured the hexagons together much better than I did lol.

[@mqrtes]

Insane!!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks!! Glad you like it!

[@tinkerfun]

Nice Project 👍👌

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

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

[@CodeXCDM]

What's interesting is you can also take advantage of those black panels and add designs onto them. Make the designs black, and with these panels they only show up when lit. Make it white or a bright color, could make it a portrait visible at all times, but psychedelic when lit. Could possibly etch a design or pattern to test how that effects the light too. Kudos.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for watching and the great ideas! There are definitely many cool things you could make with this stuff!! I might have to try your idea soon!

[@CodeXCDM]

@@ChrisMaherDIY Neat. look forward to it. I imagine the first idea can be done with pieces of card stock to test and not damage anything, and use on your existing projects, even. Print on transparency film might work, or even cut vinyl. Wonder how a design in front or behind the acrylic fairs too. If hiding the design, definitely put behind the sheet. Wonder if you can tint the resulting design using one of these too...

[@darrenvath4532]

Just the way it is would make an awesome shelf to

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks again buddy! Yeah I do want to do this project again and maybe just do the shelves part of it but make them a little bigger!

[@Jon-Sen]

This is one of the best diy nanoleaf I've watch, don't get me wrong other tutorial also did a great job but your is perfectly diffuse unlike others that you can see individual led. I really like diffuse light, not the light that blasting straight on my face.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it and appreciate the support buddy! I'm the same way, I like the lights to be soft and with a nice even glow!

[@BTFLIGHTING]

🔥Awesome Project! Too much details

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks! And thanks for the amazing ws2812b lights! Yeah, it is very long. I might put together a condensed version with no talking so it would be much shorter. Thanks again!

Amazing video! Just subscribed!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thank you so much!! Appreciate the support buddy!

[@sadatehini6824]

Hi i'm don't understand all because i'm french and i don't speak english well but i like what you do , Continues comme ça t es géniale 👍

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks buddy!! Appreciate the support!

[@JonathanBroadus]

Dudeee I love your videos keep it up😊

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thank you!! Appreciate the support buddy! Glad you enjoy!!

[@davidwarner1728]

you deserve more subs dude

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks buddy! Appreciate the support! Hope you enjoy some of the videos!

[@Jarno_Technologies]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@michaelweston8569]

Love the video and the final look! Hope you don't mind a few comments (not criticisms): 1. I was surprised after all that great woodworking construction that you didn't cut channels for the LED cabling for a completely flush finish at the rear. 2. The effect looks stellar in the dark but for me the conduit kind of spoils the floating look. Did you consider fishing the wires though the stud wall? Similarly, having the mounting points hidden behind the triangles rather than those exterior L brackets? 3. Concerning power, there are functions in WLED that will tell you the actual power consumption on the fly and also allow you to throttle back by setting maximum current drain. This allows you to size the PSU and protect it in a situation where the LEDs could theoretically draw more amps than its rated value. 4. Personally I would have tucked the microcontroller inside the first triangle to avoid the need for a sacrificial pixel and since WLED can be updated over the air, there's no real need to have ready access to the USB port. That black LED acrylic though! I just bought some for future projects. Not only does it look terrific with the LEDs off, it acts as a diffuser too, so even with LEDs close to the acrylic the effect is awesome!!!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much for watching and the comments! I really appreciate it! You make very good points. If I were to do this again I probably would take the extra time to incorporate all your ideas as they would make the end results look better and more polished. I have never hid wires through the wall / studs but I imagine it would be very difficult which is probably why I have never done something like that yet. In your experience, is it hard?

[@michaelweston8569]

@@ChrisMaherDIY The technique is called cable fishing and it's become a popular way to get that clean look when mounting flat screen TVs on the wall. You've obviously got the skills and confidence to work with stud walls so I'm sure you'll find it a breeze. Most of my experience has been in industry (data cabling) but the same principles apply and I'm sure the Internet is awash with tutorials. Rods, tape, magnets etc. can all be found in hardware stores and online. If I can offer any advice, it's that gravity is your friend!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

@@michaelweston8569 thanks for the info! I might just have to give it a try. It would definitely make things look more clean during the day. Thanks again for the comments and for the reply! I do appreciate the feedback!

[@neermud1126]

ESP wifi board operating voltage is around 3.3V which is already less for the WS2182b LED data line.( 0.7 * Vdd ) = 3.5V. That is minimum that is required across data lines. So if the initial data line is huge thr Is further voltage drop which causes signal not to be recognised properly by WS2182b first LED which is than propagated further down the line. The first LED than step up the data signal when you attached it close to controller. The other solution to this is using logic level (3.3V to 5V ) shifters attached between controller and LED strip. That way you can have long data line connecting to your LED strip. Also I would recommend to add a resistor in your data line to limit the current so that your controller remains safe from any mishap in LED strip.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Appreciate the explanation! Super helpful! Where would I attach the resister? The wiring aspect of these projects I'm definitely learning on the fly so I am really thankful for the advice!

[@neermud1126]

@@ChrisMaherDIY between the controller and first rgb led on the data line. 200ohms should do fine.

[@Usurx]

can you write down the characteristics of the cut boards, I'm wondering about their dimensions

[@togicph4779]

Wow thats insane can you make some 3d panels

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks!! I wish I had a 3d printer! If I ever do, I'll have a lot of fun making some cool designs!

[@AtticPCGuy]

Great job! Been looking around this type of videos since I'm looking into building a diy nanoleaf wall too, and it's the only one I saw with that type of black acrylic. I swear though, being in Europe is horrid in terms of sourcing materials. I can barely find white/opal acrylic for a non eye-gouging price, let alone cool stuff like that. Definitely saving it for future reference though!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Yeah finding the materials is usually the hardest part of these projects. Good luck on your hunt! Thanks so much for watching! I appreciate the support!

[@superdau]

Search for "translucent black" or "tinted black" acrylic. There are enough alternatives available here in Europe. You could even just get tint film (used for windows/cars) and stick it on any glass or plexiglass for almost the same effect. You can also use mirror foil for another nice look (often called one way mirrors, but that's physically impossible; you just see mostly what's on the brighter of the two sides). The trick is always to keep the backside of the sheet dark (like the triangular boxes in this video do).

[@AtticPCGuy]

I did find a few options, it's crazily priced though. I emailed the company linked in this video, they quoted me at 100ish $ for the acrylic - though the shipping was 120$+ on its own, so I passed. Found a company here in the Netherlands - 300€+ for the acrylic alone. The US company would cut it in the shape i needed, this one wouldn't even do that. It's insane. I might as well buy the original Nanoleaf for that price lol. I found another company that sells the good old milky white / Opal acrylic for very reasonable prices, so I'll go with that. Took some deep searching though ^^

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

@@AtticPCGuy that is crazy how hard it it to find over there! At least all your hard work looking resulted in you finding something! Maybe you can start your own acrylic business over there since it seems like there are not many options lol

[@AtticPCGuy]

@@ChrisMaherDIY Apparently I could literally order it from where you got yours, have it shipped, and resell it for a for a 100€ profit with 0 work involved, so it probably wouldn't be a bad idea xD

[@alankarnitz283]

You are the led master. Not sure I could get comfortable with all the wiring you do. Would this plastic work for the small hex? Replace the plates? I can imagine with black you would ever see hot spots?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks buddy! Thanks for watching! I think the plastic would work great and I definitely might try making some more hexagons using this black acrylic. It just has such a cool look!

[@julianwilliams4936]

Awesome job, love the idea, what thickness acrylic did you use. Ive just watched a couple of your videos and im impressed with your down to earth easy to follow instructions and it all looks great.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks buddy! Appreciate it! Glad the instructions are easy to follow. The acrylic is 1/8th inch thick.

[@McTroyd]

It looks like the wire you're using here would be too thin for this tip, but in general, you can prevent the voltage sag by feeding the positive terminal at one end, and negative at the other end. That forces all of the electrons to take the same basic distance, and maintains uniformity. Plus, you only have to cable manage 1 conductor. You generally need thicker-gauge cable for best results at low DC voltages. Good stuff though! I guess I need to buy some acrylic now... 🤑

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for watching and the great feedback! I'm still very much learning on the fly when it comes to wiring and voltage so I appreciate the tips! Yeah the black led Acrylic is wild and looks so cool!

[@McTroyd]

@@ChrisMaherDIY It's really sci-fi looking. Might be a good base for steampunk as well.

[@bagboybrown]

"These L-shaped clamps idk what they're called", well. They aren't clamps, they're brackets. And because they form an angle, they're angle brackets. And because they're black, they're black angle brackets. Hope that helps for the next time you need to order some. =b

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Appreciate the comment buddy and thanks for the clarification! I never know the technical term for half the stuff i'm using lol. Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment buddy!

[@casualsnozz8021]

Nice video. You're showing experience from vid to vid. Did you use a special blade to cut the acrylic? You didnt get any cracks or melting?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks! I'm definitely learning something new with every project. I just used the same blade that came with the miter saw and it's the same blade I use to cut wood with so nothing special. There was surprisingly no cracks or melting. The white acrylic I used in other projects had very minimal melting but this black acrylic had none. Thanks again for watching!

[@haplopeart]

I was surprised you didn't just drill a small hole through to pass the wires from triangle to triangle. Backfill with black caulk to prevent light bleed through the hole.

[@thethomasproject]

How do I say it ... Awesome!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks!! Glad you liked the project and thanks for taking the time to comment. Hope you have a good one!

[@fraliexb]

Why didn't you drill a hole to pass the wires through each container? Or you could possibly router a wire channel.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much for watching! That's a good question! Looking back if I were to do this again, I would drill a hole like you mentioned! Not sure why I didn't lol.

[@MrFiedlerandi]

Maybe try to use a 470 Ohm resistor on the data wire to prevent your data disturbances.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks!! I'll have to try that next time! Appreciate the advice.

[@Phasefellatv]

Yo Chris you got skills man, I might have some questions cuz I want to do something in my fitness studio.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks again buddy! Appreciate the support! Glad you are liking the videos!

[@BeUnknown2]

Chris, I had seen this video and put back in a corner of my mind. Then it struck me I wanted use black plastic on an old, bland matrix. So I placed an order for a piece with four holes drilled in. This was a mire few days from this (2022) holiday rush. While wanted before the holiday, I believed there was no way. Wrong. UPS delivered it in an approaching winter storm. Perfectly multiple wrapped in layers of thick cardboard and clearly labeled, “fragile glass”. I thought it might have been a frame at first. Surprisingly economically priced, the drilled 25”x25”x1/8th, piece was sealed both sides with safety film, protected from finger prints or errant touches. I put smooth side inward so passing headlights wouldn’t create glare. Rough texture fine and perfect running edge to edge I turned up brightness to compensate for the black. Matrix patterns are generated by WLED 13.3SR. A good deal and quality product and service from tapplastics.com. Thanks Chris, good recommendation. Keep innovating

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment! Glad you had such a good experience with them! Also sounds like a sweet project!! If you have not, you should for sure make a video of how things look! I know I would love to see it!

[@atefbeshai8300]

Great job 👍 wondering which esp32 30p or 38p

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much! Actually for this project I used an esp8266!

[@Eroc.48]

I have some clear acrylic sheet that I have been using with Weld-On 4. Weld-On 4 is specifically used for gluing acrylic together. My question is, have you ever used Weld-On 4 with black acrylic? Curious if it has the same molecular bond as clear acrylic sheet for a potential project of mine.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for watching! Thats a great question. I have never used Weld-On 4 so i'm not sure. However, the black acrylic has 1 side that feels a little diffent then the normal acrylic i've used and then the other side feels the exact same as the stuff i've used before. If you end up trying it, let me know if it does work as i'd be curious myself!

[@Eroc.48]

@@ChrisMaherDIY I will let you know if I end up doing it. Thanks for the info!

[@platoscavealum902]

👍

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for the support!

[@clementmennecart8712]

Very nice project ! I need to make some of these now :D Sadly, we can't find those acrylic in Europe (I'm in France), and shipping to France in Tapplastics begin at 180$ for few sheets...

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Bummer! Yeah they are not very common here in the states either. I could not even find anything like them on Amazon. Thanks though for watching! I appreciate the support!

[@TheSnowwraith]

Maybe just use clear acrylic and cover it with car window tinted film? It's an extra stage, but should allow the light to come through. You might have to increase the brightness to compensate for the chosen % of tint you use.

[@NagoyaRR]

So is power coming from both sides of the LED strips?

[@JuanPerez-iu9vk]

😍

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Glad you enjoyed!!

[@gamegame-jv8vp]

Can this material be heated and shaped?

[@xerfanrx]

I want this but it is too thick for my small room, is there any way to make this thinner without the leds showing up from the front? also can this be linked to alexa? Thanks for the great vid bro.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much!! You could definitely try using some 2inch thick wood instead of 4 inch but my guess is you might see the lights underneath a little bit. I haven't tried it but with experimenting with! I also have not tried linking to Alexa but I believe I've seen videos on KZbin where you can do it. I'll have to look into that as well! Thanks again!

[@jp8479]

Do you think that a 30 led/m instead of the 60 led/m would have a good light coverage too?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thats a great question. My gut tells me it would not look quite as good but might be worth trying to see what you think!

[@RichDogOfficialMusic]

what kind of arcylic is that . i havent seen any black arcylic that can trasmit light like that?

[@ianandanastuart9659]

Question! I’m brand new to this, but is it possible to make these signs double sided? Or would that take away from the visibility of the LEDs during the day?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment! Great suggestion and You certainly could make these double sided and I think it would look very cool! You might need to make them a little bit wider to have the same effect (diffusion of led lights look more smooth with no hotspots the further away the led strip is to the diffuser. Hope that helps!

[@crisnmaryfam7344]

34:30 The distance you were trying to throw the signal wire. The others only need to detect current, that one needs to see specific values, so on a tiny wire, stretching that far, the signal degradation was too much. This and like you mentioned interference, any other signals in the room ect, and given its a Very tiny, unshielded wire.. its going to be easy to disrupt. Im guessing if you were to use a higher quality slightly thicker gauge wire, you would be able to negate the need for your other fix. Cool work around however.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks again buddy! You certainly sound like you have a lot of experience in this sort of thing!! Since this video, I now only really use 18 gauge wires and that seems to help out quite a bit. Thanks again!!

[@crisnmaryfam7344]

@@ChrisMaherDIY A lot of my experience comes from working with Cars and Motorcycles. Once upon a time I was an ASE certified mechanic. Ive since started learning the electronics side of things, micro circuitry soldering and otherwise. For the signal thing I just remembered a time when a customer replaced a piece of his wire harness on his engine with a cheap extension cord.. of course various gauge wire inside. Sensors did not like it one bit. Lots of wire looming later and she was like new. Also if you have ever messed car audio (or any higher end audio) unshielded wires, and cross talk are very much a problem. Sometimes you might even pick up the pulses from your spark plug wires or ignition coil leads in your speakers. Very undesirable.

[@veeci2468]

Good day Sir.. What kind of acrylic did you use? Translucent, opaque or frosted? Thanks.. Really love this project too..

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

This acrylic is unique and sold from the company I leave a link to in the description. However, if I'm using white acrylic, i go with the frosted which diffuses the light the best in my opinion!

[@veeci2468]

@@ChrisMaherDIY thanks much Sir for the response.. So sad that is hard to find that acrylic in ordinary store.. Especially here in our country.. But thanks..

[@ekremhyseni9214]

How do you change the lighting effects?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

I'm just using WLED installed on an esp board. Its pretty simple to do and the program is amazing! Here is a couple videos I made showing you how to do that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ioCon3mBgdJsidk kzbin.info/www/bejne/ommyfpxtiLKjp9U

[@notserp1024]

Hey Chris I am not sure if you said it or not, but do these lights connect to Alexa? If not, which lights would you recommend for this project to allow Alexa to turn the lights on and off?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

These lights can connect to Alexa but that is done via the WLED program that installed on the esp board. I know its possible to do but I have yet to do it myself so I am not of any help. My suggestion is to just type in to youtube WLED Alexa and I'm sure thee are some videos out there walking you through the steps!

[@superdau]

Using those jumper wires for power delivery isn't the best idea (fine for the micro controller, but not the high current of all the LEDs). The wire gauge is usually very thin, the crimp at the male/female end often badly done and the pins themselves don't really fit the other connector. That adds up to a comparatively high resistance and big voltage drop with the high current the LEDs will use. That means the GND at the LEDs is not the same voltage as the GND at the micro. This is very likely the main reason why you had glitches, because it messes up the voltage level of the data line so it is no longer in the required range to be interpreted as 1 and 0. Even worse, the voltage level jumps around depending on the amount of current the LEDs draw at any given moment. The brighter, the worse. For GND it is especially important to connect it to everything with as low resistance as possible (with connectors that are rated for the current or soldering, and no "signal-wire" AWG wires)

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much for the advice. I'm very new at this and wiring is something I'm very much learning on the fly. This all makes sense and glad I will be able to improve on future projects! Thanks!

[@tdmallet]

superdau, what's the fix?

[@superdau]

@@tdmallet Thicker wires and soldered connections (or at least connectors rated for the current). In detail you'd calculate the minimum wire cross section. Sound harder that it is, there are even online calculators for that. You just need the expected current (e.g. 2A for a LED strip), the wire length (1m for example, remember you to count both directions, so double the cable length) and the maximum allowed voltage drop (around 0.1V should be okay). That will tell you the minimum wire gauge. The main culprit in this case will be the connections though.

[@darrenvath4532]

I need to get better at soldering, my pen sucks tho! Wiring these together to address them still confuses me

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Yeah, soldering does take a little practice and having the right tools makes a big difference. I did make a soldering video that hopefully does a good job at showing how to do it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6G2q2aEjb6frpo The biggest thing though is using good solder. The stuff I use in the video works great!

[@darrenvath4532]

@@ChrisMaherDIY thank u I'll male sure to watch that

[@alexosow]

I am doing something very similar to this, but with 900 pixels, so 57A. I was wondering if I would need to increase my wire sizes for everything since it is more current?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

I've never had an issue with small wires but I also never have my lights on for a very long period of time and never have a need to run them at full brightness. I would say in general, thicker wires are better. In all my new led projects I am using and loving some 18guage silicone wires and they are working great: amzn.to/3KtISgE

[@alexosow]

@@ChrisMaherDIY Ok so I should probably return my 10 gauge wire 😂

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

@@alexosow 😂 I mean you can certainly try using them!!

[@alexosow]

@@ChrisMaherDIY I would but idk how I'd connect the wire with it being so thick

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

@@alexosow lol yeah I'm not sure how much thicker you can even get than the 18 gauge. I think 18 is the perfect size!

[@Csheff56]

How many pieces of acrylic did you go through?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for watching! I think it was around 12 or 13 for this project!

[@greenangelenterprises1657]

I wish I could find u on other social media

[@vishnu_mk_]

how does the black acrylic aloows light to pass, the one i get here doesnt pass any light through

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

That's a great question! I have no idea how it works but it's a special kind of black acrylic. I don't know if it's only available in the United States but I left a link in the description for where I bought the black acrylic I used.

[@evangohring814]

Where do you get your black acrylic?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Here is the website I found it on! Unfortunately I have yet to see a product on Amazon. www.tapplastics.com/product/plastics/cut_to_size_plastic/black_led_sheet/668 Thanks for watching!

[@zakogk7651]

Can you control color of this led strip?? and great job

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for watching! Yes you can using the WLED app. Very easy to set up and the color options and personalizing is limitless.

[@zakogk7651]

@@ChrisMaherDIY thank you bro keep going

[@FreshBeastieKid]

Can the acrylic be laser cut?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

That's a great question! I'm assuming it can be laser cut but I'm honestly just guessing because i don't have a laser cutter.

[@slimtimmy13]

I love it but man the black acrylic is so expensive. It looks better than the lights you can already buy but the cost is killer. I've been searching to see if there is a cheaper company to get bigger sheets if possible but no luck

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for watching! I appreciate it! Are you in the United States?

[@slimtimmy13]

@@ChrisMaherDIY yes sir I am!

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

@@slimtimmy13 let me know if you find any less expensive options and I'll keep looking myself as well!

[@slimtimmy13]

@@ChrisMaherDIY will do I appreciate it

[@slimtimmy13]

@@ChrisMaherDIY do you happen to know roughly how many feet you used of it? I've found some and as you buy more 12x12 squares the price gets cheaper.

[@Joni_11_06]

What Material did you use for the back?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

I just used some plain white thick cardstock paper. Nothing special.

[@Joni_11_06]

@@ChrisMaherDIY OK thanks

[@rubhaganthbs4436]

Does RGB led individual light-up every single led in strips ? Because the colour was traveling from one end to another If yes can you send me a link ?? Because I have am rgb which change the whole strip colour at once

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for watching! Yes, every led light can be any color at any time depending on what look you are going for. Using the led lights I'm using and controling them using WLED makes for a very customized experience.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

There is a link in the description to the led lights that I used. Thanks again for watching!

[@rubhaganthbs4436]

@@ChrisMaherDIY I just saw but I am from india I can't get it delivered

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

@@rubhaganthbs4436 if you search for ws2812b I'm sure you can find some place that sells those led lights. They are very common and hopefully not too difficult to find in India.

[@bovlap]

You're god

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for watching buddy!!

[@pcgamingworld9942]

i am from sri lanka 😁

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Hello from the US! Thanks for watching!

[@eleazarglynna.polintan6970]

Do you accept orders?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Maybe if I ever lose my day job I will! Just a fun hobby for now :) Thanks though! Appreciate the support!

[@szymonzak6681]

ps vita?

[@CarieSaad]

U should've drilled a half inch hole through the wood to channel the wires through & before connecting each of the 10 sets of 52 LED's instead of using electrical tape to tape the wires to the wood. They're called 'L-shaped brackets' & u should've added a couple at the bottom for support.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

That's a great idea! For sure would do that if I made it again. Thanks for the tip!

[@CarieSaad]

@@ChrisMaherDIY no problem

[@tinkermind]

Nice Project. ⚠ BUT please do not use those tiny wires to feed in power (15:33). They can only handle at max 4A over that short distance, not the 15A the power supply can deliver. The dual power injection helps, but this is still a fire 🔥 hazard and i don't want to see your channel gone.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks so much for watching and the advice. I just updated the description to let people know to used thicker wires. Do you think using 18 awg wires to connect power to the ESP2866 board is good enough or do you recommend thicker wires than that?

[@zsavage1820]

UM... Why wouldn't you make the dado cut first instead of doing each one , one at a time... seems kinda a lot of extra work... just curious

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

If I'm remembering correct, if I did the long cut first, since after ever angled I would have to flip the board to get the correct angle on the next one resulting in the dado being on the outside instead of the inside. Now I could have just cut off a small chunk of the wood to make the correct angle but at the time either I didn't think to do that or I didn't want to waste the wood on the extra cut. My guess is I probably just didn't think to do that since it would have save me a lot of time lol. If that doesn't make sense, I love this guys channel and he did it the way you suggested on the hexagons. Start watching at the 6 minute mark to see what I mean by the little wasted wood on the extra cut. kzbin.info/www/bejne/on_GpIdreb-dd68

[@zsavage1820]

@@ChrisMaherDIY LOL he got it half right... but with a compound miter saw you angle the blade, not the bed.. if you know what I mean.. kzbin.info/www/bejne/joPInmqEZbuGotk Just some fyi.. I'm in my 60's and retired custom cabinet maker.. :) and I still have all my digits hope this helps ..

[@Cosmoandcracker]

Good video, but dude - 10 Ads in 30 min. Too much.

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Yeah i'm not sure why it was so many on this one!

[@painxninja8754]

👍

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks!

[@benedictcalantoc1704]

Do you need to program the WiFi board?

[@ChrisMaherDIY]

Thanks for watching! All you do is install WLED on the board. I left a couple links in the description that I watched that walked me through how to do that. Its SUPER easy to do and is completely free.