DIY: LED Illuminated PlexiGlass Sign

A DIY project making a LED Lit acrylic sign. Job done using a shapeoko 3, and a remote controlled LED strip.

[@JeffWatkinsPhotography]

This is exactly why I've been telling my wife I need a Shapeoko 3. I'll be sharing this later ;D I got a FSL laser laser year and have been using it to engrave Acrylic for edge lit plaques. Before that was my vinyl cutter and a sandblast cabinet. I've been wanting a better way to make nice stands and this is awesome. The laser is fast and efficient for vertical cuts, but the options opened up with a CNC/Mill and router bits is practically endless. Thank you! Great video!

[@PollyMotion]

+Jeff Watkins Thanks, Jeff 😊 How is engraving engraving acrylic with laser? Do you get more or less the same end result with regards to how the engraving lights up in the acrylic?

[@mrkooze]

What a sad situation!! it means She knows you ain't serious about anything if you have to ask your wife. Next time keep it to yourself we don't share such things.

[@lylet100]

Very nice!! I to have a Shapeoko 3 and just received the XXL expansion kit. I'm just learning to make plexiglass bottom lit signs, so many thanks for a job well done. The wood Inturn

[@PollyMotion]

+Lyle Tiahrt Thanks Lyle! I've thought about getting the expansion kit too, but right now I simply don't have the workshop space. Good luck with your signs!

[@mariosubasic8968]

Nice job! Can you please make a tutorial how you make the CNC program for the letters?

[@jackcrasco138]

that music drives me nuts!!!

[@videoraver]

Do the sides of the plexi-glass have to be polished or etched to get the edges lit up? Thanks

[@jeffreyallen3796]

What would happen if you painted sign back silver or put reflective window tint on it?

[@AAMGG]

Nicely done and recorded. Great job.

[@PollyMotion]

+AAMGG Thanks 😊

[@MacFly669]

Excellent Job !!!

[@elve44]

très bon tuto j'ai remplacé le bois par une impression 3d en PLA

[@drewd2801]

all that pro equip and build till the electrical thou! HAHAHAHA

[@itwasme3298]

Well that's very interesting if you have a CNC machine but I was hoping to get a glimpse of some hand work like etching glass back in the day but hey good work otherwise

[@PietroMaker]

Very good job

[@aminurtech]

Wonderful full video i like it

[@xfist2facex]

Really cool, I just have one suggestion. Paracord and some heat shrink would have cleaned those wires up at the end really nicely as the rest of the project is really clean.

[@PollyMotion]

Thanks! 😊 Yes, I agree. I should definitely look into beautifying the cables a bit.

[@matthewthomas6673]

If you built a bigger base you could hide the transformer in it. Also drill out a hole in the side for the finer cord to plug into

[@jbbarmy7615]

Very nice job

[@DenAndMug]

Very neat work, loving this! We just built our own LED sign too, great process!

[@KJ7JHN]

Nice build.

[@RGB-Sign-Board]

wow beautiful

[@Kracov_the_Madman]

I don't see how you're able to do this, but I hope you can help. I tried 2 different LED strips and they just can't properly light up my acrylic sign. Mostly it's a faint light near the top where the strip is. I can't get an answer from anyone else on YT who made these acrylic LED signs.

[@rockforever7268]

Awesome !!!! 😀

[@madMUMMAjax]

Can you tell me if the acrylic panel has to be touching the LED strip or not, or held away from it so it doesn't touch. In other words would this work if there was just a direct light source under the acrylic panel such as a light box?

[@PollyMotion]

+J. Mia Monroe Hi! The lights doesn't have to be in direct contact with the acrylic. But I would guess, the closer the better. In my case, there is 4-5 mm space between the LEDs and the acrylic. A light box of some sort should be fine if the light is fairly bright. But you should consider limiting the light so that it only lights up the acrylic from the edge. Perhaps putting in some kind of screen to block the light box from illuminating the flat surface are of the plexiglass. That said; I haven't really experienced much with other light sources. So this is more guesses than facts 😊 Good luck with your project, and thanks for your interest!

[@ravinkatiyarvlogs]

Nice video

[@jeremymcpherson9405]

Cnc routing on point Soldering and clean wiring skills...ummm... 1st day.

[@sitgesvillaapartmentneilsc7924]

great bit of cnc work in wood and plastic ruined by electricians tape, next time use the right fitting, they don't cost much and it showcases your lovely skill. Also with a little more work you could have of course made a wood cover cover for the leds and enclose it all but how far do you go for a led sign, good demo though, nicely presented. thank you for sharing.

[@1m1strsr911]

good job ... good info

[@naboulsikhalid7763]

Welcome to DIY pro. loved the work and ideas. enjoyable to watch. thank you

[@SLKAVEBROMUSICCOM]

What is the real name of this transparent glass type board.

[@donmallette8602]

Nice job.

[@daniel_1402]

what name of the machine used to make the drawing on acrylic?

[@MrLfarah]

CNC Router.

[@blackbeton3923]

Duse just get some heat shrink 😂, and programming your several gcode for the CNC cut, chamfer and surfacing seems a little bit too much , I think a simple router with a little side guide could be waaaaaaay easier and quicker (don’t know the stiffness of your CNC gantry but one pass manual router will do each job) . The result is nice though, I like acrylic led lamps 👍🏽

[@bryan2287]

Very helpful video. In using a dremel, what is the depth of scratch that I should carve in the acrylic for optimal results Thanks In Advance

[@PollyMotion]

Hi! A dremel should do just fine! I believe I used 0.2 mm depth, but the trick is really just to difuse the clear plastic. If you have a small spare piece, just try it out, and try exposing the edge to some bright light.

[@ledbuilderdotorg2888]

Very nice! Would make a great way to show off a team logo

[@PollyMotion]

+LED Builder.org Thanks, good idea 😊

[@JavedKachchhi]

Very nice

[@wellylhakim3619]

Nice job

[@aidanwansbrough7495]

Amazing!!

[@rodrigo125]

Hi! Great video! Do you mind sharing feeds speeds? maybe DOC? Thanks!

[@PollyMotion]

+Rodrigo Cardenas Hi Rodrigo! Thanks :) I don't have any doc, but I used 20 mm/sec feed rate. I'm not 100% sure, but I think I used 12000 rpm for the spindle speed. The carving was done with a pass depth of 0.2 mm. Unfortunately, I didn't have the best quality bits and plexi. When I tried to mill/cut the plexi on the cnc, the acrylic melted and clogged up my bit. I ended up with just cutting the edges with my jig saw. (As briefly shown in the start of the video.)

[@rodrigo125]

+PollyMotion Thanks!!

[@hydeane]

Nice job. What feeds & speeds are you using & is it a V Carve tool path? Thanks:-)

[@IrishChippy]

Now that is a nice tidy job, especially the bottom recess for the LEDs. The hot glue and taping up of the LED PS and controller could have been tidier, but am sure you redid this at a late date. Keep up the good videos, and maybe lose the sound :) I will subscribe regardless.

[@devendrabhonde2382]

Which no. Of cutter u used...plz give cutter names.....

[@fullspectrumrc5445]

Its not "DIY" if you need a CNC machine to do it hahah

[@PollyMotion]

+fullspectrumrc Well, you don't really need a CNC to do this. The key is to scratch the surface of the plexiglass so the light will illuminate the text or graphics. You can do this nicely with a dremel as well. The lines doesn't have to be "cnc perfect" in order to get a good result. But I like playing around with my small hobby cnc as much as possible. 😊

[@fullspectrumrc5445]

im joking mostly i have one too its an amazing tool

[@diepenispumpe7534]

DIY???? Fake !!! I have no cnc !

[@strikebr]

Those shapeoco cnc machine are very affordable, cost less than US$ 2,000. I use a US$ 30,000 at work, the big difference is the bed size, I work with a 3m x 2m work area...

[@TheGUNdalf]

i love especially those „diy tutorials“ where you need to have a 3d printer xD

[@rednotereso]

Nice work, where did you get the led strip ?

[@UYC.]

Good job

[@PollyMotion]

Thanks 😊

[@rosvalterpaz]

CAN YOU PROVIDE THIS VECTOR OF THIS LIGHT BASE

[@mnrgraphics2602]

nice work

[@drakesplexiglasschmiede5214]

Looks good, i make this handmade with an Proxxon Micromot :)

[@WayneRiesterer]

Brilliant!

[@PollyMotion]

+Wayne Riesterer Thanks 😊

[@jimmatthews6619]

Any idea how big of a board those 12v LED strips will light up. I'm not going to etch a board but it will be on a wall with graphics behind it.

[@JorgeMacau]

Amazing!

[@lukefiltz3328]

Thanks for wideo! :) When i started watching i heard french touch soundy music and it was amazing great till next song them, whoooaaaa i got insane :D

[@martinsu5800]

So easy!

[@arunbawa3847]

Konsi machine hai bro lwant to buy pls send me link

[@bitsurfer0101]

What was the total cost of this project?

[@tvannaman2000]

How did you set this up in Vcarve? I'm interested in the line patterns you have within the letters and around the controller. Are you using a texture or did you just manually put the vectors in there to follow?

[@PollyMotion]

+tvannaman2000 Hi! I didn't use any special engraving technique. If I remember correctly, I used a simple pocket toolpath, just giving it an angle, and 0.2mm cut depth.

[@tvannaman2000]

Did you use some kind of large step over to get the parallel lines within the text?

[@elvatoloco5460]

Lol DIY and the CNC make all Job!!!!

[@aguilargutierrez4]

Nice song

[@hollederpanda6582]

Donde consiges plexiglass

[@kaipung_tsiko_souvenir_admin]

What the name of the led acrilik remote. And where is the buying

[@NickCharlton0]

Cool! what program did you use to engrave the acrylic?

[@PollyMotion]

+Nick Charlton Thanks Nick 😊 I used Vectric in this project and a free font I found at dafont.com . The acrylic engraving is fairly simple, so I believe most cad/cam sw could be used to create the gcode for this project.

[@NickCharlton0]

+PollyMotion ah okay, it's the infill engraving I was curious about but yeh vectric is an awesome software suite!

[@ahsanijaz5010]

Is it possible for acrylic sheet?

[@shelby50411]

What type of led strips are you using and power supply?

[@sumitpahare2375]

Bhai ham esme mammy papa ka name or photo kese kar sakte he pizza sir bataye

[@meghnathjaina1406]

Can you advise me old digital watch circuit used New digital watch

[@RaveStrike]

I hate this song xD

[@ddryfu6749]

Miningzeus EVERY FUCKING VÍDEO ON KZbin HAS THE SAME SONG

[@DispennetteArtworks]

I agree ... yes every novice video maker uses it ...lol

[@jimpyu]

Seems like you watched too much diy videos too.😂

[@iamjcg4362]

Hi May I know your engraving machine?

[@paultaylor319]

Nice work but ruined by crap looking insulation tape

[@michael.simmons8335]

heat shrink would have been better, nice job otherwise

[@PST-rh4or]

Alles top gemacht und dann beim Kabel verkackt 🤦‍♂️

[@demontvenable9988]

Do you make those for people?

[@Apismeliffera]

Not really a DIY project unless you happen to have a CNC machine similar or exactly like yours.

[@foosblood24]

THIS ALL DAY!!! ^^^

[@rsrifix6579]

How can I get won made for my business love ur work

[@ashalpbrd]

is it possible DIY?

[@aeppikx]

you got me till you wrapped the hole cable in ugly tape^^ that ruins everything before

[@grahamhedrick6865]

I have to create​ my own circuit board?

[@MODzero556]

What is that little cnc

[@PollyMotion]

+MODzero556 The machine is a "Shapeoko 3". Just google the name and you'll find more info.

[@ed_ark3843]

What is the device used for etching in this video? the make and model

[@PollyMotion]

+Ed_Ark38 It's called Shapeoko 3.

[@LordDrachenblut]

what bits did you use in this and shaft collet is that you switched to?

[@PollyMotion]

+LordDrachenblut For the engraving part i used 3.1 mm collet (dremel size), with a cheep engravibg v-bit I found on ebay. I've used those bits for milling PCBs as well, and they do the job just fine. But probably won't last as long as the more expensive once... For the wooden base, I used 6mm collet if I remember correctly. Used a profile bit to get curved edges, and straight cut bit for the cut out. I also used a straight cut "flattening" bit to carve out the largest groove.

[@patrickmaldonado1768]

polly how long did it take to carve the image in the plexiglass nice.

[@PollyMotion]

+Patrick Maldonado Hi! Somewhere around 20 minutes.

[@abbigailsutcliffe6596]

ive had a cnc machine for about a year now.couldnt match the pins up with the pins on my computer.havent enven used it.thinking of selling mine.an ive noticed others or selling theres.would like more info on these if anyone can help.befor i give it up thanks

[@PollyMotion]

You should contact your vendor. Other than that, I can recommend posting your questions on one of the many CNC forums available online. Best of luck with your machine! Don't give up yet, CNC is fun :)

[@abbigailsutcliffe6596]

Thanks

[@user-ny6zm9pk1j]

Hey what software did you use to make that?

[@PollyMotion]

+Spartan Saber I believe I used Vcarve (if I remember correct) But you should be able to do this with most CNC SW. The fill pattern doesn't matter that much. As long as you "scratch" the plexi surface enough for the led light to reflect.

[@lewisthebus]

Can you use it to cut out gun parts like 80% lowers for AR15?

[@PollyMotion]

+Joseph Eliason I have no idea, sorry... Try posting your question on Reddit or a CNC forum.

[@jameswrinn8290]

Hey just wondering what software are you using for the CNC machine

[@PollyMotion]

+james wrinn I'm using a fairly basic control SW called "G-code sender". I've been meaning to try out a few others, but haven't gotten around to it yet...

[@jamesbond9873]

Where do you get the leds from?

[@bblloobb1000]

How deep is graving ?

[@chandanmaggavi3353]

what is the cost of this machine

[@juggalo4lyfe696]

It's not diy since alot of us don't have an engraving machine... And keyword DIY means without the aide of machines.

[@kashifjkm]

what Software is used?

[@shamsafroz4785]

very useful

[@axellbucell]

What the machine name

[@deepeshdeepesh]

How it can be made at home without CNC BNC?🤔

[@PollyMotion]

You should do just fine with a handheld dremel or similar. The trick is just to difuse the plastic.

[@hamboza010]

please i need to know the machine name and model and how much it cost ?

[@PollyMotion]

+EL NAYRUBY Hi! The machine is a Shapeoko 3. Please go to carbide3d.com for technical details and price info.

[@hamboza010]

thanks man

[@aniketpatil4286]

which machine use for naming

[@PollyMotion]

+Aniket Patil if you're referring to the CNC machine; it's called Shapeoko 3. It's made by a company called Carbide3d.

[@rtroiani]

May I ask what bit you are using on the Plexiglas?

[@PollyMotion]

+Rick Troiani Hi Rick! It's just a cheep 0.2 mm engraving V-Bit I got from ebay. They cost about 1-2 $ a piece.

[@PollyMotion]

+Rick Troiani Hi Rick! It's just a cheep 0.2 mm engraving V-Bit I got from ebay. They cost about 1-2 $ a piece.

[@rtroiani]

PollyMotion thanks!

[@frehleycomet]

how deep was the engrave part?

[@badtzmaruth]

hola que maquina usas es genial?

[@banglahiphop2508]

Hello bro how much your machine?

[@ghulamshabbir3691]

beautifull

[@brunojorgeperezgomes3645]

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@onurteker868]

gooooddddd

Muito bom! Very Good!

[@PollyMotion]

+MARSAPE ELETRÔNICA Thank you!

[@MrWingedBean]

Done hist ❤

[@harethti]

We dont have any machin cnc