How to build a LED mood lamp/ Solder Safety light

Picture of How to build a LED mood lamp/ Solder Safety light
How many times have you burned down your house because you forgot to turn off that Soldering Iron or glue gun? Well I have never burned down my house (and hopefully you haven't either) but in this instructable I am going to teach you how to build a LED mood light that can also be used a Solder Safety light. Basically you can plug this light into a power strip that has your soldering iron and glue gun plugged into. That way you will see the light on your way out reminding you, that you forgot to turn off your soldering iron and or glue gun. This is a cheap, easy, safe, and quick instructable that most people will enjoy.
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Step 1: Materials and Tools

Picture of Materials and Tools
Electrical tape- Any kind will do as long as it is an insulator.
LED- Any color or size. I used a 10mm RGB (Red, green, blue)
Wall Wart/ Power supply- This is really important. Make sure you have one that supplies the correct voltage and amperage. I used an old one I found in my basement.
Input: AC 120v~60 Hz 4W
OutPut:DC3v--- 200ma 0.6 VA
Wire Cutters and Strippers
I used my MAKE: Warranty Voider - Leatherman "Squirt" E4 (electronics version) Pocket multitool. (BTW this is the best Mulitool I have ever owned!!!) Its the best!

Step 2: Prepare the Wall Wart

Picture of Prepare the Wall Wart
The First thing you have to do is cut off the plug at the end of the wall wart. Then separate the the wires and strip then. Strip about 2cm off of each wire.
lpdunwell4 years ago
also an unregulated wall wart with the specs 3V/200mA will output 3V if you actually use 200mA. Free running (~0mA, or 20mA etc.) it WILL be more than 3V...
Timmy P6 years ago
how do you get it to change colors?
You use an RGB LED with a microcontroller (ie Arduino). He didn't explain how to use it here.
akatsuki6666 years ago
you guys are smart. can i hook up a rgb led in parallel with the different colors such as: green to red , red to blue . and blue to green pls respond ty.
Patrik7 years ago
Ah - the Soldier Safety Lamp - how to protect our boys in Iraq with a simple LED!

Hint: "solder" does not have an "i"...
joejoerowley (author)  Patrik7 years ago
Damn it. Now I feel stupid. well thanks. i changed it.
That's ok, it gave me a chuckle on a cold and dreary morning. ;-)
Thank you, I thought they were spelt the same, myself :P
Spelt is spelled with a t.

Ok, I'll shut up now... ;-)
well k i messd

Sorry :P
Cool concept. Thanks.
Smart. I always do this with the 9volt thing.. but I don't cut it open. I just put the LED in it.. and it works. But, last night I was bored, so I did that. The green LED turned yellow. Then orange. Then red. Then smoke started coming out. Then more. Then more. It was getting really red and blackish. I took it out with my fingers really fast. Too bad, it was super hot.
The thing was still smoking after that.
A waste of an LED, but a fun 2 minutes!
joejoerowley (author)  GorillazMiko7 years ago
Yeah. Thats not a great idea. I imagine you used a way over powered power source. Not a good idea. You are lucky that it did not explode into tiny molten hot plastic shrapnel bits. Now thats how you put an eye out. :) Be careful I dont want to lose another instrutabler.
gamer7 years ago
what voltage/amperage was the wall wart?
joejoerowley (author)  gamer7 years ago
As it said in the instructable AC-DC Input: AC 120v~60 Hz 4W Output:DC3v--- 200ma 0.6 VA
joejoerowley (author)  joejoerowley7 years ago
that mean 3 volt and 200 mil amps . Thanks
thats 10 times as much as ur led can use, its dangerous, and i personally know that when it says 3 volts, its really 5 and a half witha small load, u should consider resistors, or better yet, lm317. -gamer
joejoerowley (author)  gamer7 years ago
Yeah. You probably right. Maybe it would be safer to run a few LEDs in parallel to the power source.
no, i dont mean that, but if you wanna do that, put a resistor oneach individual led
Patrik7 years ago
Wait, so this is just a LED hooked up directly to a wall wart? If so, it's rather ironic that you demonstrate it pliugged into a power strip that already has a warning light!

Two suggestions for improvement:

- Instead of cutting off the 3V power plug from the adapter, buy a female 3V plug and hook up the LED to that. This way, you can still use the wall wart for other uses if you need to.

- As always, a current limiting resistor in series with your LED is highly recommended - it will prevent the LED from burning out, and thus greatly extend its lifespan.