Easy to Print Prusa 3D Light Bar

This light bar will not let you down!

Many of the other light bar projects are flimsy or too complicated for everyday usage. Why spend an entire day printing & making a light bar?

Many of the parts you probably already have in your parts bin today.

You have two LED options, although both will require the following supplies:

1) LED Strip (I used a 12V High CRI version)
https://amzn.to/3qpqiMn
or
https://amzn.to/3lgyhdx

2) LED Aluminum Channel (I like these, they are solid quality)
https://amzn.to/3v2ofBf

3) Rocker Switch (Get a bag of them, you'll find plenty of times you need a solid switch)
https://amzn.to/3kVenVt

4) An old USB Cord (this may come with your 5V LED strip)
https://amzn.to/3eDpwJi

5) A USB wall adaptor (I like these, they are well isolated and of great quality)
https://amzn.to/38CUGgm

And, pick one of these two options:

Option 1: 12V LEDs

There are more choices in the 12V LED strips than in the 5V, so I went this path. Although, if you are going to buy all of the parts to build this LED light, I'd recommend just buying a 5V LED strip because it will save a few steps.

Using a 12V LED strip, you also need a DC Boost module like this one: https://amzn.to/3eeU04l

Option 2: 5V LEDs

With a 5V LED strip, you can skip the boost module and plug them directly into a USB outlet. There are no downsides to this design, except your LED selection will be more limited.

Depending on the LED strip you buy, it may already have a connector on it. In all cases, that connector will need to be desoldered before we go forward. Cut the heat shrink tubing, add a little fresh solder, and the leads will pop right off.

I like to clean off the old solder with a little solder wik, although that is not always necessary. You can always cut the last LED off and get a fresh pad to solder on.

Measure the LED strip and aluminum channel based on how you want to mount this on your printer. In my case, I cut them both at about 35cm (13.5 inches). Make sure you cut the LED strip where it is marked. This is especially important for 12V LED strips.

Now you want to add a small piece of wire, roughly 45cm (18 inches), to the LED strip and add new heat shrink tubing. Ideally, use a black & red wire to know which is which later on when we wire up the circuit. We are going to leave these a bit long, for now, to help with the installation.

Heat shrink tubing is required because the aluminum channel is conductive. If you don't have any heat shrink tubing, place a piece of electrical tape between the end soldered end of the LED strip and the aluminum channel before using the self-adhesive backing on the LED strip to mount it properly.

When printing the parts, make sure that they are lying down on their sides for the best print. There are channels on the inside for the wires, and they are designed in a way that will print just fine.

I printed one with a switch and one without a switch, although you could print two with switches and leave the second one unpopulated. Both have a channel for the wires and room for the DC Boost board, although we will only be running wires through one of them.

Also available on Thingiverse here.

There are a few ways that this can be wired up. I'm going to cover two of them.

Option 1 (12V with a DC Boost module)

Wiring the 12V LED strip does require a small DC Boost module, but it's not too complicated. There are two ways that this can be wired up:

a) Wire the DC Boost module on the switch side of the toggle switch. This is what I did. This means that when switched off, there is no power going to the DC Boost module. It's not a big deal, but this would be considered a better way to wire the module.

b) Wire the DC Boost module on the power side of the toggle switch. This would keep the DC Boost module always powered even when the switch is off. While this isn't a big deal, it does make the wiring easier.

I have provided a wiring diagram for both of these options.

Option 2 (5V with no DC Boost module)

Wiring the 5V LED strip is very straightforward. We want to place the switch in line with the ground or black wire. While we want to run the positive or red wire directly from the USB plug to the LED strip

I have provided a wiring diagram for this option as well.

By now, it is probably obvious how the final assembly gets made. I would recommend following these steps:

a) Add the aluminum channel's defuser to the channel, making sure it is nicely lined up on both ends.

b) Carefully slide the aluminum channel with the wire onto the 3D printed arm. Make sure that the wires are nicely lined up and tucked insight. You can adjust the channel's length that extends past the arm to make sure that the wires are held taught.

c) Tuck all of the wires in around the switch and snap it into place. This is a solid, tight fit and may require some constant pressure on a solid surface.

d) Now, pull the wires taught by the DC Boost module. Hopefully, you don't have too much extra wire. If you do, adjust the wires as necessary and re-solder.

e) Push the DC Boost module into the void, carefully not to break any solder joints. If done correctly, it should fit without a lot of effort.

f) I added some hot-glue to the end to keep the DC Boost module in place and provide strain relief for the USB plug.

g) Mount on your printer & enjoy printing with LIGHT!