18" Ring Light MKII

thingiverse

My wife wanted to buy one of these online products to enhance lighting for her eyelash extensions, taking pictures of our kids, creating videos for Instagram, and more. I had LED light strips, an AC adapter, and a spare light stand on hand, so I offered to try designing one myself. I built it, and this version is an improvement over my first attempt. This one fits together tighter, flexes less, has fewer parts, and the hinge is a major upgrade. You can see my initial larger design here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3190704. The .STLs are high-resolution, so assembling everything should be straightforward. The ring requires six segments to complete. Be strategic about how you assemble the pieces to avoid getting stuck with one piece that won't fit into place. I paired them up and then attached all three sets at once. I used epoxy to bond the ring together and applied some to the light strip to keep it in place, as the manufacturer's adhesive starts to fail. A random nut and bolt were handy for the hinge (1/2"-20 x 3.0" Bolt). I also created a model of a bolt/nut set that you can try printing and assembling. I haven't tested them yet, but they're close to the right size. So if needed, you could print them and head to the hardware store to find the same nut and bolt.