HEXALEAFmini

thingiverse

I saw nerdforge's video, but I didn't have enough space to hang their hexaleaf against the wall. So I made this smaller version using an arduino nano with the fastled or neopixel library. This isn't a detailed guide on how to put everything together, but photos speak louder than words. You can connect hexagonal boxes to make any shape you want by placing them next to each other and using the "HEX connector." To do this, simply cut or break out the thin walls on the side of the hexabox. I used one hexagonal box as a power source with room for the arduino nano and an adapter connection. Then I placed them on a sheet of plywood, marked the shape from the outside, and sawed it out with a jigsaw. After painting the plywood black and screwing in the boxes, you can mount LED strips with WS2812 LEDs. I have eight strips with eleven LEDs each. For looping through 5V and data IN and OUT, I used small pieces of printed circuit board. To keep everything in place, use hot glue. Glue the lids and insert together using clear PLA, then superglue them. Keep in mind that the number of screws is increasing rapidly, but you usually buy them in packs of 100 or 200 pieces. Be mindful of the power consumption of the LEDs; for example, I measured 800mA max with 88 LEDs. PARTS: WS2812 LED strip: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=WS2812&_sacat=0 ADAPTER Socket: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=DC+Power+Supply+Jack+Socket+Female&_sacat=0 Arduino Nano: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=Arduino+nano&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=DC+Power+Supply+Jack+Socket+Female