Lithophane System

thingiverse

April 21, 2020 The base is the backbone of this project. Printed at a moderate infill level of 40% and with support for the battery compartment opening. At 40%, it takes approximately 18 hours and 15 minutes to print. It uses roughly 142 grams or 47.47 meters of material. The estimated material cost: $3.27 April 3, 2020 I finally had some time to design a no-solder base for this project. The LED board no longer needs to be soldered into the system. To assemble the unit, simply insert the wires through the wire chimneys in the battery compartment. Leave enough excess wire so that the battery pack can be removed and replaced with ease. The wires coming through the LED mount are trimmed equal to the top of the center post. Then bend each wire down through the opening and strip it. Stand the wire straight up again and bend the bare portion of the wire down into the opening for the LED board. Once the wire is most of the way into the opening, place the LED board at the very top of the holder and line up the wires with the outside pads on the board. Gently insert the board, ensuring that the wires stay on the pads. The LED will pinch the wires firmly in place. Push the LED board all the way into the holder. Original Post March 14, 2020 Lithophanes are a real showstopper! Take a picture, convert it, print, and you'll have an image with a stunning 3D effect that's sure to impress. I started out using someone else's design for my lithophane displays. In fact, I originally designed the base to be used with their design. After printing many lithophanes, I had a wish list of things I wanted to see in a display, so I decided it was time to try my hand at designing my own. -------------------------------------------------------- These are the components that will need to be purchased... Lighting - This is the LED board that's used for lighting. The current base requires soldering, but I'm working on a new design that makes assembly as simple as possible. Power - Originally, I considered using 4 batteries but decided on 3 instead. This battery pack will power the LED for many hours. To keep the battery pack in place, glue two 49mm pieces of fastening tape to the sides of the battery opening. -------------------------------------------------------- To help you convert your images, I've written and included a guide for cropping and converting an image into a lithophane.