Portable Acrylic edge backlit sign

cults3d

This is a fun-gift for one of our neighbor-friends celebrating his 50th year anniversary. Although he doesn't speak Polish, he likes to greet everyone by saying "Zapraszami do Bufetu" (his way of inviting guests to the liquor bar). So, the idea was to create a rechargeable portable edge-backlit sign that can be used indoors or in his gazebo and work throughout the evening. The device runs for four to five hours on a full charge and can be charged using a phone charger via micro-USB. The rechargeable battery used is Panasonic NCR18650 (unprotected) with solderable contacts, which I purchased from a reputable local electronics store. As for the charger and protection board for the battery, I used an eBay item: Dual-USB 5V 1A 2.1A Mobile Power Bank 18650 Battery Charger PCB LCD Display DIY. However, it required modifications as per this guide: http://arduino-geiger-pcb.blogspot.com/2017/03/cheap-but-all-inclusive-solution-how-to.html. To minimize the occupied volume, I removed the two big USB ports and accurately desoldered them. It's essential to first cut the pins and then carefully destroy these USB ports to preserve their connection pads for further use with the step-up converter. To raise the voltage to 12V for the LED strip, I used this adjustable boost/buck step-up/down converter module from eBay: DC-DC Adjustable Boost Buck Step-Up Down Converter XL6009 Power Supply Module. The LED strip is a 6W/meter RED variety. While any 6mm acrylic sheet would likely work, I opted for a super-transparent sheet made of Plexiglas 0E010 with 92% light transmittance. Additionally, I used an aluminum U-profile as a heatsink for the LED strip, although it's probably unnecessary. The external measurements are 11mm x 20mm x 220mm with an internal gap for the LED strip of 7mm wide and between holding teeth of 6mm. Some M3 screws were also used in the process.