Solar Light for 4x4 Vinyl Fence Post

thingiverse

I decided to repurpose parts from a $1 Dollar Tree solar light and design a cap for a 4x4 vinyl fence post. The entire assembly requires no support since everything is angled at 45 degrees, including the inside overhang area that typically needs support. No soldering is required; simply remove the old electronics, break the black case to get the wires out (without cutting them), and you're good to go. The battery terminals fit into mounting slots just like the original Dollar Tree design, and the terminal spring holds the battery in place, along with the solar panel. The LED light board gets clipped onto the battery. The picture may look brighter than it actually is. I designed this cap using clear PLA for the first two layers of the window area where the solar panel is exposed to sunlight, but white PLA works just as well for the entire thing. The window area is only 0.4 mm thick, and surprisingly, it doesn't lose much current when switching from a clear PLA window area to white PLA. Print one clip and one solar light cap for each Dollar Tree solar light you have. There are two versions: BatteryTerminal_8.01_Wide and BatteryTerminal_9.65_Wide, accommodating the varying terminal widths on older and newer Dollar Tree lights. For assembly, first place the solar panel in its mount area. The solar panel has one side with a lip to hold it in place, while the other side relies on the battery for support. Next, insert the battery terminals into their respective mounting points. Then, place the battery into its designated space. Mount the charge board from the old electronics into the clip holder designed specifically for it. A small bulge in the clip holder aligns with a hole where a screw used to secure the circuit board. When you slide the board into the clip, it should snap into place. Finally, snap the board and clip onto the battery, securing it in place. I added an aluminum foil tool on 2020-01-08 for easier installation of aluminum foil inside the light post. This reflects more light upward, reducing absorption by the internal 4x4 post. You can leave the tool in place or remove it as needed. Notches have been cut into the light to accommodate this feature. Please provide feedback on the standardization of solar panels and circuit boards across Dollar Tree lights in the US, as I only have local versions available. If you have access to different countries' Dollar Tree lights, let me know if they're consistent or not. The internal dimensions of Dollar Tree solar lights are unknown, but based on my local purchases, the solar panel is approximately 35.7 x 29.7 X 3.23 mm, and the LED/charger circuit board wafer is around 10.7 x 18.7 x 1 mm. Use the TestDimensions.stl file to test your extrusion settings before printing. The Dollar Tree lights I purchased were consistent in design and electronics. If you encounter a light with different solar panel dimensions, please let me know. You can find more information about these solar stakes at https://www.dollartree.com/garden-collectiondiamond-textured-black-solar-stake-lights-14-in/302600. I got the idea to repurpose Dollar Tree lights from CHEP on YouTube.