“Neon” Logo | Petri Damstén

I saw a project on youtube that used a neon-like led strip. It looked so interesting that I searched for more. The projects that I found used CNC carved channels for the led strip. Since I don’t own or have access to CNC, I used a 3D printer.

My 3D printer is Prusa Mini, which has an 18cm x 18cm printing plate, so I knew I had to print this in multiple parts. First, I designed some test pieces to test fishtail joints, corner radiuses and strip fit.

When I got the measurements right, I printed the actual pieces. I glued the fishtail joints together with cyanoacrylate glue.

I started to assemble the sign directly to the wall. I used paper templates to get eyes close to their position. I drilled holes through the wall for the wires. It is a cabinet wall, so it is easy to get wires from the other side.

I tested the light first time on the wall. It fitted as planned. Channel is a friction fit, so I can get it in/out if I need it.

The neon strip is so bright it needed a dimmer. I installed it in the cabinet where the wires come from the other side.

For the final touch, I used wifi enabled smart plug to turn the “neon” light on when my computer is on. I made a python script to control the smart plug. It uses the TinyTuya library for communication. Sleepwatcher handles the sleep and wake-up events and runs the python script.

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