Homemade Fiber Optic Lamp

Fiber optic lights feature optical fibers that have pulses of light sent through them. Typically, the light will be emitted at the tip of the fiber and will appear to glow. Since the light passes through a flexible fiber, you can make various types of lamps with unique shapes and sizes.

Fiber Optic Design

Fiber optics function by transmitting light from a light source through a thin rod of transparent material, emitting light at the end of the rod. The key to a fiber optic is that the material needs to have a "high refractive index," which limits the amount of light that is lost as it passes through the fiber. Materials such as glass tend to reflect the light inward, rather than outward. Nonetheless, many fiber optic cables are made from a UV-cured acrylic (plastic) composite.

Suggested Materials

Fiber optics use flexible material, typically a high-density plastic that can be manipulated to fit any shape or size. In turn, a homemade fiber optic lamp can have a variety of shapes. There are key components that you will need to construct a basic homemade lamp. Of course, you will need multiple strands of fiber optic cable. Also, you will need a "light source." An LED or light-emitting-diode, will be your light source, and you will have to obtain a 9-volt battery to power the LED. Fiber optics tend to be quite thin, so you will likely need various ties and wires to either group your fiber optic cables into a combined light source or various groupings of light sources.

Construction

You can obtain a fiber optic kit that already has the wiring completed for turning the LED on and off. If not, you will need to construct your own basic on/off switch for the LED, which involves connecting the 9-volt battery to a resistor, and then wiring from the resistor to the LED lights and to an on/off switch.

You will need to connect the LED to various fiber optic cables to ensure that the LED light is being "transmitted" through the fiber optic cable. You can do this by simply collecting all of the fiber optic strands together (most likely at the base of the lamp) and taping them to the LED light source. This will force the LED light through the fiber optic cables. You can create a thin, clear, plastic tubing to cover the fiber optic cables and the taping that you created to attach the LED and fiber optics. This clear plastic tube can function as the "stand" of your lamp.

Tags: fiber optic, fiber optic, fiber optic cables, light source, optic cables