DIY Rayguns! | Bald Wisdom

I’ve been going to Arisia (one of Boston’s Science Fiction Conventions) for several years. I always have a great time, and it always amazes me the amount of volunteer effort that goes in to providing amazing programming for everyone. This year I wanted to give something back so I came up with the idea of people building rayguns.

(NOTE: My extra kits are available in my etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/listing/265475569/diy-raygun-kit)

Regular LED strip is super cheap when you order it from China. It normally runs off 12V, but a 9V battery lights it up just fine. I created a simple laser cut frame to put some LED strips, and then some cool laser cut acrylic disks to give it that groovy 50’s raygun look.

I bought most of the parts myself, but special thanks goes to my friend Jeremy Green at Charles River Maker for donating Laser time for cutting the kits. He’s your goto guy for design, prototyping and digital to physical services with laser cutting and lots of 3D printers!

A switch makes the trigger, and there’s a fin with holes to add decorations.

First cut a strip of LEDs. Mine consisted of groupe of 3 led sections.. Cut a strip of 5 sections, two sections on each side and one straddling the middle:

next glue on the handle “dimensional” bits. These are mainly to make a recess for the battery, and maybe wrap the handle. Super glue works pretty quick, but you could probably use wood glue or whatever is appropriate for your frame:

Glue the trigger button on, (kindof low, as the disks are pretty close. Actually I moved it down abit after I put the disks on (later step)

Line up the battery clip and shorten the leads to connect one end (I chose the red, positive wire) to the positive contact on the LED strip. A small wire went from the negative contact to the switch and the other lead of the switch to the negative lead of the battery clip.