Imagine being able to foster the perfect indoor environment for your small plants or bonsai trees? Lighting conditions are crucial for plant growth and what if there was a way to make a customized, scalable, and affordable grow light at home? Today, we’ll embark on an enlightening journey towards crafting a do-it-yourself, Cree Pie-Tin Dimmable LED Grow Light. With surprisingly simple materials like standard LED house lights and a pie tin, you will soon be brightening up your indoor garden with your very own $10 grow light.
This guide explains how to disassemble LED house lights and wire them to a pie tin with credibility and fun. It takes into account safety precautions and throws a light on the possible mishaps, suggesting alternatives for those with no soldering experience. Brace yourselves, plant enthusiasts, as this knowledge-harvest nudges you that much closer to your ideal indoor garden.
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Introduction
Today, let’s unravel a cinematic tale of DIY prowess, an epic saga of defying the limits of store-bought options and weaving magic with our hands. We’re about to take you on a thrilling adventure to create our own Cree Pie-Tin Dimmable LED Grow Light. This nifty little setup is perfect for those of us who can’t find a light that meets our needs online. In our tale, we transform standard LED house lights and an ordinary pie tin into a fantastic, dimmable grow light that costs no more than $10.
Overview of the Project
Project aim: Creating a Cree Pie-Tin Dimmable LED Grow Light
Imagine a tree, not just any tree, but a bonsai tree, craving the artificial sunshine of our crafted LED grow light. Working on an LED grow light project of this scale and affordability is not only a creative endeavor but also one that satiates our curiosity about the wonders of LED technology.
Affordability and scalability of the project
Yes, affordability. Our DIY project requires a modest investment of a mere $10 to bring a phantom sketch to life. However, the degree of sophistication of this pie-tin grow light is entirely in our hands. We could keep it simple or add intricate details, choosing the austerity or grandeur of the finished product. This project is also highly scalable, meaning we can increase its size, given we don’t exceed 1500 watts.
Maximum wattage limit
While venturing deeper into the land of DIY creativity, our exploration is curbed by a signpost which reads, “maximum wattage 1500w.” It’s the boundary that keeps us safe while playing with electrical components.
Importance of efficient thermal management
Thermal management is our guardian angel in this quest. As our creation grows in size, its thirst for efficient heat distribution increases. We need to make sure the lights are spaced properly for better dispersion of heat, preventing our contraption from having a literal meltdown.
Disclaimer and Safety Precautions
Responsibility of the video creator
Remember, we are merely the narrators of this inspiring DIY tale. We take no responsibility if your version of the story takes a sudden, tragic turn leading to fires or electrocutions.
Warning against mishaps
This video is intended for entertainment and inspiration. It drips with danger for those lacking the necessary soldering and wiring skills.
Soldering and wiring skills
Soldering and wiring are not mere skills. They are sublime art forms, and if not practiced safely, they can lead to unwanted consequences. If you aren’t familiar with these arts, lamp sockets can be your saviors.
Alternative option: Buying lamp sockets
The humble lamp socket is a contingency plan, a safety net for those who cannot dabble in the complex dance of soldering and wiring. Spend a little more money and order lamp sockets, if the thought of soldering and wiring makes your hands unstable.
Key Steps in the Project
Step 1: Removing the diffuser dome from the lights
The first act in our epic quest involves toppling the dome-shaped monarchy of the lights. Yes, we need to delicately remove the diffuser dome to pave the way for the rest of our adventure.
Step 2: Choosing the LED house lights
Next, we step into the bustling market of LED house lights. Two rivals stand out among the fray, Cree and EcoSmart lights, in both warm white and cool white versions. They are both formidable contenders, flaunting affordability and efficiency.
Step 3: Disassembling the lights and accessing the diodes
Armed with the chosen LED house lights, we unscrew, unmount and pry them open to reveal the underlying diodes. It’s like disassembling our ship to seek the treasure hidden within.
Step 4: Wiring the diodes to a pie tin
With our treasure in hand, we correlate our requirements with the pie tin, wiring the diodes to it. It’s akin to drafting a plan of our soon-to-be castle on the barren, pie-tin land.
Step 5: Using jb weld quick weld
The next step involves the wizardry of jb weld quick weld. It helps us bind our components together, solidifying our growing masterpiece.
Step 6: Covering exposed metal parts for safety with high temperature, RTV Silicone
As a final touch to our epic quest, we use high temperature, RTV Silicone to armor our creation. It shields the exposed metal parts, warding off possible threats and ensuring the safety of our venture.
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Options for Final Light
Option 1: Creating a standing lamp
The final light could be a stalwart knight, standing tall and strong, casting its warm luminescence on its surroundings.
Option 2: Creating a hanging lamp with string or wire
Or, our creation could be a mystical chandelier, hung by a string or wire, hovering overhead and spreading a gentle glow.
Dimmable feature of the light
Dimmability is like a secret magical ability that our lamp possesses. This unique feature enables the light to mimic the varying intensity of sunlight, according to our needs and whims.
Advantages of Warm and Cool White Diodes
Broader light spectrum coverage
Warm and cool white diodes are like the yin and yang of our lamp’s soul. When combined, they provide a wider coverage of the light spectrum, shedding their own hues and creating an illusion of natural sunlight.
Comparison of Cree and EcoSmart lights
The Cree versus EcoSmart rivalry shows an interesting distinction. The Cree light has a slightly more yellow hue, while the EcoSmart bear a slight tinge of red color. This might be imperceptible to the untrained eye, but these minute disparities color our creativity.
Minor difference in coloration and resulting hues
The minor variation in color impression between the two kinds of lights adds a dash of complexity to our creation. Those subtle tones might influence the hues emitted by the lamp, making our grow light a true masterpiece.
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Ideal Use Cases for DIY LED Grow Light
Small plants and bonsai trees
Our LED grow light is the fairest in the land of small plants and bonsai trees. It’s their mystical sun, matching their growth needs and lighting requirements perfectly.
Unavailable appropriate products online
Our fabulous creation also serves as a beacon for those wandering the aisles of online stores in vain, failing to find the perfect grow light. For those who can’t find their dream grow lights online, this project is a ray of hope.
Conclusion
We embarked on an incredible journey through the creative realms of DIY. We chose, disassembled, wired, and crafted a simple pie-tin into an exemplary Cree Pie-Tin Dimmable LED Grow Light. Despite the diversity of results emerging from the use of different LED lights, our light caters immaculately to small plants, especially bonsai trees. The affordability and scalability of this project beckon every curious mind, making it worth the adventure. We’ve successfully unfolded our epic DIY tale, hoping it sparks a spark in every creative soul.
Presenting our DIY Cree Pie-Tin Dimmable LED Grow Light creation, a budget-friendly and scalable solution perfect for indoor plant lighting.
(First Broadcast – 4/25/19)
Our Banana Tree Bearing Fruit – • Homegrown Bananas and Our Cultivation Method
This project’s complexity totally depends on your choices. It can be made even more cost-effective and scaled up to any size, provided you don’t exceed 1500 watts. If you do decide to go larger, we’d advise spreading out the lights slightly more than illustrated in this video for optimal thermal management. Please be warned, we will not be held liable if you accidentally cause a fire or get electrocuted. This video is for entertainment purposes only.
Unless you have the necessary capabilities to solder or construct circuits safely, it might be safer to spend a bit more money and buy lamp sockets. The most important step here is simply to remove the diffuser dome from the lights.
Cree Lights –
Warm White Version
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Cree-60W-…
Cool White Version
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Cree-60W-…
EcoSmart Lights –
Cool White Version
https://www.homedepot.com/p/EcoSmart-…
Warm White Version
“Available at nearest Home Depot store. Doesn’t feature online at the moment.”
Epoxy-
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006O1ICY/…
Silicone-
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002UEN1A/…
Pie Tins-
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M2194W7/…
High Temp Paint-
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002JG01VQ/…
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