2 fun lighting projects

This was a 1970something musical decanter I found at the flea market. These were very popular with folks who built bars in their basements and garages so they could entertain at home. This one played "How dry I am" when you picked up the decanter...

The first thing I did was strip out the music box and hit it really hard with a ball -peen hammer. (It didn't have anything to do with the mod. It just needed to be done.) Then I made another box to fit inside the bottom which holds 4 UV LEDs, power switch, a couple of resistors, and a 9volt battery.

After it was soldered and installed, I made a UV reactive liquid by soaking a yellow highlighter in 2 liters of water, filled the decanter, and turned it on.

Its essentially the same process I use for all my bottle lamps, but this is a mobile version. You can't really tell from the pictures, but this actually lights up a 10x10 room fairly well. I can't think of any way to describe it except as a night light on steroids.

While I was at it, I built an alien fetus in a jar for Halloween, which will sit on a rolltop desk with some assorted body parts in apothecary jars and other spooky stuff by the front door. 

-SD-