**How to Create a Super Bright LED Panel: A Two-Part Series**

In this two-part video series, I will show you how to create a super bright LED panel whose pure white and warm white LEDs can be dimmed individually through a control circuit that can also easily be powered by a lithium-ion battery pack due to its all-metal design and its quick release plate socket. It is also suitable for outdoor uses.

**Part 1: Mechanical Build**

The LED strip that began this project with was a pure white 5630 LED strip with a nominal voltage of 12V. The important thing to know about those 5638 SMD LEDs is that in comparison to more common 3528 LEDs and 5050 LEDs, they feature a light output (AKA luminous flux) two to six times higher than the other two but also easily draw two to six times more current.

This means even though they are the brightest of the bunch, they also heat up the most, which decreases their forward voltage and increases the current draw. Thus, over time, it decreases their lifespan. To fix that, we would need to attach the LED strip on a metal heatsink so that the temperature stays constant as well as the current draw.

**Designing the Metal Construction**

That is why an aluminum plate with a height of 30 centimeters, a width of 40 centimeters, and a thickness of two millimeters will be the first main component. Additionally, I got myself two pieces of flatbar aluminum with the length of one meter and dimensions of two centimeters by one centimeter.

I started off by marking two 30-centimeter pieces and two 38-centimeter pieces with a scribe and afterwards secured the material to my workbench with a clamp through the help of a simple metal saw. It was pretty easy to cut through the soft metal but as a reminder, it is always possible to remove excess material later on so always leave a safety gap.

Once all four pieces were created, I assembled them to a square shape on top of the aluminum plate only to realize that the flat bars were a bit too long and uneven at the ends. So, I used a file in combination with a bit of patience to create the required lengths and simultaneously polish the end faces.

**Creating the Handles**

Afterwards, the square-shape fitted decently onto the plate. So, I continued by marking two spots in the middle of the two shorter bar pieces with a distance of 8.6 cm from the outer edges. Those measurements were given by the stainless steel handles that I picked up from my local hardware store beforehand.

The longer bar pieces though also received two markings each 6.5 cm from the left and right edge. After creating an indentation at the markings with a quick punch, I used them as a guide to drill through the material eight times with a 4 mm drill bit. Additionally, I used a countersink to create an indentation around the screw holes so that my utilize screw-type could sit flush with the surface.

**Attaching the Acrylic Glass**

Once I had to remove all the metal square pieces in order to drill the six 2.5 mm holes through the aluminum and then used an M3 tap set to create a threat inside those holes, but while reattaching the square pieces though this time I utilized the previously mentioned handles for the shorter pieces and M4 self-locking nuts for the longer pieces.

The only thing left to do was to enlarge the previously created 2.5 millimeter holes of the acrylic glass to 3 millimeters, remove its protective film, and shorten the length of the M4 screws at the back of the aluminum plate at this point we could use small M4 screws to attach the acrylic glass to the metal construction and thus finish the mechanical build.

However, since we still need to place the LEDs inside the panel and wire it all up, we might as well leave it open for part two until then. Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe – that would be awesome! Stay creative, and I will see you next time with Part Two.

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enIn this two-part video series I willshow you how to create a super brightLED panel whose pure white and warm white LEDscan be dimmed individualythrough a control circuit that can alsoeasily be powered by a lithium ion batterypack due to its all metal design and it'squick release plate socketit is also suitable for outdoor uses solet's not waste any more time and let'sget started with the mechanical buildthe LED strip that began this project withwas a pure white 5630 LED strip with anominal voltage of 12Vthe important thing to know about those 5638 SMD LEDsis that in comparison to more common3528 leds and 5050 LEDs theyfeature a light output AKA luminous fluxtwo to six times higher than the other twobut also easily draw two to sixtimes more current that means eventhough they are the brightest of thebunchthey also heat up the most whichdecreases their forward voltage and increases thecurrent draw and thus over timedecreases their lifespan to fix that wewould need to attach the LED stripon a metal heatsink so that thetemperature stays constant as well asthe current draw. That is why an aluminumplate with a height of 30 centimetersa width of 40 centimeters and a thickness oftwo millimeters will be the first maincomponentadditionally i got myself two pieces offlatbar aluminum with the length of onemeter and dimensions of two centimetersby one centimeterI started off by marking two 30 centimeter piecesand two 38 centimeters pieces with a subscriberand afterwards secured the material to myworkbench with a clampthrough the help of a simple metal saw it was pretty easy tocut through the soft metal but as areminder it is always possible to removeexcess material later on so always leave a safety gaponce all four pieces were createdI assembled them to a square shape ontop of the aluminum plate only torealize that the flat bars were a bit too longand uneven at the ends so i used a filein combination with a bit of patience tocreate the required lengths andsimultaneously polish the endsafterwards the square-shape fitted decentlyonto the plate so i continuedby marking two spots in the middle ofthe two shorter bar pieces with adistance of 8.6 cm from the outeredges those measurements were given bythe stainless steel handles that Ipicked up from my local hardware storebefore hand the longer barpieces thoughalso received two markings each 6.5cmfrom the left and right edgeafter creating indentation at themarkings with a quick punch i use themas a guide to drill through the materialeight times with a 4mm drill bitadditionally i used to countersink tocreate an indentation around the screwholes so that my utilize screw-typecould sit flush with the surface once iwas certain that the handles screwholes matched well with thenewly-created holes I aligned the squarepieces at the edges of the aluminumplate and use them as a template tocreate markings with the 4mmdrill bits onto the plate i use thosemarkings as a guide to completely drillthrough the plate and afterwards mountedof all of our pieces temporarily to itwith M4 screws and nutsthe result so far looked rather decentso I continued by removing thelong bottom piece created a markingand indentation in the exact center ofthe material and used an 8mmdrill bits to create a whole therewith the help of a 3/8 inch tap set i createda thread inside the hole which I used tomount a 3/8 inch to one quarter inchadapter which is mandatory to attach thequickly release plate but before reattachingthe bottom piece though I used a bit ofloctite on the adapter threads tosecure it prominently next I removed thetwo shorter bars in order to create twoindentations on each in the middle ofthem 5mm away from both their outher edgesby using a 3.2 millimeter drill bits icreated four holes where the indentationsused to be and we mounted the flatbarsback onto the plate this way I now haveguiding holes for the 3.2mmdrill bits that needs to enterfor the following material for 1.5 cmby using an electric drilla steady hand and a bit of brute forcei created the four holes in the longersquare pieces afterwards I removed theshorter bars once again used an M4 tapset to create threads in the longerpieces and extended the 3.2 millimeterholes of the shorter pieces to 4mmand countersank their top screw holesafter remounting the removedpieces to the plate for the 100th timeit was now an easy task to use shorter M4 screwsto link the square pieces togetherand thus increased their structuralintegrity the last missing component forthis build was a piece of acrylic glassthe milky white kind to be precisewith these measurementsnot only will it protect the LEDs but alsodiffuse they're ligth significantly so Idrew a rectangle with a distance of fivemillimeters from the edges onto thepiece of acrylic glass and marked themiddle points on the shorter sides andtwo points 13 centimeters from the leftand right edge onto the two longer sidesthrough the help of the 2.5 millimeterdrill bit I created six holes in theacrylic glass corresponding to the markingsplaced it on top of the metalconstruction and used it just like atemplate to mark the spots for therequired holes in the flat bar piecesso finally for the last time I had toremove all the metal square pieces inorder to drill the six 2.5 mm holesthrough the aluminum and then used an M3tap set to create a threat inside thoseholes but while reattaching the squarepieces though this time I utilize thepreviously mentioned handles for theshorter pieces and m4 self-locking nutsfor the longer piecesthe only thing left to do was to enlargethe previously created 2.5 millimeterholes of the acrylic glass to 3 millimetersremove its protective film and shortenthe length of the M4 screws at theback ofthe aluminum plate at this point we coulduse small M4 screws to attach theacrylic glass to the metal constructionand thus finish the mechanical build butsince we still need to place the LEDsinside the panel and wire it all upwe might as well leave it open for part twountil then don't forget to like shareand subscribe that would be awesomestay creative and I will see you next timewith part two