Building your own LED Ring Light

In the maker community you can find a wide variety of makers from hobbyist to professional. Many of them already have 3D printing and electronic knowledge. This knowledge can produce some amazing DIY alternatives to existing products often at a more affordable price than the original. An example of this is building your own LED ring light rather than buying one from the shop.

As someone who enjoys taking selfies and making TikTok videos I have often struggled with lighting. While browsing Thingiverse, as avid makers often do, I came across this ring light project and thought it would be perfect for taking my content to the next level and maybe allowing me to try new things. 

So what is the purpose of a ring light? A ring light provides consistent light and can be used to brighten or highlight objects in frame. These compact, easy to use devices allow you to focus light on the object for higher quality photos. It also provides a professional look for filming as it compliments the use of side lighting / soft boxes.

Finally here it is, all you need to 3D print & wire up your very own LED ring light!

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Materials and Resources List

Download the following files

Light Rig by Filip_Lorin

Note: This is a slightly larger print and therefore might not fit on some print beds. I printed this with the CR-X which has a build volume of 300 x 300 x 400mm.

You will need to gather:

• LED strip
• Soldering station
• SESTIC glue
• Rubber band
• M4 screw and nut
• Dual core ripcord, Toggle switch, Power Supply
• CCTREE Sparkle Blue PLA – 1.75MM

These are the standard materials used, this ring light design is adaptable so it’s ultimately what works for you.

Print settings:

• Rafts: No
• Supports: Yes
• Resolution: 0.2 mm
• Infill: 20%

Instructions

These are the assembly instructions. For complete instructions on building this LED ring light check out Filip_Lorin instructions.

1.Setting up the LEDs and switch:

If you chose the on/off switch version you will need to solder as follows:
a) Cut the LED strip at the first cutting point starting from the plug (for me it was after the third LED so this is where i placed the cut for the switch).
b) Solder two pieces of wire to both the “+” and the “-“.
c) One +/- pair is going to go straight to the external part of the strip, the second pair is going to connect the second-internal LED stip, this time through the switch.
d) Plug the power supply and test; one strip should remain always on while the shorter one turns on and off with the switch.

2.Secure/Glue the LED strip:

Push the strip through the hole on the back and glue it on the walls of the Base.

3.Test and close:

Test the ring light before closing it up and glueing the ring cover to the base. It is recommended to use a high-strength glue.

4. Glue the tripod nut:

Looking at the project from the bottom you should see a hexagonal hole, that’s where you can glue the tripod nut. You might need to fill the hole if it is deep.

5.Attach the phone mount:

Slide the clip on the arm, secure it with a rubber band on the studs behind. Insert a M4 nut in the hole on the inside of the base ring, behind the small rise, The arm has a mushroom shaped bit that fits into the rise, snap it together and tighten the M4 nut to secure.

You’re all set, slide your phone in, plug the power supply, screw the tripod on and get snapping.

Project Review

I finished building this LED ring light in the beginning of 2019 and I must say it is still going strong. It has exceeded my expectations with a noticeable difference in lighting. Of all the projects I have done this is by far my favourite. Not only did it save me money but it is a great way to showcase the possibilities of electronics and 3D printing.

If you really enjoyed this project and tried it yourself please share your results with me!  Tag DIYElectronics Facebook. Do you want to read about other projects such as Electronics, 3D Printing or learn about new products and news in the maker community? Then please check out our other posts.