Parts list:
8x 5mm white LED 12v PRE-WIRED (this means they come with a resistor and connections to wire already covered in heat-shrink.)
Some extra wire
OPTIONAL: Switch, battery holder or DC jack and wall transformer.
TOOLS:
Soldering iron and solder (or a bunch of small wire nuts if you don't want to solder)
X-Acto knife or similar
Small flat pry bar/scraper or similar
Drill or dremel with at least 6 mm or equivalent bit
Hot glue gun
Quick instructions:
Using X-acto cut around the seam of the bottom plate under the base -
be VERY careful when doing this so that the knife doesn't slip and cut into the top portion of the base or worse, your hand(s) or body.
Find a point where you can insert your flat pry bar and check to see if you can start prying the base cover plate off. You will go around the entire base popping the remaining bits of glue - BE PATIENT or you will definitely crack the base plate.
Once the base plate is off you have a few options. The first is to just drill some holes through where the crystals will be mounted, the second (what I did) is to cut away the bottom of each cavity completely. This way when the crystals are mounted I can see their bottoms from the underside of the base - it gives you a little more room inside too. The third, which I might do if I ever do this to another stand, is to first attach and glue the crystals in place and then drill the holder through the bottom of the base and into the crystals.
If you have done either of the first two, you will also need to drill holes up into the crystals for the LEDs. If you have a STEPPER BIT or other conical or graduated bit, use it. A regular drill bit will have a tendency to cause the crystals to crack or come apart as you're drilling. You can of course also melt a hole through the bottom, but that can get stinky.
*** If you'll be mounting a switch now is a good time to figure out where on the base you'll place it. Drill or cut a hole for it now. Any simple and small toggle switch (SPDT) will work.
If you'll be providing power externally from a jack, figure out where you want the jack mounted and drill a hole for that too.
OPTIONAL (but suggested): Now test fit the crystals to make sure you can seat them completely and firmly into the stand. If you can't you will next be doing the boiling water bath for the base to make sure it's pliable enough to fit the crystals. You can now glue the crystals in place. I used a nice white glue called WELDBOND. The beauty is that it's somewhat quick drying, has decent hold even on these materials, but can easily be broken back out and cleaned if I ever need to take it apart. I let the glued parts dry over night to make sure they didn't come loose while I worked on installing the lighting.
While waiting for the glue to dry you can prewire the LEDS. Basically you're going to wire everything in parallel. That means solder together the positive (anode) side of all the LEDs together and all the negative (cathode). You will also solder a length of extra wire to each. Here's how I did it... 4 LEDs at a time. Strip 1/2" of the red wire and 1/2" of the black. Twist together tightly the 4 reds and then the 4 blacks. On the other set of four, also include your extra wires (this is where you'll connect power/switch). Now tin (cover in solder) each of the twisted sets of wires. After that you can slip some heat shrink over one set of red and one set of black. Now join the two red bundles together by touching them together and then melting the solder with your iron. You will point each bundle in opposite direction when doing this so that you can then slip the heat shrink over the solder joint. You can see it at the bottom of my second picture.
STOP and TEST.
Connect your loose wire ends to 12v power (9V battery will work too) to make sure all LEDs light up.
*** If you're mounting a switch, you can now solder up the connections to the switch and power jack or battery connector. You can power this with a 9V battery if you want, but I haven't test-fitted one to see where to best place it.
One end of your LED free wire to the switch, and the other to your power jack or battery connector. Then a new piece of wire between your power jack or battery connector and the other end of the switch. The switch can be on either side of the battery, just make sure you don't screw up the polarity to the LEDs.
If you're not using a switch and using only a power jack, just wire that up to both wires from the LEDS - again, make sure polarity is correct - this depends on the power supply you're using. Most will come center pin positive.
On my version I just have wires coming out the the base because my Detolf is electrified and I just need to touch the wires to each metal rail for power. Yes, it's slick.
The whole setup (the whole room's shelving) is controlled by two master switches.
After the glue sets up you're ready to start mounting the hardware in the base.
POWER AND LIGHT the LEDs before you start mounting them. This is so you can position them and see how the light shines within the crystals as you glue them in place. A small dab of hot glue to hold things and then some more to keep everything in its place permanently.
That's really all there is to it. When finished route the wires around a bit and test fit the bottom plate. If everything fits well put a few dabs of glue and seal it up. With only a few dabs it makes it each to open back up again.
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I have to agree with you there. They are really great and I won't let them go either. Most of my collection I wouldn't part with but these are extraordinary. I was shocked at the blue on Superman's suit. It really pops in a eye catching way.
