Super SquashLite - Dimmable
I believe this, my latest custom creation, is the first variable output flashlight to be constructed within a vegetable. It is the ultimate in ecofriendly lighting as the components are completely waterproof potted so that once it's no longer needed for illumination, the flesh can be cooked and eaten and the skin and seed composted. The lighting system can then be recycled into another vegetable of choice. I would recommend hard shelled veggies of sufficient mass to dissipate heat from the incandescent lamp. Most winter squashes would work great, a large zucchini might work as might a large beet or honeydew melon.
Here is the Super SquashLite in action. Pictures show it at maximum output.
Here are some close-ups of the SSL. The screws fastening the rotary dimmer switch are brass to reduce the chance of introducing off-taste into the cooked veggie dishes. Because the squash flesh is so nicely workable with simple edged tools found in a typical kitchen, it was easy to create a nice snug fit for all the implanted elements. I also found that a woodworkers chisel was useful for carving out the hollows for the components.
I started with a nice, squat butternut squash. It had to be large enough to accommodate a bezel, implanted battery pack and a residential lighting rotary dimmer switch. I also like this particular shape because it is nice and stable when stood on end allowing the placement of the veggie-light wherever task or area lighting is required. I started by tracing the bezel onto the belly of the squash and cutting it out with saws from a pumpkin carving kit. The bezel assembly was sealed in high grade silicone caulk to prevent infiltration of juices into the lamp chamber. The bulb is a 4-cell PR base. I did the same thing with the rotary dimmer switch. All wiring used was spare speaker wire I had lying around. I opened up the dimmer switch casing because I was having some connection problems. I scavenged the reflector and bezel from a 99-cent halloween flashlight.
The battery pack was constructed out of an old aluminum cigar tube. It houses 2xCR123 but will accommodate up to 4xCR123. I used a spare compression spring from another project to maintain battery compression and negative contact with the rear of the tube. The cap of the tube contains the battery positive contact. The power wires are fastened to the tube. The battery positive wire and contact is insulated from the tube body by a grommet made from electrical tape and silicone. The parting line between the cap and the body is covered with tape before potting in silicone to allow neat and easy removal of silicone from the area for battery changes. The pumpkin saw was used to drill out a tubular channel big enough to insert the battery pack into. I used a coat hanger to help thread the wire through the squash body prior to making the connections.
So there it is. A light I got the itch to make and so I did. I must say, working in the medium of vegetable is pretty tough as the juices make holding your tools difficult.
I have considered what I would use as the receptacle for my next mod. A chicken carcass is definitely out, although it would be pretty interesting. I do have one idea that I'm seriously considering. I'll call it the "Exorcist Illuminator". I'll leave it to your imaginations to see if you can figure out what that mod will be.
Wilkey
I believe this, my latest custom creation, is the first variable output flashlight to be constructed within a vegetable. It is the ultimate in ecofriendly lighting as the components are completely waterproof potted so that once it's no longer needed for illumination, the flesh can be cooked and eaten and the skin and seed composted. The lighting system can then be recycled into another vegetable of choice. I would recommend hard shelled veggies of sufficient mass to dissipate heat from the incandescent lamp. Most winter squashes would work great, a large zucchini might work as might a large beet or honeydew melon.
Here is the Super SquashLite in action. Pictures show it at maximum output.
Here are some close-ups of the SSL. The screws fastening the rotary dimmer switch are brass to reduce the chance of introducing off-taste into the cooked veggie dishes. Because the squash flesh is so nicely workable with simple edged tools found in a typical kitchen, it was easy to create a nice snug fit for all the implanted elements. I also found that a woodworkers chisel was useful for carving out the hollows for the components.
I started with a nice, squat butternut squash. It had to be large enough to accommodate a bezel, implanted battery pack and a residential lighting rotary dimmer switch. I also like this particular shape because it is nice and stable when stood on end allowing the placement of the veggie-light wherever task or area lighting is required. I started by tracing the bezel onto the belly of the squash and cutting it out with saws from a pumpkin carving kit. The bezel assembly was sealed in high grade silicone caulk to prevent infiltration of juices into the lamp chamber. The bulb is a 4-cell PR base. I did the same thing with the rotary dimmer switch. All wiring used was spare speaker wire I had lying around. I opened up the dimmer switch casing because I was having some connection problems. I scavenged the reflector and bezel from a 99-cent halloween flashlight.
The battery pack was constructed out of an old aluminum cigar tube. It houses 2xCR123 but will accommodate up to 4xCR123. I used a spare compression spring from another project to maintain battery compression and negative contact with the rear of the tube. The cap of the tube contains the battery positive contact. The power wires are fastened to the tube. The battery positive wire and contact is insulated from the tube body by a grommet made from electrical tape and silicone. The parting line between the cap and the body is covered with tape before potting in silicone to allow neat and easy removal of silicone from the area for battery changes. The pumpkin saw was used to drill out a tubular channel big enough to insert the battery pack into. I used a coat hanger to help thread the wire through the squash body prior to making the connections.
So there it is. A light I got the itch to make and so I did. I must say, working in the medium of vegetable is pretty tough as the juices make holding your tools difficult.
I have considered what I would use as the receptacle for my next mod. A chicken carcass is definitely out, although it would be pretty interesting. I do have one idea that I'm seriously considering. I'll call it the "Exorcist Illuminator". I'll leave it to your imaginations to see if you can figure out what that mod will be.
Wilkey
