Reddit mentions of Novostella 20ft/6m Dimmable LED Light Strip Kit, 360 Units SMD 2835 LEDs, 12V LED Ribbon, Flexible Under Cabinet Lighting Strips, Non-waterproof LED Tape, UL Listed Power Supply, 6000K Daylight White

Thanks! They are the ustellar dimmable LED strips from Amazon. I also mounted them in an aluminum channel system instead of sticking them directly on the glass.

Ustellar Dimmable LED Light Strip Kit, 300 Units SMD 2835 LEDs, 16.4ft/5m 12V LED Ribbon, 6000K Daylight White Under Cabinet Lighting Strips, Non-waterproof LED Tape, UL Listed Power Supply https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075RYSHQQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_BAFDCb5DRE6KD

Thank you! I'm not great at woodworking but I learned a lot from the first one and will be making more for my other 3 cases.


For the lights, I watched a quick tutorial How to set LED Strip Lights on Your Detolf Shelf or Display Case.


The lights were pretty inexpensive and don't make a huge mess. Plus they were easy to install. I ordered the strip lights from Amazon Ustellar Dimmable LED Light Strip Kit and they took about 10 minutes to set up each one.


Tahnks again and I hope this helps.

Here's the before.

No filter, no co2, no ferts. The light is a full 16 ft strip of these attached carefully with a staple gun.

My anubias started to rot so they were removed, cleaned up and floating in another tank for now.

It started with a couple of small runner transplants, 2 bunches of subulata and 2 plants that were just labeled 'sagittaria' from pet supermarket. The 'sagitarria' plants had a few broader leaves (visible in the back right of the before) when I purchased them that melted away and no more have popped up. Waiting another week or two to trim out a couple of their runners that sprouted above the substrate to start a 29. Gonna let them and dwarf sag completely take over that tank.

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I got 2 of these, they are really bright and they come with a dimmer too :)

Done, took about 3 hours. Was alot easier than I thought it was going to be, and I have alot of things i'm going to change if/when I do it over again. The 2 biggest issues are the dimmer in the bottom, it works great but next time i'm going to put it out of sight out of the case, it works for now and doesn't look too bad. Next, I wired the whole thing in series, like a zigzag, so you might notice that the top shelf is dimmer than the bottom shelf. Frankly, this is good enough for me, but next time i'm going to run one wire, acting as a sort of wire harness, the brightness difference is pretty noticeable, but still looks good, I regret not doing it this time but ehhhhhh. I don't know much about electrical so I wasn't even thinking about this when I was doing it, it's an easy fix for next time or when I re-do this one, live and learn. The bottom 2 shelves are essentially place holders, all of those figures will be moving out soon to make room for more scales, and I have the rest of the keions coming in a few days. For a first time 3 Hour DIY, I think it's pretty good but it definitely has it's issues, what do you think?

I've only been collecting for about 8 months or so, I frequent buyfag threads and post updates on my MFC, this is my first time posting myself here.

I was going for budget and simplicity (in reality the wiring harness is easier and provides power more efficiently, whoops), I cut out half of my soldering with the corner connectors. Parts I used:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075RYSHQQ

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QTCBZ4I

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074WCMRXL

I did!

Just wanted to share my current display case setup.

I used this Ikea cabinet ($169) with this LED light strip ($15).

I originally bought a different LED strip, but it wasn't nearly bright enough. This one gets super bright and comes with a dimmer, so you can play with the lighting level.

Bonus feature is the rack at the bottom that perfectly holds the game box!

Edit: forgot to mention that you'll need to drill a hole in the steel plate at the bottom to feed your power cord through for the LED strip. I used a drill bit designed to cut through metal, and then added a little poster tack to the sharp edges so I don't accidentally fray the power cord.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075RYSHQQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Ill snag a pic of the door when I get home.

Hi. I have found better lights and I modified the back plate to accommodate the new lights and still work with the old lights. I also removed all the hooks so it can print flat and fast.

Would you like the file to add to your thingiverse listing or should I add it as a remix?

One last option I'm thinking is make the slot for the cord in one of the pillars and then you can have all 4 sides lit.

Lights: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075RYSHQQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Ustellar-Dimmable-Daylight-Lighting-Non-Waterproof/dp/B075RYSHQQ/ref=sr_1_7?crid=30GC2HQQCL7ZR&keywords=led+strip+lights&qid=1555445177&s=gateway&sprefix=led+%2Caps%2C425&sr=8-7

Depends on how deep your aquarium is, and how bright the florescent bulb is. But probably not enough light tbh. Here's what I've been doing lately. Get some LED strip lights, then attach them however you want. You could remove the florescent blulb and attach these inside the light fixture you already have. You could even wrap them around your florescent light bulb. Or you could create your own light fixture using rain gutter from a hardware store (if you are in the US, i'd recommend Lowes over home depot, they have better gutter at Lowes). It will be long (15 feet or so) so you'll have to run it back and forth a few times. This will give you enough light to grow even high light plants.

Also, it seems counterintuitive, but I'd recommend the non-waterproof lights. They are much brighter.

I used this single color LED strip from Amazon and this IR sensor. I took out all the guns and shelves and taped it up (using the backing, they're self-stick) from the plug end first and ran it alongside the far right wall, across the top, then down the left wall and cut it at the floor (there are "cut here" marks). The LED strip then plugs into the IR sensor, which plugs into the power supply that came with the LED strip.

I ran the IR sensor near the hinge because that's the easiest spot, and used a scrap of wood along to clamp it in place using screws into the side of the safe. That bit I'm not sure about, since it may be less than ideal, and certainly looks hackish, but taping it didn't work (wall's fabric is too loose) and I didn't want to cut out a square of the fabric to tape it directly to the solid surface beneath.

I used a Ustellar LED Strip! It comes with its own power supply and dimmable switch, which was super great. It's got an adhesive back to it so all I did was cut it to length and stick it on and that's literally it.

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Ustellar-Dimmable-Daylight-Lighting-Non-waterproof/dp/B075RYSHQQ

Best decision I made in regards to workstations. I get even lighting all around my workstation so I'm never having to readjust for when my giant head is in the way of my lightsource and it even takes pretty good WiP shots!

The batteries don't last nearly long enough and honestly LED strip lighting is cheaper. $15 and comes with power supply, dimmer and mounting brackets. You will have to get a bit creative in cutting and routing wires through or behind your cabinets, but it's worth the extra effort since it's better lighting and you'll never have to change batteries. There are also a range of angled brackets and diffusers that are pretty cheap as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Ustellar-Dimmable-Daylight-Lighting-Non-waterproof/dp/B075RYSHQQ

Buy

($6)Wires:For the MOFSET mod

($1o)MOFSET

($6)Wire spades:For the MOFSET mod

($8)Assorted M3 Bolts:You need some for a few mods and for the bolts you will inevitably strip on this cheap wonderful machine

($13)Longer assorted M3 Bolts:For a few mods

($9)M4 Bolts:For one of the mods

($9)Metric allen wrench set:Had to order one of these since metric tools aren’t common round these parts

(~$20) PLA of preferred choice- You’ll run out of the sample bit quick so go ahead and order a roll or two to be prepared. You will note some upgrades require ABS so a small spool of that to your order will also help.

($6)M3 Lock nuts:Critically needed for a simple mod

($10)Threaded rod and nuts:Please note that this item seemed difficult to find online. I recommend going to your local hardware store and getting two 5/16” rods of at least 16” in length. They should have an assortment of threaded rod in various lengths available. Also note that the pitch of the threading matches the nuts you buy. Further instructions regarding this can be seen in Azza’s Z-Axis braces below.)

($6)9mm Wrench for the nozzle: Don’t wait for your first clog, go ahead and have this on hand to remove/change the nozzle. Note to only tighten/loosen the nozzle when heated.



Below is the order of printable upgrades I recommend but I suggest you mix in a few other prints along the way because this is a hobby after all and you should be having fun. It helps to have your quality as tuned in as much as possible for some of these so be patient and keep trying if you need to.

Print

Spool holder- temporary : Until you can mount your spool on top of the enclosure or any other personal preference.

Belt tensioner- print x2

Z-brace

Shielded stop button

Cable relocator : It’s a pain, but if you spend the time to do this and turn your extruder motor 90 degrees then you can get the full Z height without ruining your cables. It does involve opening all the cables to the PSU and feeding a few extra inches back through the cable chains.

Cable shroud : Looks nice if you do the cable relocator.


The following need to be printed in ABS:

M3 Bed Nut retainer: 10/10 upgrade. I know they look worse than the nice metal stock ones, but these help keep your bed level longer.

CiiCooler

Glass bed Holder


Now that the first major round of printed upgrades is done it’s time to shift to a few more supplies to pick up to really fine tune the machine.


Buy

($5)Radial fan: For CiiCooler

($5)Glue sticksThis and a glass bed is magic

($25)Borosilicate glass 8” x 8”

($26)Y-Carriage plate upgrade: This has been a nice upgrade as I now only need to relevel the bed every couple weeks instead of every print. Check out this guide for a ‘how to’ as well as a free upgrade by shifting your Y pulley over.

($15)rechargeable dehumidifier: For keeping in the bin with your opened filaments

($9)Extruder gears: Might be able to hold off on these, but will need eventually. If for some reason you have a Maker Select with metal X-axis blocks (V1 and V2, but not V2.1) then this is a must. You can follow this guide for a how to.

($28)Metal extruder plate and lever: Not needed, but nice.

($14)Noctua 40mm fan: Not needed, but makes the printer a lot quitter. A LOT quieter.

($50)MicroSwiss All Metal Hot End: The destruction of my PTFE tube by this point pushed me to doing this upgrade. If needed you can follow this guide for replacement. Remember to tighten/loosen when the nozzle its hot.

($6)Ceramic cotton: Tore off the stock one when replacing for the all metal hot end by accident. At least its thicker than stock

Now that the printer is in its final form, its time for the enclosure which is a stacked Ikea Lack hack.

Print

Spool holder

Pi Case

120mm fan cover

Fan grill

120mm fan PSU modification: I edited this to fit upside down since my PSU is mounted on the underside. This was nice since I blew the 40mm fan anyways so it made everything a lot quieter than before.

IKEA Lack filament guide

Webcam holder: This is one I designed specifically for the webcam I happen to have lying around. The camera mount piece can be changed out no problem though for what ever webcam you have or buy. The SketchUp file is included on Thingiverse for such purpose.

Buy

($20)2x Ikea Lack: Luckily there is one right down the street from me. I am located in North America though, so we do not have the STUVA, if you live literally anywhere else you may check in to this as an alternative.

($80)Plexi glass for enclosure: Could be cheaper alternatives, but it looks cool

($9)Foam pads for feet

($42)Raspberry Pi3: For OctoPrint. I also suggest using a different USB cable than the stock one provided by Monoprice or you will have issues.

($9)2x 120mm fans: Used for the power supply cooling and enclosure

($6)Rocker Switches so that the enclosure fan can be on for PLA, but off for ABS

($15)Dimmable LED lights

($10)8mm LED light connectors


Total:
$250 printer + $452 upgrades/parts + ~$80 PLA/ABS to date

You don't need anything particularly fancy. Just get a simple kit like this. They're designed to be cut apart, you can attach multiple lengths together with some wire and very easy soldering.