The final step is to assemble everything into the lamp. Start by unclipping the NeoPixel strip from the Circuit Playground Express and thread the alligator clips down through slot 1, and up through slot 2 before clipping them back in (a reminder of the wiring is available here).
The LED strip is in a silicone casing, so it’s fine to use hot glue to fix it onto the cardboard. You'll need to make sure the glue goes all the way over the LED strip so it doesn't peel out.
If you’re using a battery, thread the wire into slot number 2 and connect it to the JST connector. You can secure the battery to the back of the rocket with tape.
You should now have a fully assembled rocket lamp! There’s just one more step to finish the project off.
You'll need to make a paper cover for the main body of the rocket. This helps diffuse the light, and make it a bit more gentle, especially for the fire section.
You can use either tracing paper or standard printer paper for this - or even kitchen greaseproof/baking paper. You could even try it with coloured paper, tissue paper or more - get creative!
Use the body of the rocket as a template to draw around. Leave a few tabs on each side to cut around, so that you can tape the paper onto the rocket.
Cut the template out with scissors. It's a good idea to cut a little outside the line so that the paper will definitely cover all of the rocket body - you don't want little gaps for the light to leak out of.
Use some masking tape to attach the tabs of paper to the rocket. Don’t forget that you’ll still need to access the buttons, so leave the area of paper covering the flame loose, so it forms a lift-up flap.
You could also modify the code to use one of the capacitive touch pads on the Circuit Playground Express (tutorial here) and connect it to another alligator clip lead or some tin foil, but that’s beyond the scope of this tutorial.
And you’re done!
Page last edited March 08, 2024
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