Using LED's to simulate the Spirit gun from the Anime 'Yu Yu Hakusho'

[SaintOlas]

I'm trying to Create a 'Spirit Gun' from the Anime 'Yu Yu Hakusho'. What I have in mind is to link 3 blue LED's together on a kind of frame around the end of my index finger and run the wires to the battery packs on my wrist or somewhere else out of the way. As much as possible needs to be either opaque or flesh colored to make it as realistic as possible.

The idea is that when I close my palm, I can trigger all 3 lights one after the other with my middle, ring and little fingers and make it look like I'm charging up a spirit gun. I want to do this for an anime convention but I don't know hardly anything about electronics. I tried canabalizing a few LED laser pointers and flashlights but I usually just end up breaking them if I'm even lucky enough to get them out of their decorative casings in the first place.

There has to be an easier way to do this but I just don't know what it it. If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it.

EDIT: I don't have any soldering equipment and was wondering if I could use superglue for anything requiring soldering?

 

[GreenGiant]

There are many options for you, in fact you could even just make the power supply in the grip of the gun (if you can open it) and have it set up with circuitry so the LED's light up one after the other after a certain amount of time...


How much is your budget for this project?

depending on that the smoothest way of doing it would be using a microcontroller and programming it
if thats out of your range then you can use simple logic to create the effect that you want, either with multiple buttons or with one master button that you hold

 

[SaintOlas]

There are many options for you, in fact you could even just make the power supply in the grip of the gun (if you can open it) and have it set up with circuitry so the LED's light up one after the other after a certain amount of time...


How much is your budget for this project?

depending on that the smoothest way of doing it would be using a microcontroller and programming it
if thats out of your range then you can use simple logic to create the effect that you want, either with multiple buttons or with one master button that you hold

Well, it's not an actual gun. its just my hand with my index finger pointed out and my thumb up. Google image search 'yu yu hakusho spirit gun'. the LED's would be on the tip of my index finger to simulate the spirit energy gathering and the Spirit Gun charging up. it would be best if I had a way to diffuse the light into an omni directional glow if possible.

As to a budget. I guess I'd like to not spend more than 20 bucks, but I have no idea what I'm doing here. I was homeschooled from 6th grade up and we didn't do a lot of electronics stuff, mostly earth sciences. For example, I don't know what a micro controller is. I've tried making things in the past without the proper knowledge and have the burn scars to prove it. I don't want this thing to catch on fire or something while I'm in a costume at a convention. I'm hoping there is a relatively simple way to make this.

 

[GreenGiant]

Well, it's not an actual gun. its just my hand with my index finger pointed out and my thumb up. Google image search 'yu yu hakusho spirit gun'. the LED's would be on the tip of my index finger to simulate the spirit energy gathering and the Spirit Gun charging up. it would be best if I had a way to diffuse the light into an omni directional glow if possible.

As to a budget. I guess I'd like to not spend more than 20 bucks, but I have no idea what I'm doing here..

Ah, I see, that does complicate things....

You will probably be better off putting the battery pack in your pocket and running small wires up through your costume to your hand (you should be able to find thin, close to flesh colored wire)

To make your life easier, it might be better to get a costume hand that looks very close to real life, and attach the LED's and buttons in there

With LED's all you need to do is wire one side of it to the battery, the other side of it to a small (probably 500-1k ohm) resistor and the other end of that resistor to the battery
Interrupting this with a normally open switch/button will stop it from lighting until the button/switch is closed, but then it must remain closed for the light to work

http://www.cascadesurplus.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=33
That is a VERY bright LED, and you only need as little as 2 batteries (AA/AAA/C/D) to run it (2 of those batteries in series will give you 3 volts which is the operating voltage, any of those will be able to power at least 15 LED's)

http://search.digikey.com/us/en/products/TP11CGRA004/450-1369-ND/969179
That is a simple switch, if you use 3 LED's and 3 switches as you turn on the switches it will look like your finger is getting brighter

you do kinda been solder because most glue is non conductive, other then that you could try wrapping the wire but then you risk crappy connections

 

[SaintOlas]

Ah, I see, that does complicate things....

You will probably be better off putting the battery pack in your pocket and running small wires up through your costume to your hand (you should be able to find thin, close to flesh colored wire)

To make your life easier, it might be better to get a costume hand that looks very close to real life, and attach the LED's and buttons in there

With LED's all you need to do is wire one side of it to the battery, the other side of it to a small (probably 500-1k ohm) resistor and the other end of that resistor to the battery
Interrupting this with a normally open switch/button will stop it from lighting until the button/switch is closed, but then it must remain closed for the light to work

http://www.cascadesurplus.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=33
That is a VERY bright LED, and you only need as little as 2 batteries (AA/AAA/C/D) to run it (2 of those batteries in series will give you 3 volts which is the operating voltage, any of those will be able to power at least 15 LED's)

http://search.digikey.com/us/en/products/TP11CGRA004/450-1369-ND/969179
That is a simple switch, if you use 3 LED's and 3 switches as you turn on the switches it will look like your finger is getting brighter

you do kinda been solder because most glue is non conductive, other then that you could try wrapping the wire but then you risk crappy connections

OK, let me make sure I have this right.I connect the LED to one end of a resistor, connect the other end of the resistor to the switch and connect the other end of the switch to the batteries? does it matter which end of the resistor attaches to the LED? or which end of the switch is connected to the batteries? can I turn it on/off as a please or is it a one time use? and can I just use the little circular batteries from the broken laser pointers I have?

 

[GreenGiant]

OK, let me make sure I have this right.I connect the LED to one end of a resistor, connect the other end of the resistor to the switch and connect the other end of the switch to the batteries? does it matter which end of the resistor attaches to the LED? or which end of the switch is connected to the batteries? can I turn it on/off as a please or is it a one time use? and can I just use the little circular batteries from the broken laser pointers I have?

You are probably better off putting the switch on the positive side, so positive terminal of the battery > switch > LED > resistor > negative battery
directionality does matter with the LED, but putting it the wrong way 3 volts wont hurt it, it just wont turn on.

if you get latching switches (the link I posted are not latching) they will stay on until you press the switch again, but it should work for a long long time with only 3 LED's on it
those should work, but Im not sure what the voltage on them is

 

[SaintOlas]

You are probably better off putting the switch on the positive side, so positive terminal of the battery > switch > LED > resistor > negative battery
directionality does matter with the LED, but putting it the wrong way 3 volts wont hurt it, it just wont turn on.

if you get latching switches (the link I posted are not latching) they will stay on until you press the switch again, but it should work for a long long time with only 3 LED's on it
those should work, but Im not sure what the voltage on them is

kk, thank you very much I think I have enough info now to be able to research anything else i need. Would you mind If I contacted you later if i find myself needing more help?

 

[GreenGiant]

Not at all, shoot me a message or reply to this again

 

[SaintOlas]

Not at all, shoot me a message or reply to this again

kk, thanks again