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Appa Neon Sign

An LED neon sign of Appa from Avatar: The Last Airbender

Appa Neon Sign

I am one of the TAs for ES.100 – Introduction to Maker Skills. For the 2023 semester we got funding to run an LED Neon Sign making workshop. I decided to make an Appa sign to test out the process.

Designing the Sign

I started by finding a good image of Appa. I then used Adobe Illustrator to convert the image into a vector of just lines.

Then I offset all the paths to make the outline of the sign.

The LED strips I used came in increments of 1in so I made sure to design the sign to fit within those constraints.

Setting up the CAM

Once designed, I put the file into Fusion360 and setup the CAM. I used a 1/8" endmill to cut out the sign from a 1/4" sheet of acrylic.

Simulated CAM job in Fusion 360Simulated CAM job in Fusion 360

Cutting the Sign

Then I cut out the sign on the Shopbot CNC router.

Sign being cut on CNC routerSign being cut on CNC router

Wiring the Sign

This was the hardest part. I had to cut out the LED strips to fit into the different channels. Then I had solder them together and wrap the exposed wires in heat shrink to prevent shorts.

Adding the wires to channelsAdding the wires to channels

Since the copper pads on the LED strips were so small I had to used hot glue as a mechanical stress relief

Finally, I connected the sign to a 12V power supply and it lit up!

Completed SignCompleted Sign