How to Build an LED Spotlight

Step 1

Buy a 10-Watt LED floodlight with a built-in reflector. The reflector is the part of the bulb that reflects the light cast by the bulb forward.

Step 2

Cut two wires 7 inches long. Solder each wire to a separate lead in the base of the bulb. The leads are the two pieces of metal in the bulb that the electricity must hook up to for the bulb to work. If the bulb is a standard bulb, one lead will be at the side of the base and the other will be on the tip of the base. Be careful not to let the soldering iron get the bulb hot enough to damage it.

Step 3

Cut and strip one of the wires wire 1 inch behind the head of the flashlight. Solder on a toggle switch and twist the wires together to keep them from becoming a tangled mess. Drill a hole in the side of the casing 1/2 inch behind the bulb when it is inserted into the casing. Use electrical tape to cover all soldered connections.

Step 4

Take the bulb to the hardware store to buy a PVC pipe to use as casing. Get a casing that is slightly smaller so that the bulb sits into the end of the pipe without going through. If your bulb is 2.68 inches in diameter, for example, get a casing that has a 2 1/2 inch internal diameter where the curved sides of the bulb will sit nicely into the case.

Step 5

Cut the pipe 4 inches plus the length of the section of bulb actually inside the case. Use J-B Weld to seal the bulb in place on the end of the pipe with the wires going through the pipe and out the other end. Also seal the toggle switch in the hole drilled for it earlier. Use electrical tape to cover all soldered connections. Solder the free ends of the wires to a snap connector (which looks like the top of a 9-volt battery) at separate connector leads.

Step 6

Buy a battery holder with a snap connector on the top and snap it on the end of the two wires. This allows you to use 4 AA batteries or any other snap connector configuration. Insert a large piece of foam to make sure the batteries does not  move around inside the flashlight and then insert the battery holder.

Step 7

Put a PVC end cap on the end. Since the end cap is not symmetrical, it should have a good grip. This can improve with the addition of a little J-B Weld, which should be allowed to dry before putting on the cap for a tight fit.