Hacking your Poundland solar garden lights (with 3D scripts)

I've featured various hacks for making solar lights last longer, or for customising them. But it's always worth revisiting.

This particular light is a classic Poundland light. Available in several case colours, but always with a horrible cold white LED. But fortunately they are fairly easy to customise with an LED colour of your choice.

This video also has an OpenScad script that allows you to make a custom base for attaching your lights to more suitable locations. You will find the script at the bottom of this description. I have added the "customizer" feature for your convenience.



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Here are THREE separate openscad scripts for making custom STL files for your preferred slicer. (A slicer converts a 3D object file into layers compatible with your 3D printer.)

Copy and paste the desired text below into openscad, an amazing free piece of software that lets you describe 3D objects. To enable the customizer, use the "window" menu to enable the customizer option. To see your creation quickly, press the double arrow button and to create your custom file press the hourglass button to create it, and then the STL button to save it.

Here's the version for vertical mounting:-


//Solar light post top base
//diameter of solar insert
dia=18;
//depth of collar
depth=16;
//screw hole diameter
screw=3.5;
//circle facets (100)
$fn=100;
difference(){
union(){
//base
cylinder(h=2,d=dia+22);
//collar
cylinder(h=depth,d=dia+2);
//strengthening taper
translate([0,0,2])
cylinder(h=2,d1=dia+6,d2=dia+2);
}
//hollow centre
translate([0,0,-1])
cylinder(h=depth+2,d=dia);
//screw holes
translate([-((dia /2)+7),0,-1])
cylinder(h=4,d=screw);
translate([(dia/2)+7,0,-1])
cylinder(h=4,d=screw);
}




This version is for angled mounting on a post or wall:-


//Solar light angled wall mount
//diameter of solar insert
dia=18;
//depth of collar
depth=30;
//screw hole diameter
screw=3.5;
//circle facets (100)
$fn=100;
difference(){
union(){
//base
cylinder(h=2,d=dia+24);
//collar
rotate([45,0,0])
translate([0,0,-(dia/2)])
cylinder(h=depth+dia,d=dia+2);
}
//hollow centre
rotate([45,0,0])
translate([0,0,-(dia/2)])
cylinder(h=depth+dia+2,d=dia);
//screw holes
translate([-((dia /2)+7),0,-1])
cylinder(h=4,d=screw);
translate([(dia/2)+7,0,-1])
cylinder(h=4,d=screw);
//underside cut-off cube
translate([-40,-40,-40])
cube([80,80,40]);
}




And one more version for a customisable bracket for mounting on a wall or the side of a post:-


//Solar light wall stand-off
//Diameter of solar base
dia=18;
//Height of bracket
high=20;
//Length of bracket
long=100;
//Screw hole diameter
screw=3.5;
//circle facets (100)
$fn=100;
difference(){
union(){
//wall plate
translate([0,-(dia+32)/2,0])
cube([3,dia+32,high]);
//stand off
translate([0,-((dia/2)+1),0])
cube([long-(dia+2)/2,3,high]);
translate([0,((dia/2)-2),0])
cube([long-(dia+2)/2,3,high]);
//collar
translate([long-(dia+2)/2,0,0])
cylinder(h=high,d=dia+2);
}
//hollow centre
translate([long-(dia+2)/2,0,-1])
cylinder(h=high+2,d=dia);
//screw holes
rotate([0,90,0])
translate([-high/2,-((dia+32)/2)+6,-1])
cylinder(h=5,d=screw);
rotate([0,90,0])
translate([-high/2,((dia+32)/2)-6,-1])
cylinder(h=5,d=screw);
}