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basic
13" made with soldering iron |
(stapler instructions here)
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You
need :
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50 9-oz cups,
hard or soft plastic, tumbler style
(more on the
right cups)
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100 mini-lights
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soldering iron
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good ventilation
also
helpful: clothespins
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To
begin melt hole in bottom of 50 cups. (Test first
hole to make sure two lights will fit through later.)
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Put
12 cups in a circle. If 12 cups doesn't make
a circle, your cups are not 9 oz tumblers. Use modified
instructions.
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Press
hot iron through one cup to the next, at cup bottoms. Melted
part will cool and form a strong bond while you hold cups
together.
This
is Layer-One. |
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Place
9 cups on top of Layer-One. There may be
some gaps. (Blue cups show placement.) Solder each
cup to at least two other cups at cup bottoms. Let joints
cool before moving to next cup.
This
is Layer-Two. |
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Fit
4 cups into the space left. Join each cup
to at least three other cups.
This
is Layer-Three. |
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Now
you have half a sparkleball (25 cups). Reinforce this half
by melting joints where cup rims touch. Where cup rims don't
touch, do not force. Hard cups may crack. Gaps between cups
are fine.
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IMPORTANT!
TEST LIGHTS BEFORE YOU INSERT THEM.
Start at prong end of the cord. Insert the
two lights closest to prong into a cup in Layer-One.
(The prong will then hang out when you put the two halves
together.)
Put
two lights in each cup. Work your way around, zigzaging from
outer cups to inner cups.End up next to cup you started with.
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You're
almost done! Now build the second half just like you did the
first. |
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On
the second half, start lights from the opposite end of the
cord and thread lights as before.
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Press
the two halves together until they fit nicely. Join them careful
not to burn lights or wire. Make sure cords are hanging
out. Using clothespins makes this part much easier
although photo doesn't show.
Finally,
go over the sparkleball and make sure each cup is well-attached
to at least two other cups. |
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To make
a hanger out of chain and two "s" hooks (as shown)
choose the top of your sparkleball. Melt a hole between two
well-connected cups. Insert one "s" hook into the
hole and close. Add chain and second "s" hook. Zipties,
clear fishing line, ribbon are other ideas for hanging.
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Plug
in and enjoy!
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or
click here
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