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You are here: Home / Tutorials / Dana Maltby / Battery Operated Cathode

Battery Operated Cathode

DIY Cold Cathode Light Painting Tool Tutorial by Dana Maltby (TCB)

In this DIY Light Painting Tool Tutorial, you will learn how to assemble and operate a battery-powered cold cathode tool. Created and presented by Light Painting Artist Dana Maltby, a.k.a. TCB (Twin Cities Brightest)… enjoy!

Check out more from Dana at TwinCitiesBrightest.com and his Flickr gallery.


DIY Cold Cathode Light Painting Tool - Step 1

🧰 What You’ll Need:

  • Cold Cathode (from a kit with inverter)
  • Soldering Iron & Solder
  • 8 AA Batteries
  • Battery Holder for 8 AAs
  • Switch
  • Electrical or Duct Tape


Cold Cathode Inverter Box

✅ Make sure you buy a kit that includes the inverter (blue box). It allows the cathode light to run off batteries. A good brand is LOGISYS — inexpensive, flexible, and supports two cathode lights per inverter.


Unwrapped Cold Cathode

💡 Tip: Buy the dual sets so you have a spare in case one breaks while swinging it around.

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 6.5

Step 7

Step 7.5

Step 8

Step 9

Test 1

Optional Step 10

Test 2

Now We're Cooking

TCB Cathodes

Liquid Neon

Thanks

Cathodes

Packaged

Cold Cathode Circuit

🙌 Thanks to Dana Maltby, TwinCitiesBrightest.com, and Dana’s Flickr

Also a shoutout to Pixelated Light for the tubing idea!

⬅ Back to All Light Painting Tutorials

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