How To Make A Light From A Flatbed Scanner

Step 1: Project

I was digging around in my parts closet and found an old parallel flatbed scanner that I stopped using years ago. I’m not one for throwing stuff out so I decided to recycle it and came out with this project.

Step 2: De-Assemble

After taking a couple of screws out, I opened it up and began disassembling it. I removed the few connectors and some small screws and removed the inverter that powers the lamp. Then I carefully removed the lamp and also kept the wall adapter.

Step 3: Items Needed

Also going to find some extra stuff you may want to keep. Like a green LED, some double-sided mirrors, a motor and more. Then I picked up two small hobby boxes and found a piece of vinyl tubing in the garage. I also had a leftover switch from a dead computer power supply.

Step 4: Assembling The Light

After drilling a couple of half-inch holes in the boxes, I motored the inverter-in-one with a drop of hot glue.

I also installed the switch and drilled a small hole for the adapter wires. I solded the inverter and wall adapter wires to the switch and the red lead to the positive wall adapter wire and ran the lamp connector into the box and plugged it in.

I slipped the vinyl tubing over the lamp and secured it in the holes in the hobby boxes with hot glue. Now it’s time to test it out. This scanner lamp is super bright, yet small enough to use in many places. My once hard to see black keyboard lights up bright now and for around five bucks, it’s hard to beat!

There’s my recycled scanner hack. Now you can do it too!