Lighting letters on Halloween prop

[TomsLEDs]

I am making a few tombstones for my Halloween show this year. I want the RIP letters to light up, but don't want to just drill holes in the letters and poke pixels through. Looking for ideas where I could have a transparent or semi-transparent letters back lit. Today I will try cutting a frame work out of plastic and use a diffuser on the backside. The plastic is a pain to cut as it tends to crack with a knife. I do have a nice motorized coping saw I could give a try. Any other ideas?

[ctmal]

I think it was on a halloween forum that I saw 2 things that looked pretty cool. One is to use plexi glass sanded to act as a diffuser, another was to use hot glue to act as a diffuser.

[TomsLEDs]

Thanks. I ended up cutting the letters out of very thin plywood with my scroll saw. Sanded and painted white. Then cut out thin Plexiglas rectangles to go on the back. Painted them with 2 layers on auto lens tint paint. Things are still drying still but I post a pic once done.

[TomsLEDs]

Well got it mostly done in one day. Just need to add the pixel strips to the borders.

[TomsLEDs]

Well got it mostly done in one day. Just need to add the pixel strips to the borders.
First one showing lit and dark.
20220925_192001.jpg20220925_192009.jpg

[ctmal]

Wow, that turned out nice!

[TomsLEDs]

Thanks ctmal. Right now I have 2 short pixel strips hot glued top and bottom of the window. wire extensions soldered to the end of the border strip. Thinking I should probably map them separate from the strip so they can stay on when the border flashes.

[TomsLEDs]

Here is a shot video of the prototype: https://youtube.com/shorts/FxsLF7Fi19Q?feature=share

[jdesign21]

Looks good.

[TomsLEDs]

Looks good.

Does anyone know how to embed that video? Youtube standard code does not work.