Liter of Light has been going through several refinements to make sure that the solar bottle light is done properly. We are sending this video for people wanting to build.
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Some important lessons we learned :
- Use always a sheet metal scissors for cutting round edges to make sure that the hole in the roof is as close to the diameter of the bottle as possible ( you will have to glue the underside!)
- Sand very well the bottle till the shiny part is removed. The glue will not stick on to the plastic
- The top portion where the bottle meets the plastic is where most leaks happen. You must use a tougher glue than just an elastomeric sealant. Use a SikaFlex 11FC glue or an epoxy sealant to make 100 percent sure this is sealed properly.
- Always use PET soda bottles ( 1 L, 1.5 L, 2 L ) to make sure that it does not easily break. DO NOT USE plastic water bottles.
- Use a guide in cutting the roof that assures that the bottle fits snugly though the roof. You will have to seal this from the underside so don’t freehand cutting the hole.
-Use a guide plastic bottle filled with cement to open up the cut metal sheet so you will not have to damage the empty plastic bottle.
- Seal the underside of the bottle cap once you placed distilled water and bleach to prevent leaks.
-Place a 1 1/4 inch pipe covering the top and around the plastic bottle cap as this is prone to cracking with the infrared rays of the sun.
Good luck and be safe installing a Liter of Light.
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http://aliteroflight.org/donate/
Post time: Jan-07-2017