Materials:
- Worbla's Finest Art 37.5 x 50cm (S sheet)
- Worbla's Transpa Art 37.5 x 25cm (XS sheet)
- LED light (https://amzn.to/33YwXHO)
- Heat gun (https://amzn.to/3tQdsvX)
- Hot Glue Gun (https://amzn.to/3tSgWye)
- cardboard tube
- Crafting Foam (https://amzn.to/3nSfHep)
- Acrylic paint (https://amzn.to/3GTGfDG)
- Scissors & brush
- wood screw
- Contourless gardening gloves (https://amzn.to/32o8cEr) or
- Latex gloves over tight winter gloves
- Baking paper or silicone mat as a base (https://amzn.to/3fQcUht)
- Hand sander or sandpaper (optional) (https://amzn.to/3Haj3RP)
- cardboard ball (optional)
- Worbla's Meshed Art leftovers (optional)
- Glass color (optional) (https://amzn.to/32uHJ8s)
- Satin or leather strap (optional)
The most important items at a glance. Please pay attention to the list of materials and then you can start right away!
Cut the bottom of the LED light out of crafting foam in a circle, the LED light will stand on it later and thus your "torch crown". Also, cut a strip out of the foam that encompasses the base of the LED light. But leave room for the switch and the charging socket, or cut holes for them in the foam.
Now coat the circle on both sides and the stripe on one side only (otherwise it will be very thick) with Worbla's Finest Art and set both aside, away from the heat if possible.
Now also cover the cardboard tube. Be careful and try not to get too thick a seam edge. You can avoid this by cutting close to the starting seam with sharp scissors or a cutter. You only need one or two layers for sufficient stability. If there is a seam, you can of course grind it away. Whether with a hand grinder or sandpaper.
Now take a leftover Worbla, heat it up and fill one end of the tube with it, so that a solid base is created, in which the screw will later find enough support. To get a smooth surface, press the end with the still warm material onto a smooth surface (please always use baking paper or silicone baking mat in between, otherwise it will stick). Let it cool down properly before you continue tinkering.
It's best to get a decent wood screw for as much stability as possible and screw it through the middle of your support disc for the LED light into the coated cardboard tube.
Tighten properly for a bombproof fit.
Check if you already like it. By putting on the LED light you get a pretty good feel for the length and appearance of the torch. But there is still a lot to do!
You can put a ball at the end of the torch, for example a cardboard ball that you can coat with Worbla is suitable here. Or you can make one out of leftovers, but it might be a bit heavier. Of course you can also simply model a smooth end or a point on it. As you like.
Now we come to perhaps the most complicated part. The flame!
Of course you need the LED light for this; oblong, tapered pieces of Worbla's Transpa Art and a hot glue gun. Please put on gloves when using the hot glue, as well as when attaching and deforming the Worbla. Worbla's Transpa Art only activates properly from 110 degrees! To be on the safe side, keep a bowl of cold water within reach. Water works well as a release agent so you don't stick, but also as a cooling agent if it gets too warm.
In order to give the LED light a little more structure in advance, I applied vertical lines of hot glue to the surface of the LED light. But this is purely a matter of taste.
Now you attach your cut Worbla pieces to the surface piece by piece. You will also need hot glue for this. Proceed step by step and, if necessary, hold on to one or the other piece a little longer. Even hot glue doesn't always cool down that quickly and we want to avoid it looking like pure chaos in the end. ;)
In order to give the individual pieces a wafting structure, you have to let the heat gun move sideways (please never face the LED light!) along the tip until the material is activated. Put the heat gun away, because now you can gently pull on the corner with gloves on and you'll quickly see that it's getting wobbly.
When you have attached all the pieces and the whole surface is covered, the lower areas have already received structure, then you can heat the tips of your Worbla pieces, gather them together and pull them into a beautiful crown of flames. If the Worbla is too hot it may stretch too far, happily cutting the material to fit while still warm. This process is certainly the most complex, but with a little finesse you can create a beautiful, still colorless flame.
Now that the flame is ready you can mount the LED light on your torch. You can do this with hot glue or strong double-sided tape.
In order to further stabilize the whole construction, you can now take Worbla's Meshed Art or Finest Art leftovers and continue to fix both the LED light and the platform for the light. Just make sure you only apply one layer. Of course, duct tape also works here if you prefer that. In the end you won't see anything of it anymore.
Now use the casing you have prepared for the socket, heat it up evenly and then fit it around the socket – don’t forget the openings for the switch and for USB.
You can always use leftovers, for example to fill in the area under the LED light (platen). Just make sure it's distributed properly. You can press down everything with a ruler or knife without structure. So that everything is as smooth and even as possible.
You can also camouflage the area under the support disc in the same way, but it is not a must. Alternatively, you can simply attach a satin or leather strap here.
Now let's get to the colors!
Since I wanted even more irregular structure on my torch, I primed it with modeling paste. However, this worbla generally does not require a primer. So you can skip this step or use a structure paste. As you like.
If you want your torch to be gold, brass, or copper, I recommend priming it with brown. This is a wonderful way to create an old metal tone and your color will stand out all the more strongly. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly before proceeding!
Now you can work with metallic colors. I usually brush up my colors. In other words, I take a wide brush, pick up a little paint, paint it almost dry on a palette or piece of paper and only then do I evenly brush on the paint. This may take a while at the beginning, but this way you can approach a result better than if you just paint everything opaquely. I also designed the flame with glass colors. Of course, this is not a must, because if you turn on the torch, the flame will flicker for you anyway. But of course it's a possibility.
And we're almost done with that. In general, I would now apply the sealant. Simply an acrylic or resin clear coat, sealing spray or the like. So the color stays with you for a long time and it is waterproof. If you want to camouflage the opening for the USB charging cable and the on/off button, you can now tie a matching satin or leather ribbon over them. This can easily be moved to load or activate/deactivate the torch.
