Step 1: Design the Shell of the Fireplace
Step 2: Acrylic Laser Cutting
Step 3: Assembly Acrylic Parts
Step 4: Connect the USB Fan and Grove – RGB LED Ring
Step 5: Make the Holder for the USB Fan and RGB LED Ring
Step 6: Make the “Flame
Step 7: Connect the Hardware and Code
Step 8: Final Decoration and Show Your Great Work and Delight Your Families and Friends Now

Published January 8, 2020

Mini Fireplace of A Song of Ice and Fire Theme

A mini fireplace with burning flame surrounded by ice, to make a song of ice and fire in your home. For fans of Game of Thrones.

IntermediateFull instructions provided2 days1,612

Things used in this project

Hardware components

BBC Micro:bit

Seeed Studio Grove Shield for micro:bit V2

Seeed Studio Grove - RGB LED Ring (24-WS2813 Mini)

Seeed Studio Grove - Ultrasonic Ranger

Seeed Studio Grove - Universal 4 Pin Buckled Cable

 USB Fan (5*5cm)

Seeed Studio 3.7V lithium battery

Acrylic Plate

Acrylic Ice Cubes

If you don't have acrylic fake ice rock as mentioned, try to use rock candy, hahahaha!

Software apps and online services

Microsoft MakeCode

Hand tools and fabrication machines

Laser cutting machine

Hot melt glue gun

Acrylic glue

Scotch tape

Scissors, art knife, ruler, etc.

Story

“I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shied that guards the realms of men.”

——Oath of Night's Watch

I always admire the name of “A Song of Ice and Fire”, which shows the philosophy of conflict, the beauty of nature as well as the optimism life attitude when facing adversity.

It is the warmest scene that I can think of when I think of a warm family to spend the winter happily around the fireplace. However, due to the limited space, not every family can have a big warm fireplace. If so, why not make one by yourself?

Inspiring by the meaningful name of “A Song of Ice and Fire”, I made a mini fireplace that combine these two opposing elements in the nature, hoping to pass the warmth and hope in this winter. If you would also like to have a fireplace in your house, or especially you are a fan of Game of Thrones, follow me to make one to delight your winter and life.

Step 1: Design the Shell of the Fireplace

AutoCAD fabrication drawing

I use AutoCAD to design a 320*90*195mm acrylic shell for the fireplace, which size I think would be more suitable for the components size. You could design other size and appearance for the fireplace by simply modify the.dxf document I attached. Just be aware of the size of each component you have replaced.

Step 2: Acrylic Laser Cutting

Laser Cutting

Choose the color you like and cut the parts of the shell. Just note that my fabrication drawing was based on the 5mm thick acrylic plate and do not use other plate of thickness.

Step 3: Assembly Acrylic Parts 📷

Some of the acrylic parts that have been cut and glued

Assembly the acrylic parts with the special glue for acrylic. This procedure takes a lots of patience and be aware of the glue curing time needs 30seconds and not to loosen the two parts you are gluing together before that.

Step 4: Connect the USB Fan and Grove – RGB LED Ring

It is easy to connect the USB Fan and Grove – RGB LED Ring with Hot Melt Glue. You should make the Fan under the LED Ring, and it is better to make both wires on the same side.

1 / 2 • USB Fan and Grove – RGB LED Ring

Step 5: Make the Holder for the USB Fan and RGB LED Ring

The parts of the holder for the USB Fan and LED Ring

Use the left acrylic parts after finishing the shell of the fireplace to make the holder for the USB Fan and LED Ring. Put the USB Fan and LED Ring combination on the holder

The parts of the holder for the USB Fan and LED Ring

With the shell assembling and the holder, the appearance of the fireplace is almost finished.

Step 6: Make the “Flame”

Cut a piece of tissue into many different shapes of triangle, and stick them up one by one piece with scotch tape to the acrylic part as shown on the picture. Put this part on the top of the LED Ring.

�� 📷

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Step 7: Connect the Hardware and Code

📷 📷

I chose BBC micro:bit and Grove shield for micro:bit to finish this project since it is easy for everyone even you don’t have electronic knowledge and too much coding experience. The coding platform is Microsoft MakeCode (https://makecode.microbit.org/#editor), which brings computer science to life for all students with fun projects, immediate results, and both block and text editors for learners at different levels.

Connect the Grove – Ultrasonic Sensor to P1 port of Grove shield for micro:bit, and the LED Ring to P0 port. You should use The USB connector of Grove Shield for micro:bit to power the circuit since the project requires high input voltage.

If you want to make coding yourself, before you get started, you need to load two packages by clicking the “Extensions” on the coding interface and using the package name “Grove” and “Neopixel” as keyword to find.

Belowed is the code I’ve programmed, which have the interaction effect that to change the fire color and brightness when you move your hand in front of the sensor. You could change one or more parameters to have it shown the color and effect you like.

After you finished the code, connect the micro:bit via the USB, and download the.hex document to the micro:bit, then you will see the flame has been lighten up! You could test the code and modify it to perfect.

Step 8: Final Decoration and Show Your Great Work and Delight Your Families and Friends Now!

Choose any photos you like and make it your unique fireplace. Print and stick up the decoration. Last but not least, put on the “ice” to the level of the bottom of the “flame”. If you don't have acrylic fake ice rock as mentioned, try to use rock andy, hahahaha!

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I guess you cannot wait showing off your great work to your families and friends already! Run and go shooting some great pictures and videos now!

You are very welcomed to also share your unique work with us. Should you have any further question about this project, or want to share your work with me, feel free to drop an email to wym627@qq.com. I am Makerming from Shenzhen, China.

Finally, thanks for reading, your comments are the biggest support to my work.

Schematics

Code

A song of ice and fire fireplace code

basic.showIcon(IconNames.Heart)
let seeed_ring = neopixel.create(DigitalPin.P0, 24, NeoPixelMode.RGB)
let bright = grove.measureInCentimeters(DigitalPin.P1)
basic.forever(function () {
    let display: grove.TM1637 = null
    display.show(grove.measureInCentimeters(DigitalPin.P1))
    if (grove.measureInCentimeters(DigitalPin.P1) < 20) {
        seeed_ring.showColor(neopixel.rgb(225, 69, 19))
        seeed_ring.setBrightness(150)
        seeed_ring.show()
        basic.pause(200)
    } else {
        if (grove.measureInCentimeters(DigitalPin.P1) < 30) {
            seeed_ring.showColor(neopixel.rgb(240, 69, 19))
            seeed_ring.setBrightness(180)
            seeed_ring.show()
            basic.pause(200)
        } else {
            if (grove.measureInCentimeters(DigitalPin.P1) > 50) {
                seeed_ring.showColor(neopixel.rgb(240, 69, 19))
                seeed_ring.setBrightness(Math.randomRange(100, 200))
                seeed_ring.show()
                basic.pause(Math.randomRange(100, 500))
            } else {
                seeed_ring.showColor(neopixel.rgb(250, 69, 19))
                seeed_ring.setBrightness(200)
                seeed_ring.show()
                basic.pause(200)
            }
        }
    }
})

Credits

Makerming

11 projects • 30 followers

Maker, DIYer, Opensource Hardware Enthusiast

Mini Fireplace of A Song of Ice and Fire Theme