Kidkraft Uptown Kitchen Light Up Conversion
Introduction: Kidkraft Uptown Kitchen Light Up Conversion
We were storing an Uptown Kitchen set for the granddaughter. I was looking at it one day, just sitting there, and mentioned that I could make it light up. Word of warning, never toss out an offhand comment if someone is there to hold you to it!
Out came the notepad and I started sketching what it would need and a couple of different ways I could get the desired results.
In the end I 3D printed some parts, used some old leftover electronic components, ordered some new bits and definitely used up some scrap RJ45 that was just laying around.
I wanted to add lights to each compartment that would turn on when the door was opened and off when closed. No issue there, I just added some rocker arm switches to each door frame. I believe there were five compartments with switch's and white LEDs
I also wanted to add some "realism" so I used RED LEDs to simulate heating elements for both the stove and oven (I used a different "white" LEF for the microwave operation). This created some additional issues that I'll address in detail later but long story short I needed to print some replacement stovetop pieces and add some logic control to their operation.
Lastly, I needed everything to be low voltage for safety and secure enough that everything couldn't be easily damaged.
Supplies
PARTS/PIECES
* PUSH BUTTONS - Normally Open
* MOSFETs - IRLZ34N (N-Channel)
Note: N-Channel switches ground and P-channel switches positive
* DOOR SWITCHES w/ ROLLER ARM - Normally Open / Closed
* RED 12V LEDs
* WHITE 12V LEDs
* ARDUINO LEONARDO
* PROJECT BOX
* LOTS OF SPARE RJ45 WIRE
* 12V POWER SUPPLY - Old Laptop Power Supply
* 2 WIRE BREADBOARD QUICK CONNECTS
* BREADBOARD
* 320Ohm RESISTORS
TOOLS
* Wire Cutters / Strippers
* Soldering Station
* Hot Glue Gun
* 3D Printer
* Multi Meter
* Drill
* Cable Management Wraps
Step 1: Replace "electric" Burners With New "LED Gas" Burners
The first task was to replace the existing stovetop elements. The originals looked like "electric" elements and I couldn't easily attach the LEDs. I knocked out a "gas" burner design in Tinkercad and printed out four new elements. 982
I wrapped a strip of red LEDs around each element core and ran some wires back to the control box.
The printed elements fit into the existing mounts and were attached with the original screws. I just needed to drill a small hole in the center of the mount to run the wires.
I used a bit of hot glue to secure the LED tap (self adhesive doesn't always adhere). I also used the hot glue to make sure the wires couldn't be pulled out (IMPORTANT)
Step 2: Bits and Bobs!
I already had a lot of the pieces needed to put this together but I ended up ordering some new buttons and switches because they just fit better.
I ordered the buttons because they fit into the holes left when I removed the plastic stovetop "dials"
The buttons were hot glued into their holes. There was no different on which wire was attached to which post on the buttons so they went in easy.
I grabbed new stiches because they came with a little roller on the end and worked better with the doors.
Besides having the roller ball on the end of the switch arm, I liked these switches because they could be normally open or normally closed - all depending upon which leads where used. I didn't mess that up a all when I was soldering them together. Nope, not even once! Perhaps twice though...
MOSFETs, what else can I say? I needed to turn the LEDs on and off and didn't want to use relays so I figured I'd try using MOSFETs and I wasn't disappointed. The worked GREAT switching the lights on and off.
The MOSFETS switched the ground to the "heat" LEDs and as such didn't really generate any heat so I opted to leave out the aluminum sync I was going to attach to them.
Step 3: Mmmmm, Solder Smoke!
This was the hardest part, laying out the components onto the protoboard.
To start I photocopied the protoboard and then started drawing on the components and tried figuring out how to connect everything. Ground this way, voltage that way, quick connects, power input, etc... 611