DIY: Build a Gigging Light that Will Give the Flounder a Sunburn

Warning: working with batteries and electricity can be dangerous. This post is to give insight into how I built my flounder light, but be sure to consult an expert prior attempting on your own. Full Disclaimer

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In preparation for an upcoming trip to the coast, I wanted to supercharge my flounder gigging setup. Similar lights can be purchased custom, but given the parts I had lying around the garage, I thought I could build a setup that could rival the best lights on the market.

This setup wasn’t the easiest or quickest DIY project, but it will light up the ocean floor!

Overview

The goal of the light was obvious: squeeze as much light out of a handheld pole as I could, using the lightest battery possible. Each chip can be operated independently to save on power consumption.

I’ll warn you that this was a tedious build…there are some great lights already on the market…just none that affordably met my specifications.

DIY Flounder Gig:
Building your own gig for the next time you go wading Learn How

How to Build It

Materials Needed

• 50w, 12V LED Chips (3)
• 12V, 18Ah Battery (depends on how long you want to run it)
• 12V, Dot Light, Rocker Switches (3)
• Parks/Varathane Super Glaze
• Artic Silver Thermal Paste
• Wago 5port Push-In Connectors (optional)
• 3″ x 1.5″ Aluminum Rectangle Tube
• 2″ x 1.5″ Aluminum Rectangle Tube
• 3/4″ SCH40 PVC
• Stainless Hardware
• 12-2 Marine Gauge Wire
• 12ga, 15amp inline fuse
• 10-12ga Female Spade Terminals
• LL Conduit Enclosure, 1″
• 3/4″ reducer (to adapt to 3/4″ pipe)

Step 1: Miter the Three Base Pieces

The basic frame is three 4″ pieces of 3″ x 1.5″ aluminum rectangle tube. I used a bandsaw with a protractor to scribe 22.5deg miter on each piece (or you can set a chop saw to the appropriate angle). The center piece will be mitered on both sides while the ends can be cut at 90deg on the outward facing end.

Step 2: Cut the Top Bracket

Cut a 1.5″ piece of the to serve as the top bracket. Cut off the top wall to create a U-shaped bracket.

Step 3: Cut Flat Stock for LED Chip Surrounding

Each LED chip will need to be surrounded by an aluminum border to contain the epoxy that will waterproof the chip.

You can buy flat stock, but since I had rectangle tube lying around, I used my band saw to cut the sidewall off the tube to create two lengths of flat stock.

Step 4: Cut Out Three LED Surroundings from the Flat Stock

This initially was a frustrating endeavor. I tried routing a clean square, using a bandsaw and using a jigsaw. All proved extremely frustrating.

I ultimately settled on what I believe the easiest and cleanest technique. Get a 1 7/8″ hole saw (odd size but NAPA had one for $7h and cut a hole in the center of you stock.

Scribe lines to turn the circle into a square and cut the lines using a 6amp jig saw.

Once the hole is cut out, cut the remaining edge to size.

Step 5: Attach the Surroundings to the Housing

I chose to tap holes to attach the surroundings (motivated by my decision to braze the housing together with Alumiweld rather that welding.

I happened to have some 1.5” 10/32 stainless bolts so I worked my way around each housing, tapping holes.

Step 6: Braze the Housing Together

I chose to braze the housing together because I don’t have a spool gun.

Brazing can be tough when you have multiple joints but it turned out well for the application. I used MAP gas to speed up the process.

Step 7: Drill A Hole in Middle Housing

Use a 1” hole saw to drill a hole in the back of the middle housing to facilitate wiring.

Step 8: Drill Hole to Attach Pole to the Bracket

Use a 5/16” bit to drill a horizontal hole for attaching the PVC handle to the metal bracket.

Step 9: Drill Holes to Attach and Wire the Bracket to Lights

Drill and tap two holes through the bracket and into the body to attach the bracket.

Drill a larger hole to accommodate the wire to be run to the center light.

Step 10: Drill Wire Hole for Side Lights

Drill a 3/8”” hole on each side housing.

Step 11: Prepare PVC Pole for Hinge

Cut a 72” length of 3/4” PVC and cap it.

Center it in the hinge and use the hinges as a template to drill a 5/16” hole through the PVC.

Drill another 3/8” hole above the cap to pass the wire for the side lights through.

Step 12: Drill Hole in PVC for Wiring

Drill a 1/2” hole to pass the wire through the PVC into the housing.

Step 13: Drill Wiring Holes in Housing

Drill two 1/8” holes in the front of each section of the housing to accommodate wiring the LED chips.

Step 14: Drill Holes to Attach LED Chips

Using a chip as a template, drill and tap 4-40 holes to attach each chip

Apply thermal paste to the back of the chip and screw into place.

Step 15: Install Switches

Drill three 5/8” holes in the junction box and widen with a multi tool to press in switches.

Step 14: Attach PVC Junction Box

Attach the junction box to the far end of the PVC pipe.

Step 15: Wire and Solder Each LED

Run three lengths of 12-2 wire from the junction box to each section of the housing. Be sure to leave some slack for wiring.

Run the side light wire out the side holes above the end cap. Run the center light wire through the hinge.

Strip each wire, thread through the holes and solder to the LED chip.

Step 17: Wire The Accessory-side of each Switch

Run the soldered wire on the hot side of each light to a spade connection on the accessory side of each switch.

Step 18: Splice Ground Wires

Run spade connectors to the ground-side of each switch. Splice all ground wires from the three switches and the ground wires of the three lights with a ground wire terminating at the battery.

I chose to daisy-chain the ground-side of the switches to save room and route all the grounds into a 5port Wago connector (you can also solder/heatshrink together).

Step 18: Wire The Hot To each Switch

Connect a spade connection to the hot-in terminal (middle terminal) of each switch (do not daisy-chain!) and run them into a separate Wago port (or solder/heatshrink together).

Step 19: Connect to the Battery

Run a wire from both the hot and ground Wago ports out the side of the junction box. You will want enough that you can keep the battery in a backpack as you are shining.

Attach a 15amp fuse to the hot side followed by a spade terminal. Attach another spade terminal to the ground-side and connect to battery.

You can now test your lights, but ensure you just validate they are working…they need to be submerged to properly cool and we haven’t waterproofed them yet!

Step 20: Heatshrink Your Connections

With everything validated as working, go ahead and heat shrink any connections you’ve made requiring it.

Step 21: Mix and Pour Epoxy Onto One Light at a Time

Since the lights are angled, you will need to let one cure before pouring the others.

Mix up the epoxy according to instructions and evenly pour into each light cavity. Quickly hit it with a heat gun to coerce out any air bubbles.

Step 22: Assemble and Attach the Handle

Thread the 3/4″ thread/slip joint into the clip on tee.

Glue in a comfortable length of 3/4″ pipe and simply clip it to the pole where you wish to hold the light.

Retrospective (What I Would Change)

As a concept, I’m pretty happy with the build…here are a few things I might consider changing next time.

• Brazing wasn’t too bad, but it would have been quicker using a welder with a spool gund
• The 12ga wiring is thick…I would use a thicker “surround” to ensure the wire was completely submerged in the epoxy
• The 3/4″ PVC is pretty tight…would be easier to work with 1″ pipe
• I used the aluminum I had, but it would be easier to work with slightly thicker plate and make the connections out the back (rather than inside the rectangle tube)

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