The Modular Lantern - Beacon

Welcome to Beacon which is a simple light box compatible with lithophanes and the 500+ inserts I've released in my Modular Lantern series (Check my Patreon and Makerworld profile). This works well when you want to show off one or maybe two designs (front and back)

The Tea light holder can hold most tea lights even down to the size of the small LED pucks. I like these as they are brighter than a tea light and work with a remote control. Readily available from many sources.

Start by placing your tea light into the base and screwing on the cap:

Then click this into the base:

Next you have options. You can use magnets or my MagFit clip available here. I just use 6:

For commercial I'd use magnets (note you need a commercial license available from my Patreon) but for your own use the clips are great and what I use. Why add extra hardware when your printer can solve the issue?

Place your chosen insert in and also a coloured panel. The panel can be almost any PLA / PETG they are almost all translucent enough at this thickness (0.6m). This is a core feature of the Modular Lantern series having the design separate to the coloured insert allowing to to experiment with colour and re-use them as you change the inserts through the year.

Keep the front / back on the table and push the core onto it:

Repeat for the other side and you are done :-)

Lithophanes

Yes the slots in this medium sized lantern support lithophanes up to 3.4mm thick. Just create them to 80mm x 120mm in size using Bambu's MakeMyLithophane.

Using Magnets instead of MagFit

You can use 6mmx4mm magnets and just glue them into the hole, the extra depth gives additional strength.

Alternatively print a couple of 2mm spacers and use 6mmx2mm magnets, but remember magnets are not great at stopping shearing movement:

To stop shearing movement in the direction of the arrows above you can use a 1mm and 3mm spacer. This is what I advise for my Modular Lantern posts, by forcing a magnet to protrude by 1mm and insetting the other by an extra mm we solve the problem:

Glue

You can also use the provided 8mm high cylinders in the print profile and glue them into the top of the lantern. But really I suggest using MagFit they have so many benefits.