Here's a video of the (nearly) completed project: http://youtu.be/Z_A-J9ZV58AIf there's interest I could upload the electronics spec/program too, but it's pretty simple, anyone who has done any Arduino stuff at all can replicate it.Customize the SCAD for your specs. You can customize whatever you like, size, depth, number of LEDs, etc. Make a single segment and whatever masks you need. Turn on the segments that you need for each digit. For a 1 you can turn off "fulldigit" to make a narrow "half digit" as I have in the photo.Remember it prints upside down so choose your segments accordingly. I use the standard 7 segment A through G terminology.Print as many copies of the segments as you need. I printed the segments at 0% infill. They're still pretty tough (at 3 solid layers) and the light diffusion is a little better than if there's infill.Put LEDs in, wired however you like. I used sets of 3 LEDs in series with 220 ohm resistors, intended to run off 12 volts.I just hand wired the LEDs, inserted the segments into the masks, then hot-glued the bejeebuz out of it (as you can see in one of the photos), then drilled the corners and secured to the plywood with self-tapping "sheet metal" screws.After completing the sign, someone immediately suggested that with the team name "Technical Difficulties" at the very least one of the digits should flicker occasionally. Therefore I built a controller based on an Arduino that does a few patterns including one of the digits is wonky every few seconds. You can see that as well as a glance of the electronics in the video above.I also whanged together a quick box to cover the electronics seen in the video, saved as electronics box and plunger (for the mode switch).
I'm a computer person who grew up on a farm. I enjoy all kinds of making. Programming, electronics design, rough carpentry, whatever.I am a mentor for FIRST Robotics FRC team 1502, "Technical Difficulties" at Chelsea High School.