In order to make a homemade nail lamp using a UV lamp, you will need the lamp itself. If you don’t have a lamp, then watch the video at the end of the article about making a UV lamp from a DRL light bulb.
So, first we need to assemble what we will use to make the most important thing - a light bulb with UV radiation.
Making a UV nail dryer with your own hands
To make a homemade UV nail dryer you will need the following:
UV lamp (the cheapest from a banknote checking machine)
Energy-saving lamp for a standard socket (more precisely, the electronics from it)
Screw block
Wire with plug and light bulb socket.
The cost of a UV lamp is only 100 rubles, the rest can usually be found in any home.
So, we screw the UV lamp onto the pads; it’s difficult to find connectors for it, so just use the pads and connect the wires to the pads. For wires, thawed cables for a local network are excellent; we twist the wires going into them in pairs and use them together.
From the energy-saving lamp we only need a layer with electronics, a pair of wires come from it to the bulb of the lamp itself, we cut off and unsolder the wires and in their place we solder our wires twisted in pairs. Now we put the base and electronics back together.
This is what happens as a result. This is a power source for a UV lamp from a machine for checking banknotes, as they say - cheap and cheerful!
Now we attach the UV lamp to the base using a plastic strip or any other material and the base for the nail drying machine is ready.
All that remains is to insert the lamps into the housing. You can make the case yourself, or you can use a ready-made one, for example from an old computer power supply; old power supplies are simply thrown into the trash and you can contact a PC upgrade company and get such a case for free.
Watch a video about making a DIY UV nail dryer from an old power supply.
As you can see, there are no problems in making a homemade nail drying machine.
If you have a question - why do you need a homemade UV lamp for nails, then the answer is simple - with it you can do a home manicure of any complexity, the inability to do a manicure can be eliminated very simply, just take a manicure course in St. Petersburg and you will be able to please your dearest and lover with an excellent home manicure, while saving significant household finances.
However, let's return to making a homemade UV lamp from a regular DRL light bulb.
Such DRL lamps can be seen above the entrance. They are more expensive in price than UV lamps for adding machines, but their UV flux power is higher.
Making a UV lamp from DRL involves removing the outer glass bulb, which has a special coating that does not transmit the UV spectrum of light.
How to convert a DRL lamp into a UV lamp, as well as how to connect a DRL lamp to the network, see the video below.
Such production is justified only if you already have a DRL light bulb that you don’t need and you decide to upgrade it to a UV lamp.
Quartzization is a process of disinfecting a room (air) with ultraviolet radiation. In medical institutions, quartz treatment is currently quite widely used for bactericidal purposes.
Quartzing is especially good during epidemics of viral diseases, which with enviable consistency prevent us from living and working in peace.
You can buy a quartz maker, but we will make the quartz maker ourselves, from scrap materials.
As a quartz lamp, we will need a regular DRL lamp (photo 1), these lamps are used in street lighting fixtures, a choke (without it, this lamp will not work), and a socket for a DRL lamp.
Photo. 1 DRL lamp.
There are also chokeless lamps on sale, but I haven’t experimented with them, so I won’t say anything about it.
That's basically it.
On the picture. Figure 2 shows a quartzing installation made by hand in half an hour from a DRL 250 lamp.
The connection diagram for the lamp and choke is shown in Fig. 1.
Photo. 2 "Installation" for quartzing at home.
We carefully break the bulb of the DRL lamp and remove the remaining glass to the socket (photo. 3). It is better to do this in the fresh air, since if you damage the “insides” of the lamp (they contain mercury), you will inhale the fumes.
Photo. 3 DRL lamp without bulb.
This is how I did it: I wrapped the lamp in several plastic bags and carefully broke the bulb with a hammer (an indispensable tool), then removed the excess with pliers.
All that remains is to secure all the elements and assemble the circuit. The connection diagram is shown below.
Rice. 1 DRL lamp connection diagram. Capacitor WITH You don’t have to install it, the lamp will burn without it.
There are other ways (chokeless) of turning on DRL lamps, we will not dwell on them (the Internet is full of material on this topic).
With a throttle the easiest option.
A little about the process of quartzing at home.
Flowers and pets must be removed from the room. Quartz for 15 to 30 minutes.
During quartzing, the air is enriched with ozone, which also disinfects, but ozone is poisonous (in high concentrations), so immediately after quartzing the room must be ventilated.
When quartzing, it is prohibited to be in the room; try not to look at the lamp (with prolonged exposure, you can get a burn to the skin, not to mention the eyes).
If the lamp is used correctly, quartzing does not cause any harm, there are no germs, no diseases.
Be healthy!
All representatives of the fair sex love to take care of their nails and often visit beauty salons for manicure procedures. It’s just that earlier, in order to get a permanent manicure, you had to look for a skilled manicure and pay a lot of money, but today it can be done at home. But you will need a special lamp and materials for this. It is important to choose a high-quality device in order to perform the necessary manipulations yourself. Knowing how to make a UV lamp for nails with your own hands, you can save a lot. Today we will not only understand this issue, but also take a closer look at the operating features of the most popular types of manicure dryers.
Features of operation and main characteristics of lamps for manicure
Electric lamps are quite popular among manicurists and lovers of creating high-quality and long-lasting nail art with their own hands. To purchase a ready-made device that meets your requirements, you should first familiarize yourself with the main characteristics, features, design and advantages of such devices. In addition, if you know them, stock up on everything you need, then you will get a decent nail dryer with your own hands.
Table lamps have the simplest design:
- Ordinary body.
- External control panel.
- Special light bulbs.
- Timer.
- Fan.
Important! Some dryers have more functions, but their cost increases greatly due to this.
Let's look separately at each parameter that needs to be paid attention to:
- Dimensions. The most important difference between all lamps is their overall dimensions. There are models that allow you to dry permanent coating on both hands at the same time. When choosing a device for home use, you can safely choose a small lamp, without a timer or additional functions. It is inexpensive, takes up minimal space, and consumes energy sparingly.
- Power. This is also very important. Modern manicure installations have power ratings ranging from 9-54 watts. They can have from 1 to 4 special lamps at the same time. Low-power appliances are being used less and less, even for home use.
Important! The optimal option is 36 watts. Naturally, nail salons use more powerful models.
Types of nail dryers
When creating nail art, it should be taken into account that ultraviolet rays affect each layer of varnish separately. Therefore, the total time for the total effect of ultraviolet radiation on the entire nail plate should not exceed ten minutes. Otherwise, you will violate sanitary standards; your nails and skin may be seriously damaged. If you plan to do a multi-layer manicure yourself, then buy quick-drying coatings.
Currently there are the following types of lamps:
- Ultraviolet dryers. All manicure devices are equipped with fluorescent or LED lamps. But the ultraviolet lamp for drying gel polish is the most affordable. With your own hands, you can use it to create real masterpieces on your nails; the main thing is to use it correctly and not violate established rules and regulations. This model can be purchased on the Internet, a specialized store, or even made by yourself.
Important! Their only disadvantage is the short life of the light bulbs used inside and the content of mercury in them that is hazardous to health.
- LED lamps for nails. Today they are considered the best in this field. Such devices operate using LEDs, so the drying process is completely safe for health, economical, and fast. Polymerization takes place in just 20-30 seconds, meaning there is no need to wait three minutes. There are no harmful substances inside the lamp, so if it breaks, no one will be harmed.
Important! LEDs do not become less powerful over time.
To summarize, it becomes quite clear how they differ. LED lamps are something new for the fashion and beauty industry. Ultraviolet dryers are considered a proven and cheap option, which is once again proven by the current review of lamps for drying nails from various manufacturers. The main advantage of LEDs is their long service life, which devices with fluorescent lamps cannot boast of. But the most important thing is that LED models are absolutely safe.
Important! When planning to make such a device and use it at home, also read interesting information from our other publications:
Making a manicure lamp with your own hands
If you really want to save money, then try making your own drying device. A DIY manicure lamp is made using the lamp itself. Be sure to collect everything you need before starting work:
- UV light bulb (inexpensive models, for example, those used in machines for checking banknotes).
- Energy saving light bulb that fits a standard size socket.
- Block for screws.
- Lamp socket and wire with plug.
The lamp is quite inexpensive, but the rest of the materials can be found at home or in any lighting store. To make or replace diodes, you can buy them there. Repair and replacement of parts is also not difficult to do..
The assembly diagram of the ultraviolet dryer consists of the following steps:
- We screw a UV lamp onto the pads. Since it is quite difficult to find connectors, it is better to use pads. We connect the wires to the blocks. LAN cables are ideal in this case; you just need to twist the wires in them in pairs and use them together.
- We take out the plate with electronics from the energy-saving lamp. We cut off a couple of wires coming out of it to the bulb, then unsolder it and solder the twisted wires in pairs in their place. We reassemble the base with electronics. As a result, we will have a power source for our lamp.
- We attach the device using a plastic strip to the base and get the base of the dryer.
- You can use a ready-made case or make it yourself from an old computer power supply.
- We insert the lamp into the housing.
Important! Once you have practiced with the device you assembled yourself, you may still want to buy a more effective device from the professional series. Or maybe you even want to develop your business in this direction. Then our articles will help you:
An ultraviolet (UV) flashlight is a useful invention that is often not at hand. It can be used to check watermarks on banknotes, detect grease and blood stains, diagnose freon leaks in refrigeration units, and dry some types of varnishes and gels. In this article we will look at how to make an ultraviolet flashlight from a regular pocket flashlight.
LED Flashlight Upgrade
Based on the type of light source installed, all hand-held flashlights are divided into two types: with several low-current LEDs or with one powerful LED. You can change any of them. The main thing is to find UV emitting diodes of a similar size. The cost of an ultraviolet diode of Chinese origin with a wavelength of 370-395 nm, designed for a current of 500–700 mA, is 120–300 rubles. The price of a branded sample can be several times higher. For example, LTPL-C034UVH365 from LITEON with a datasheet available for download costs an average of 750 rubles.
Let's briefly look at the design of a hand-held flashlight. As a rule, it consists of the following parts:
- housings based on aluminum alloy;
- LED module;
- reflector with protective glass;
- battery compartment;
- end cap with button.
Of greatest interest is the module with the LED, which must be separated from the remaining elements of the flashlight. 
Knowing the geometric dimensions of the installed LED, you need to buy a UV emitting diode that is as similar in size as possible. In addition to dimensions, the selection criterion is the spectral characteristic, that is, the LED must emit in the UV-A range (300–400 nm), and not just emit violet light. 
The voltage drop on an ultraviolet LED is slightly higher than on a white LED, which means that recalculation of the number of batteries is not required. But you will have to pay more attention to the load current. As is the case with conventional light-emitting diodes, it should be limited to a level not exceeding the rated value. To do this, the electrical circuit is supplemented with a constant resistor. Installing a driver in this case is not economically justified, since the power dissipation on the resistor will not exceed 0.1 W, even if a very powerful UV-emitting diode is installed in the circuit.
Theoretically, to calculate resistance you need to use the formula:
R=(U PIT -U LED)/I LED, Ohm. 
However, in practice, the electrical circuit is supplemented with another resistance that cannot be neglected. The current flow path in the flashlight passes through the housing with threaded connections. Depending on the quality of the contact on the thread, additional resistance can reach 0.5–1.0 Ohms and significantly affect the load current.
For example, the calculated resistance for a UV LED with U LED =3.5V, I LED =0.7A will be: R=(4.5–3.5)/0.7=1.4 Ohm. And taking into account the resistance of the case, a resistor with a nominal value of 0.47–0.82 Ohms should be used.
Therefore, when you turn on the ultraviolet flashlight for the first time, it is advisable to measure the current in the circuit using a multimeter and, if necessary, recalculate the resistor value.
An ultraviolet flashlight does not have to operate at rated current. To accomplish the assigned tasks, a gentle regime will be quite enough. Therefore, it is better to choose a limiting resistor provided that the operating current is set to approximately 90% of the rated value.
After completing the preparatory work, it's time to move on to assembly. To do this, you need to unsolder the old LED and attach a new ultraviolet emitting diode in its place. If several low-power LEDs are to be replaced, then the whole procedure comes down to the standard sequence of actions with a soldering iron. Then all that remains is to assemble the lantern in reverse order. 
If you intend to install an ultraviolet LED with a power of more than 1 W, then you must provide a radiator or use an existing heat sink. In order to improve heat dissipation, a UV emitting diode is installed through thermal paste on a board coated with aluminum foil. In addition, the place where the board comes into contact with the case is also lubricated with thermal paste. The effectiveness of this method has been proven in 220 V LED lamps.
After checking all electrical connections for reliability, the entire structure of the ultraviolet flashlight is assembled and turned on for the first time.
Getting the effect of ultraviolet light
Sometimes people are interested not in harmful ultraviolet radiation, but in rich violet light, thanks to which objects acquire a special hue. It is absolutely harmless to the eyes, since its wavelength lies in the visible radiation zone and is 410–415 nm. It’s not difficult to assemble a pseudo ultraviolet flashlight with your own hands, even at home. For this you will need:
- transparent tape;
- scissors;
- blue marker;
- purple marker;
- any flashlight with white LEDs;
- a few minutes of free time.
Next we proceed in the following sequence. We glue a piece of adhesive tape onto the surface of the protective glass with a small margin. Carefully paint over the part of the tape through which the light passes with a blue marker. Glue a second piece of tape on top of it and paint over it with a purple marker. Next, apply the third and fourth layers of transparent tape, which we paint with blue and purple, respectively. As a result, a so-called light filter is formed on the surface of the lantern. All that remains is to turn off the lights in the room, turn on the flashlight and feel the beauty of “almost” ultraviolet light.
The same procedure can be done with an LED flash on a smartphone or tablet. Turning it on in flashlight mode will produce a powerful stream of diffuse violet radiation. It is worth noting that using a homemade filter when filming and photographing will allow you to get unique shots.
Read also
Anything can be useful in life. What if you urgently need to check banknotes for authenticity, and linen or floor coverings for stains of suspicious origin? You can't do this without an ultraviolet flashlight. But such a device is unlikely to be found in every home. Therefore, it will not be superfluous to find out how to turn regular pocket flashlight into ultraviolet.
This simple life hack has created a lot of buzz online. And it gave rise to a whole discussion. Some commentators noted that this method is not capable of replacing a real ultraviolet flashlight. Others were not too lazy to follow the instructions and stated with full confidence that the flashlight successfully coped with basic tasks, such as finding the source of an unpleasant odor in a house with animals or hidden messages during a quest. Check it out too, it will take a minimum of time.
For the “UV flashlight simulator” you will need:
Flashlight;
A pair of rubber bands;
Dark blue marker;
Purple marker;
A piece of oilcloth or cling film;
Scissors.
Step 1. Cut a small rectangle from the film (size relative to the flashlight - like a piece of paper in the photo). Secure it in front of the lantern glass with an elastic band and paint over it blue marker. You need to paint it completely, without bald spots.
Step 2. Repeat step 1 exactly. You should have two blue layers of film in front of the glass.
Step 3. Do the same operation with another layer of film and an elastic band. But now paint it not blue, but purple marker.
Ready! Time to check out the spy features. For example, on banknotes or inscriptions with a bright yellow marker.
You can also do a similar trick with phone flash. This way the spy gadget will always be at hand.
You will need:
Scotch;
Scissors;
Blue marker;
Purple marker.
Step 1: cut a small piece of transparent tape and stick it over the flash diode. Color the tape with a blue marker.
