Okay, now it’s time to upgrade the autofade lamp from test circuit to product prototype. And so today was a shopping day.

First, I want to swap the 1000uF capacitor with a 3300uF to make the fade last longer.

Next, I got a variety of enclosures from Michael’s arts and crafts:

Alas, pink was the only translucent in stock. The plastic box is for displaying matchbox cars. A little small, perhaps.

The cardboard box is the wrong material but the right size and shape. The orange thing is a mold for making sand castles, which suggests the possibility of making the lamp into the shape of a sculpture. It costs only a dollar.

This wooden box with glass sides was on the upper end, almost six dollars, but it suggested this could become an arts and crafts project. I would market the electronic innards and then people could put them in whatever enclosures they want, and decorate however they want.

Last but certainly not least:

Here’s a flashlight lamp plus a holder. My nephew and I tested the lamp and it certainly is bright enough for our purposes.

Lights, capacitors, action plan — we’re on our way.