Need some help putting together a light base

[ThreeQuadFive]

Hello everyone.

For my 3rd anniversary (horray!), I got my wife a crystal (2x2) block with our wedding photo laser etched inside.

I wanted to add a further personal touch to it and make a lightbase for it/her by hand instead of buying one.

So, I went to the 'shack today and bought a small project enclosure to start with (may add balsa wood panaling to the sides later), and it measures 6x3x2 so its just big enough.

What I aim to do is cut a rectangular hole in the center top, and add plexiglass to it for light to come out of to illuminate from the center of the crystal.

I figured a White Lux III should do the trick, but what I'd like to do is the followi to have it powered by battery OR by AC adapter.

I figured for battery I could run it off of 6v, and the same for an ac adapter.
That would mean a 2.2 Ohm 5 Watt resistor on the + for the Lux.

For coolant of the Lux as it could get hot, I figured I'd add a small fan on the side for ventillation as well.

The bigger question is, how to get it so that it can be easily switched between power sources.

Initially I could just do a DPST switch and have it used to select battery or AC (so AC-Off-Battery), but whats another way to do that?

Also I was thinking perhaps that instead of just having it always on when the switch is on, adding one or two mom tactile switches to the top so that when the crystal is actually on the base it completes the circuit and lights up, and when not turns the circuit off.

Thanks for any insight, I'm excited to be doing this project!!

[FenderBender]

Wire in a charge port. But instead of the switch on the port cutting off power to the unit, wire it to cut out the batt pack. You could just use a 3AA 4.5V batt pack from the shack and use a 4.5V 1A DC wall adapter and a P4 on a PC finned heatsink. Should be good to go.

[ThreeQuadFive]

Great idea with the charge plug!

I was thinking about it but not quite sure, but glad someone else thought of it too

[ThreeQuadFive]

done!! did some cleaning up since the photos so it looks more like actual wood.