Your LEGO® creations will be completely transformed when you light them up with Light My Bricks™ LEGO® lighting, which adds excitement and realism to a set that has already been built. The Light My Bricks™ LEGO® lighting system makes it easy to bring your creations to life, no matter your level of experience with lighting LEGO®.
Providing useful tips and techniques to help you become an expert at lighting LEGO® models, this comprehensive LEGO® lighting tutorial will walk you through the process of lighting up your LEGO® Ideas JAWS build.
In this guide, you will discover how to add LEGO® lights to your kit and lighting techniques, which will cover everything from installation to troubleshooting. Let's get started!
Understanding the Basics of LEGO® Lighting
Before we start, let's talk about the best lighting for LEGO® sets first. Choosing lights for your LEGO® sets requires careful consideration about the effect you are trying to achieve. LEGO® light kits are an excellent choice as they provide the ideal balance of colour, brightness, and flexibility to enhance any LEGO® set.
One of the most popular options is the Light My Bricks™ LEGO® lighting system. We provide everything you need to illuminate your LEGO® build, complete with instructions, connections, and premium LED lights. Even if you are a beginner, this kit has been created to be simple and easy to install and follows a natural ‘lego style’ build technique.
Step 1: Be Prepared With Your Tools & Materials
Before you begin any LEGO® lighting project, we need to ensure that you have everything you need for the job. Here’s a basic list of what you’ll need:
- Light My Bricks™ LEGO® lighting kit - LEGO® Ideas #21350 JAWS Set
- A nice, clean, flat workspace
- The LEGO® JAWS lighting guide – Scan the QR code on your kit to access it
- Power Source – A USB Power Bank or USB Wall Adaptor is needed to power your lights. Don’t have one? We recommend using our official options for optimal performance.
You’ll have all the guidance you need to successfully install your lights by following our in-depth LEGO® lighting step-by-step instructions.
To start, let’s open up LMB Bag 1 and Bag 3 and remove the components.
Step 2: Prepare For Light Installation By Removing Some Of Your Build
For this guide, we’ll be using the Light After Build method.
To begin this lighting project (after you have already built your set), you will need to take out specific parts from your LEGO® Ideas JAWS build to allow for lighting to be added. The pieces to be removed will be highlighted in red inside your guide, meaning that we need to remove them before installing any of the lights.
Before you can install the lights for your set, there are some key components (indicated in red in the tutorial) that will need to be removed.
Through removing these parts, this will allow you to create space for the wiring and lighting components to be installed.
- First, we need to remove the Shark and the Boat from the set
- Set them aside for reassembly later on
The Light My Bricks™ LEGO® light kit is an easy-to-follow LEGO® lighting tutorial highlighting the placement of every LED light for the LEGO® Ideas #21350 JAWS set.
The key locations we focus on lighting are:
- Lighting up the boat’s interior
- Lighting up the shark
- Lighting the scene’s background, including the water’s edge
PRO TIP!
Organise your pieces using individual containers to keep everything in place as you work through the lighting process.
Step 3: Prepare the Boat Section for Lighting
To prepare the boat for lighting, you can start by removing the top section of the boat. This will give you better access to incorporate the lights. Follow the instructions below to begin installing your awesome boat lighting:
Astro Lights Installation
- You will be using an AR-WW115 Astro Light for this part.
- Grab a clear stud from your LMB kit to attach the light to the subassembly
Adding Coloured Lights
- Right Side: Use an AR-G15 Astro Light Green
- Left Side: Use an AR-R15 Astro Light Red
Cable Management
- Ensure the cables run neatly between the studs as you attach the lights.
- For a slim and tidy look, the LMB studs have a notch designed to neatly fit the cables.
Securing Cables
- Use a 1x3 tether and a 1x4 tether to secure the cables in place.
Step 4: Dock & Belt Installation
Once the boat section's lights have been installed, it's time to use some advanced techniques to optimise the build. Belts and docks will be utilised to enhance power distribution and cable management in your lighting system. The next crucial steps are listed below:
Attaching the Meteor Light
- Fix the Micro Meteor Light to the 1x3 tether and add a 5 cm belt to it.
- Next click your Micro Meteor Light down as seen here
Dock Setup
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Take a three-port dock and attach it to the 1x4 tether to allow you to distribute power to the lights.
Power Distribution
- Grab a 50 cm belt and plug it into the dock to connect to the power supply.
- You can neatly conceal the belt by covering it with the tiles we removed earlier in the guide.
PRO TIP!
When installing the belts and docks, make sure the cables are hidden under LEGO® pieces and that they run neatly between the LEGO® studs, not over them!
Step 5: Installing Spotlights on the Base
Now that the boat is complete, you can begin building lighting into the LEGO® Ideas JAWS set base. For a dramatic effect, this section requires careful placement of spotlights as outlined below:
Removing Additional Pieces
- Start by removing specified pieces from the base to make room for the lights.
Install the Spotlights
- First, open up LMB Bag 2
- Place the lights in the designated corners of the base.
- Use the AR-CW30 astro cool white lights for the spotlights.
- Place the spotlight on the previously removed LEGO® pieces as below:
Fix Cables In Place
- Similar to the boat, use the removed (white) LEGO® pieces to cover and hide the cables you have installed.
Repeat for Additional Spotlights
- Rotate the base and add additional spotlights
- The spotlights should be evenly distributed to create a dramatic and realistic effect.
You can continue adding spotlights to other areas of the base as per our guide.
Step 6: Docking System Set Up
It is essential to connect the lights and belts to the power supply using the docking system in order to ensure that your lights are powered correctly. The steps to achieve this are outlined here:
Place Your Dock
- Grab your six-port dock (step 109) that will allow you to connect multiple lights to a single dock.
- It has six ports for lights and two for belts.
Cable Management & Clips
- After placing the docks, attach Eclipse next to the dock to manage cables and keep everything organised.
Connect Lights & Belts to Dock
- Plug your lights into the ports on the six-port dock, making sure that the cables run neatly and securely through the clips.
Step 7: Almost there!! Reassembling Boat & Base
Now that your lights are connected and everything is in place, it’s time to reassemble!
Boat Reattachment
- Position the boat back onto the set carefully and with precision. Ensure everything fits in place, being mindful of wires.
Shark Reattachment
- Put the shark back onto the base ensuring cables running from the boat and shark are secured correctly.
Final Adjustments
- Once both the shark and boat are in place you can take the belt that’s running from the side of the boat and plug it into the six-port dock.
- Take a new belt and flux converter, combine these then plug the belt into the remaining belt port in the 6 Dock.
Step 8: Time To Power Up & Enjoy
The most important and fun final step - it’s now time for power, lights and action! Watch your LEGO® Ideas #21350 JAWS Set come to life.
- Connect your USB Power Bank or USB Wall Adaptor supply to the build
By following these LEGO® lighting techniques and steps, you’ll be able to transform your LEGO® Ideas JAWS build into a true masterpiece. Utilising our advanced techniques like tethers, docks and cable management, you’ll discover how to install LEGO® lighting to achieve a sleek and professional cinematic finish.
Enhance your builds further by experimenting with other lighting techniques you can find on our Light My Bricks Learning Centre. Get building and lighting today!