3D Printed Desk Lamp

Hello, Im new to this website but have loved everything I've seen so far. I thought if make an account and complete some instructables for myself. this is my first actual prototype product and Im not exactly use to using the laser cutter and 3d printer, but I designed and made this for my course work in my first year of college. please leave your opinions in the comments. thank you.

What inspired me?

This was my first projects when I started at my college in September. I came up with so many designed which were related to my favourite design movement, Bauhaus. If you didn't know, Bauhaus is or was a German arts school. It was closed during the second world war as it didn't portray the right image for Germany at that time.

I landed on this design and weeks later I finished my lamp. I thought id share it with you so hopefully you could make and build upon my idea. To make this unique and simple Bauhaus Desk lamp you will need;

Machines

- a 3D printer

- a laser cutter

- a line bender

- a soldering iron

Materials

- 3d printing filament

- 3mm white acrylic plastic

Components

- multi-strand 2mm wire

- strip board

- white ultra-bright LEDs

- simple switch (toggle, slide, PTM)

- 5mm LED holders

to construct the main frame or body of the lamp, first you must have 2d design software for example, 2D design. using this software, design the frame to hold your light. when the design is complete, send the file to be 'printed' after making sure the lines are set to be cut, etched.

if when the frame is being cut, there are black marks around the edges, use a damp cloth to remove them. this is the first stage complete.

note: different thicknesses and colour are available.

to make the mould, first you must use PVA to attach three pieces of MDF or another material of length 120mm, width 100mm and height 20mm. when the three pieces are attached, the block should be roughly60mm.

draw on the centre of the block using the cross method, then draw a line 90 degrees from the centre to the top. draw on the angle you want and then draw two parallel lines on the top surface, connecting the angle lines. when this is done, get a tenon saw and begin cutting away the shape. make sure this is very accurate as it is what gives the frame its final touches.

remove the shape and use fine 600 grit sandpaper to even out the surface.

to apply the obscure angle on the frame, first find the centre line. this will be located at half the length of the frame itself. place this gently on top of a heated line bender, the surface will heat up and slowly bend, wait until the texture is quite soft then place the plastic frame into the mould. after a few minutes, the frame will set. this means it can be taken out of the mould.

the light casing is the most important part of the product as it is the main housing for the LED lights.

to complete this step, I used a 3d modelling software known as space claim. this allowed me to print my design in 3D. I made sure it would be big enough to house the lights, but small enough to fit into the frame.

when the design was complete, the only thing left to do was to print it. when this was done, I used 600 grit sandpaper to smoothen the surface of the shell, this allowed me to get a better paint finish.

using spray paint, I coated my frame and shell in matt black paint. this gave the product a better and more classical styling.

to complete this task, I used the laser cutter to cut out my preferred shape onto black 5mm acrylic.

to complete this task, i ordered 9 ultra bright LED lights from Kitronic along with 9 chrome LED holders to add more aesthetics to the design. first, I placed all LEDs into their holders and began to strip the wires. once this was done, I soldered the LEDs to the red and black wire. making sure they were correct I used a 330R resistor and a 9V battery. after, I soldered the resistor to the PCB along with the LEDs and Battery snap. I left two spaces for the switch as I didn't have one at this time. when it arrived I used the soldering iron and some longer wires to attach the switch to the PCB. I then inserted the circuit into the light casing making sure nothing got caught or damaged.

to complete the last task, use a hand drill to drill a hole the same size of the toggle switch onto the back of the lamp. when this stage is completed, the battery has been inserted and the product works, you have finished!!!!!!!!