How to Create a 3D Printed Lamp Using Scan the World Models

We are Scan The World a non-profit, open source and community built initiative whose mission is to share 3D printable representations of cultural artifacts in a remarkably tangible way. You can enjoy around +18000 .stl files of cultural artifacts freely available on our website.

We love to explore new opportunities and we love to see what our community is able to create using the models from our collection. After approaching plaster casting of a 3D printed model, today we decided to realize a fully working 3D printed lamp!

The starting point of this project was a printable 3D model freely available on our website: The Great Buddha at Kamakura, Japan.

Toni Raya also known as @cicattriz helped us in this mission and we are pretty happy with the results!

Here follows an easy, accessible, step by step guide on how to go from a 3D printable model of a sculpture, to an incredible 3D printed lamp.

• 3D model of "The Great Buddha at Kamakura, Japan" or any other suitable* one
• Software "Meshmixer"
• Software "Tinkercad"
• A wooden box which will be used to hide the cables
• A lightbulb with a cable and a switch
• Some nails
• A hammer
• A drill

*in the following steps we will explain what kind of model is prefereable for this project

Look for an appealing Scan The World model. It would be prefereable to choose a cultural artifact which does not need many supports while printing. Also, it is useful to print an object which can easily stand on a flat base as it will help realize a more stable lamp.
In this case we selected this model "The Buddha from Kamakura".

It is completely free and available to everyone!

Open your freshly downloaded 3D model on Meshmixer, click on EDIT and HOLLOW. The goal at this point is to edit the model so that it results as an empty shell, a hollowed version of the original object.

In this case we selected a thickness of 3 mm which after printing, will make sure that the light will pass through the walls of the object fulfilling its functional purpose.

Now it is time to give it a plane base which will be a stable surface. Once again, select the option EDIT and PLAN CUT. You can shift the cut at the height which seems most convenient and good looking on the final piece.

It is now time to create a base for the sculpture, this will be easily printable and incorporated with the final piece. This part will be placed between the printed sculpture and the wooden box underneath the object.

To realize this, we used Tinkercad from Autocad. You need to realize a square shape which can be adjusted on top of the box that will be used as a base. You can then realize a hole inside this squared shape which will be adjusted to the exact dimensions of the sculpture’s base. This will allow the lightbulb and its light to pass through.

Once the prototype is ready, you can place the sculpture on top and make the last adjustments.

• Material used: PLA
• Nozzle temperature: 200° C
• Bed temperature: 60° C
• Layer height: 0.12 highest quality
• Infill: 100%
• Supports: no supports needed

Take the wooden box which will act as a base, realize a hole on its top with the help of a drill. Another hole on the side of the box will be the exit space of the light cable.

To finish the lamp, take the cable and lightbulb with incorporated light switch and pass it through the holes realized with the drill.

At this point you can take the box and the 3D printed model and join them together with the use of some nails.