HOW IT’S MADE >>
TASK : Fabricate something using primarily two different materials. The materials cannot be acrylic or plywood (unless you are gluing up your own plywood).
1. Inspiration
I wanted to make a nice slick look lamp for my room. Why? I had a $ 8.00 work light from the Home Depot and the bulb just died. So, I wanted to make a nice LED light. So I visited the lighting plus and purchased $5.99 15inch LED strip. After that, I started sketching the design.
2. PLAN
[HOME DEPOT] I fell in love with searching the home depot website. I searched the materials and listed up what I would need. As always, the lamp was targeted to the low cost with the WOW effect.
3. Execution
A. [DAY1/ Shopping] I went to the home depot for two major products. One is the 18 inch metal cabinet pull and the other was the wood. Unlike the website they only had the expensive hand pull which was $24.00. So I decided to go for a cheap and short hand pull and extend it by the copper pipe. The fun part was as I face the changes in the materials, I had to re-think the design. So I searched around the home depot and changed my design. Home depot had a cutting service. So I asked them to cut the copper pipe into 17 inch which was also whimsically decided. So, I looked around and purchased nice parts. I decided to use cheap 2″X6″X 8 feet lumber and I found nice 1-3/4 X 36″ dowel which had a nice natural pattern. As the dowel is long, I had to figure out the wiring. I did not want to drill the whole long path. So I thought of using the cable ties and the colored were cheaper. So I got them instead of black ones (which I regret later cuz the black is better in terms of the LΘΘK). Here is the list of what I purchased:
– HOME DEPOT
($ 8.97) 1-3/4″X36″ Square Dowel
($ 4.76) 1/2″ X 2′ Type M Copper
($ 4.50) Colored Ties
($ 5.97) 3″ Pull
($ 4.83) Copper Male Adapter
($ 1.24) Ferrule/Stop
($ 2.61) Spacer
($ 0.60) Wire Rope
($ 1.18) Sheet Metal Screw
($ 1.18) Fender Washer
– Lighting Plus
($ 6.29) LED Strip
TOTAL : $39.03 + $6.29 = $45.59
B. [Duck Tape] I tested my design with the duck tape to see the balance of the light.
C. [Drill, Band Saw, Caliper] I press-fitted the copper pipe and the pipe adapter into the cabinet pull to make it long. After that I measured the depth of the hand pull strut to see how much I can cut the back of the dowel. I cut the back of the dowel with the band saw. I used the caliper to measure the thickness of the pull.
D. [Drill, Level, Jig, machine saw] I drilled the hole with the drill bit. I used the level to level flat before drilling. Later, I found I drilled the dowel too high. I needed to cut it off by the machine saw and drilling process was done again.
E. [Drill, Spade Bit, Washer, Caliper, Level] After drilling, I measured the size of the washer which will prevent the hand pull to come off. Also I measured the necessary depth to the pull with the caliper. I kept the caliper to mark the depth and drilled with the spade bit.
F. [Washer, Duck Tape, Band Saw] I used the washer and the bolt to hold the pull. It worked fine. I covered the back of the dowel with the cut piece and I found I forgot to drill the bolt hole first. So I used the duck tape to hold them together and drilled the hole and widened the entry by the counter sink. After that I used the band saw to make a path of the cable.
G. [Cable, Stopper, Jig, Hand Saw, Cable Tie] Now, I needed to make a stop to the cable. However, the aluminum stopper was too strong, I was impossible to cramp it with the plier. So I used the jig to cramp it. And I cut the end of the copper pipe with the hand saw. However, next time, I would use the drill to make a hole because the U-cut could not hold the stopper well. Now, I found that the copper pipe is heavy that I would need a counter weight. So I tested to hang some counter weight. I used the stones as the counter weight. I used the cable ties to hold the LED strip.
H. [Solder, Cable tie, Drill] I soldered the LED strip to the adapter which was found at the junk shelf and I implemented the soldered part into the inside of the dowel. So I drilled two holes for the wire. Now I assembled them all.
I. [Re-think] I pictured the final and it was ugly. I did not like the counter weight. As a whole, it ruined the entire look. So I re-think how to modify slick and zen…. ZZZzzzz.
J. [DAY2/ Drill, Spade Bit, Drill Bit, Jig, Stopper] I thought of using the left-over copper pipe as a counter holder. So I marked the position of the counter copper pipe and drilled two holes on the dowel so that the light can tilt to two positions. Also I drilled the hole on the copper pipe to stick in the cable. I cut the previous ferrule of the cable and inserted into the hole of the counter pipe. I used the jig to cramp the stopper again.
K. [Drill, Counter Sink Bit, Glue] Now, I needed the bottom of the lamp. I could make it by cutting the bottom of the dowel but it would make the lamp too short. So, I looked over the junk shelf and used the plywood piece as a bottom. I knew I should’ve not used the plywood but, I had no other option. I glued them first and drilled and used the bolts to hold them together.
4. Completion
[IMPROVEMENTS]
I found the black cable ties so I switched the blue to black ones. Also I went to the Metalliferous to buy a sheet of copper. I used it as the base. I drilled and hammered to shape the base.
As a whole the look is improved and more slick and cool.
