The project goal was to design and build six identical lamps, ready to sell, from either raw or found materials. I chose to create a desk top task lamp inspired by a parking lot street lamp from raw material. The lamp consists of a cast concrete base, cut conduit lamp post and vacuum formed styrene lamp shade housing two 12V LED bulbs. This project was completed in a 12 week period.
Ideation
Fabrication
After a form was established and dimensions were agreed upon, the building process began with forming the concrete base, then cutting conduit tubing for the main post and vacuum forming the lamp shade. Wiring was involved when the 12V LEDs were installed and then some finishing techniques were completed in order to achieve the proper visual aesthetic that was established early on.
Base Casting
A mold was made by forming wood into a positive shape that would resemble the shape of the base I wanted to achieve. The wooden form was vacuum formed to create a mold for the concrete in order to achieve a consistent cast every pour.
The bases were drilled with a masonry bit in order for the wires leading to the plug could exit from underneath the base.
Lamp Shade Formation
Once the bases were formed, some details involved in the form of the lamp shade still needed to be worked out. The form near the back is the original lamp shade form to be vacuum formed and the form at the foreground of the photo os the final form. THis form was vacuum formed many times while adjusting different variables each tome to ensure a perfect seal around the form. An inner shell was vacuum formed as well to reflect as much light as possible when lit.
Conduit was then cut to 8" lengths for the six identical lamps to join the lamp shade to the base.
Wiring and Assembly
After all the main components were fabricated, the smaller pieces were then made like the bulb chassis for the 12V LED bulbs. All six lamps were made at the same time, one being the first to be assembled and because of this pace, all pieces for the lamps were made and laid out before final assembly. The bulbs were then plugged into their sockets, wired into a main wire and the lamps were built.
Final Products
After wiring a 24V wall adapter to the lamp for power, adding rubber feet to the bottom of the base to allow for the cord to run under the base, sanding rough edges and painting the lamp shades a matte gray, the Lot Lamp was finished.