Have you got a bunch of unnecessary CDs? Do not throw them away! From them you can make a beautiful lamp. In this workshop you will learn how to make a very inexpensive and environmentally friendly lamp from the old CD collection.
Interested in?
Budget = 500 - 1000 Euro
Time = 4 - 8 hours
Tools = in every home
Difficulty = Easy - Intermediate
Size = Diameter 40 cm / Height 28 cm
Materials
Instruments
Step 1: Preparation
Before starting work on the lamp, you need to collect the necessary parts and check if all the tools are there.
Do not worry, most likely, most of the necessary tools and materials can be found in the house. The rest can be inexpensively bought online or at local stores.
How many CDs do I need?
To make a lamp as large as mine, you will need 900 to 1000 CDs (about 15 kg).
If so many discs were not found, you can ask friends, colleagues or classmates: I think many people want to get rid of old CDs (old music discs, various free discs from magazines, recorded films, etc.).
Fiberboard circle
diameter 20 cm / height 1.5 cm
easy to find in hardware stores
Electrical connectors
12 connectors
The size of the connector must be determined by the diameter of the steel wire: the steel wire must go into the hole of the connector.
Steel wire
5 m in diameter 2 mm should be just right.
Lamp holder + electric wire + switch + plug
You can find an already assembled version or make it yourself. Choose the size and style according to your design taste. I think it’s better to take a wire at least 2 m long.
E27 fluorescent energy-saving lamp
In principle, any energy-saving fluorescent lamp is suitable. If you want to install a smaller lamp, you need to take the appropriate one.
Silicone
Make sure that the silicone you bought is transparent, you need 2 sticks of the largest size.
Rubber feet
3 pcs.
Need small rubber feet with a diameter of about 2 cm.
Step 2: make the bottom
Take a circle from the fiberboard, and using a pair of compasses and a ruler, divide the circle into 12 sectors.
Connect the dividing points with lines to determine the center, to insert a cartridge, a steel wire into it, and also mark the places for the rubber legs. You can see in the photos what should happen.
Drill the required holes with a drill.
Cut 6 pieces of steel wire using pliers, each length is 1 m. Bend each piece into an arc with the help of jigs or pliers.
Now you need to attach it all to the bottom of the future lamp:
1) fasten 3 rubber feet with bolts and a screwdriver
2) fasten the lamp holder in the central hole.
As a result, the cartridge should “sit” in the center of the lamp.
Step 3: make the grill and sphere from the CDs
Fasten the 6 arcuate pieces of wire by inserting both ends into the holes.
Now you need to wrap the arcs with your hands or pliers to the desired shape. The result should be a lattice in the form of a sphere (SEE PHOTO).
Unnecessary edges of the wire can be cut with wire cutters. The result is a grid of 12 steel wires in the shape of a spherical cell (SEE PHOTO).
Now you can start stringing CDs. First you need to fill with disks only 6 rods close to the center. Alternate the stacking of discs between the rods (put a layer of 3 discs through one rod at a time - SEE THE PHOTO). Each disk should lie on 2 adjacent. Every 5-10 layers, check that the discs lie evenly and symmetrically. Fill the space between the shaft and the discs with silicone from the gun.
Repeat this procedure until the discs begin to overlap again. This will happen when the stacks of discs are about 6 cm high.
At this point, you need to string together 6 disks in a layer (SEE PHOTO). As before, every 5-10 layers you need to glue silicone the space between the disk and the rod. As a result, there will already be 12 stacks of discs.
Continue to string on 12 rods until size permits, then switch to 6 rods again, stringing 3 discs alternately.
6 stacks of discs should converge toward the center. Do not forget to pre-install the E27 lamp in the cartridge, as the disks will block access to the cartridge at the top.
IMPORTANT:
Step 4: Top of the lamp
When the height of the stacks of discs reaches approximately 26 cm, you need to wrap each end of the wire to the center. All excess wire needs to be cut off. The result will be, as in PHOTO.
Now you need to clamp the edges of the wire. Divide the circle (2 discs stacked together) into 12 sectors.
On each of the 12 drawn radii, mark 2 points to install the electrical connector. Drill 24 holes with a drill. Make sure that the distance between the two holes on each radius fits the connectors you have.
Disassemble the electrical connector to remove the 12 metal connectors.
Assemble the top by putting a connector on each wire, fasten the top disk to the connectors with bolts and a screwdriver.
Step 5: Turn On!
It's time to turn on the CD-lamp and enjoy the pleasant twilight! I hope this workshop was useful for you!