2-in-1 Lamp With Mounted Figurine

What better way to bring an original character to life than to create not just one object in their honor, but two?

In this project, I combined a lamp built from acrylic and wood with a resin-printed statue of my original character, all built and modeled from scratch.

This project utilizes a combination of processes, such as:

1. 3d modeling
2. Acrylic laser cutting
3. CNC milling
4. 3d printing
5. Basic electronic device assembly and wiring

Replication of this project will allow you to:

1. Own a cool object to really help brighten up your day
2. Light up your room in SSStyle based on the color of acrylic you use for your lamp's transparent faces
3. Have a statue/figurine of your own choice/liking mounted on top of your lamp while you work/study/whatever activity needs light

SOFTWARE

1. 3D modeling software (Blender was used for this project, but other software can be used provided you are knowledgeable of such)
2. Slicer software
3. Vector software (Inkscape was used for this project)
4. Laser cutting software
5. CNC milling software (VCarve 6.0 was used to create the toolpaths required for milling)
6. (optional) illustration/drawing software (Krita was used for this project)

MATERIALS

1. 300mm x 300mm x 10mm wood plank
2. Fluorescent acrylic plastic sheet (3mm thickness) (any color, but I used green)
3. Lightbulb set (lightbulb, socket, insulated double wire, switch, plug)
4. Resin or filament for resin and FDM printing respectively (this project utilized resin)

TOOLS

1. FDM/Resin printer
2. Laser cutter
3. CNC milling machine
4. Regular "toolbox" tools (e.g. screwdrivers, hammers, chisels, sandpaper, etc.)

Sub-step 1: Install all required software

Install all relevant software listed above. Some software may be paid, therefore please keep an eye out for possible alternatives. If unable to acquire a certain software, please refer to the relevant dedicated establishment for guidance regarding the creation of that specific part (e.g. print shop for the FDM/Resin print part).

Sub-step 2: Purchase/acquire all necessary materials and tools for the job.

Should be self-explanatory, please refer to the list above. For expensive machinery you may not own, you may visit dedicated establishments that offer services regarding these tools. (For example, I did not have immediate access to a resin printer, so I opted to visit a print shop and avail of its service.)

Ideate the design and dimensions of the construction.

The idea for the design of this lamp was that acrylic panels were going to be fitted into grooves in the wood in order to securely create an enclosed space fit for a lightbulb. The 3d-printed statue was then to be mounted on top of this structure in order to complete the lamp.

A bulb of dimensions 55mm x 55mm x 100mm was used, so the dimensions of the construction were adjusted to fit.

CNC:

1. Two wood bases to be carved from the initial wood piece were devised to be of side length 7.5cm with square grooves of side length 6.5cm and depth 0.5cm.
2. The first wood base would serve as the bottom of the lamp, and would have a circular engraving of diameter 5.5cm and depth 0.5cm on the same side as the groove.
3. The second wood base would serve as the top of the lamp and would have a diamond-shaped engraving to fit the base of the resin print later, on the opposite side as the groove. This engraving would have a diagonal length of 6.5cm.

ACRYLIC:

1. Four acrylic panels of side length 7.5cm by 11cm were devised, with one panel having a wire hole at its corner with diameter 1cm.
2. Such acrylic panels were also designed with tabs and slots in mind in order to effectively connect the pieces via friction-fit.

PRINT:

1. A print was devised with a base fitting the diamond-shaped engraving in the wood mentioned prior. The resin print itself was determined to be 11cm tall.
2. Specific details regarding the print will be discussed in the resin printing step of this tutorial.

Sub-step 1: Preparation

Prepare vectors in Inkscape first. For this specific laser cut, the vector paths were set to red #FF0000 and path size 0.001in. Separate tutorials on how to use Inkscape can be found elsewhere online.

Sub-step 2: Export and cut

Export and print the Inkscape .pdf file to your given laser cutting software. Green acrylic was inlaid into the cutting bed and positions calibrated before starting the cut (don't forget to turn on the exhaust). If the resulting friction fit ends up being too loose, apply a small outset (in this case, 1mm worked) to the vector paths to tighten the resulting fit after cutting.

Sub-step 1: Preparation

Prepare toolpaths in VCarve (or any CNC milling software). Once again, separate tutorials on how to use VCarve can be found elsewhere online. Ensure that engrave toolpaths are registered first before cut toolpaths. Since engravings are required on both sides for the top base piece, the exported .tap file will be split into two. Also ensure overlap between diamond and circular engraving toolpaths to account for flipping.

Sub-step 2: Milling

The intended end mill size for this project is 3mm to be able to effectively fit the acrylic panels into the grooves, however a 4mm end mill can also be used. In order to facilitate the flip to create engravings on both sides of a wood base, an extra screw needs to be screwed into the wood plank to create a marking on the sacrificial bed of the CNC machine. Upon flipping, the screw can be placed at the same location and the wood plank aligned along the same axis to ensure that carving occurs at the exact underside of the engraved wood.

The acrylic frame should now be able to seamlessly fit inside the wooden grooves. If these do not align, either the acrylic laser cutting or CNC milling can be redone to fit. Otherwise, superglue can be used to combine the two parts later on (due to the fact that the lightbulb has to be placed inside and screwed in first).

Sub-step 1: 3d Modeling

In order to 3d model a human/humanoid, follow the linked tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd6G2S6MQ6U . Drawing software may be required in the creation of the orthographic guide.

Ensure that the base is proportionally-sized with the height of the model and can later fit inside the allocated wood groove. If using Blender, make sure to remesh the model after having it prepared in order for it to be suitable for 3d printing.

Sub-step 2: 3d Printing

This project in specific was outsourced to a dedicated FDM/resin printing establishment in order to create the resulting print. If you own either type of 3d printer, you may use a slicer software and manually 3d print the model. Ensure proper placement of supports and accounting for islands when slicing.

Afterwards, the printed model can be cured using a curing machine (curing time for this model was 20 minutes), then subsequently be painted with corresponding/applicable paint.

Install the lightbulb BEFORE assembling all parts of the lamp together. When assembling the lightbulb and socket circuit, make sure to account for common installation conventions such as right-curl for wires and correct wire-strip length. Ensure that, when screwing in the lightbulb into the lower base wood piece, that the screws are not screwed in all the way in order to avoid the screws penetrating the bottom of the wood. Also ensure that the wire is slotted into the dedicated wire hole in the acrylic panel BEFORE attachment of the plug.

Combine all parts after assembling and attaching the lightbulb and socket to the wood base. For the resin print, if the figurine is loose even after slotting it into the wooden top base engraving, you may use superglue in order to permanently attach the figurine (or opt out of it if you wish to be able to separate the figurine). At this stage, the lamp is complete.

The acrylic is prone to getting dirty. What do I do?

1. If the lamp was assembled via friction fitting, you may disassemble it freely to clean any necessary parts. If the lamp was superglued together, good luck <3

The lightbulb died. What do I do?

1. You may also disassemble the lamp to replace the lightbulb if friction fitted. Again, if superglued, good luck.

Go wild!

1. Different lamp shape
2. Different acrylic color
3. Painted wood
4. Holes on the top base to allow light to bask onto the mounted figurine
5. Tabs and slot engravings to more seamlessly connect the 3d print and wood base

This project synthesizes three different materials and creation processes together and combines it into both a useful and creative output. Lightweight and modifiable with some bright ideas, this project is a shining example and showcase of the strengths of individual materials and creative processes combined into one, beautiful, luminous whole.