Upcycled Glass & Cast-Concrete Ambient Lamp (Designed With Tinkercad)

There is a unique architectural satisfaction in contrasting raw, industrial materials with light-transmitting elements. This project explores that balance by pairing heavy, brutalist cast concrete with discarded heavy architectural glass (8 mm to 12 mm thickness) to build a minimalist, crystalline ambient table lamp.

​Instead of throwing away broken glass panes from old window fittings and renovation waste, they were cold-worked—scored, cut, center-drilled, edge-ground, and laminated into a monolithic column. To house the electronics and provide a solid physical anchor, custom concrete plinths (top cap and foundation base) were cast using corrugated cardboard formwork.

​Before cutting any physical material or mixing cement, the complete assembly was planned and prototyped inside Autodesk Tinkercad. This digital-to-physical workflow allowed for precise calculation of internal LED cavity tolerances, center wire passage alignment, and overall weight distribution.

Materials:

○ ​Cement / Concrete Mix: Standard Portland cement mix / fine mortar mix

○ ​Reclaimed Scrap Glass: Architectural float glass panes (8 mm to 12 mm thick)

○ ​Adhesive / Binder: High-clarity cyanoacrylate (Super Glue), UV glass adhesive, or clear 2-part epoxy

○ ​Formwork: Heavy corrugated cardboard, packaging tape, and hot melt glue

○ ​Electronics: 12V miniature LED module / COB bead with 12V DC power adapter (barrel jack connector)

​○ Water: For cement hydration and continuous diamond-tool cooling

Tools

○ ​Autodesk Tinkercad: 3D CAD modeling, cavity verification, and dimension testing

○ ​Electric Hand Drill: Fitted with a diamond-coated core hole saw bit

○ ​Angle Grinder: Equipped with a diamond grinding wheel / masonry polishing disc

○ ​Glass Cutter & Breaking Pliers: Oil-fed carbide wheel cutter and running/breaking pliers

To eliminate guesswork and prevent shattering expensive heavy glass during assembly, the entire structure was designed digitally in Autodesk Tinkercad:

1.​Base & Cap Foundation: Created solid rectilinear boxes representing the cast concrete base slab and top cap.

2.​Inner Cavity Planning: Centered a smaller solid set to "Hole" inside the bottom base to establish the recessed cavity required for the LED emitter and wire strain relief.

3.​Glass Stack & Bore Conduit: Modeled individual stacked octagonal plates (8 mm and 12 mm scaled heights) with a continuous central cylindrical hole running vertically through the entire column.

​4.Tolerance Verification: Verified that the central wire conduit remained perfectly concentric across all layers so light and internal cabling could pass unobstructed without pinching.

Here is link :

http://www.tinkercad.com/things/9GnFjyZyDG6

​Salvage scrap architectural float glass sheets ranging between 8 mm and 12 mm in thickness.

• ​Using a permanent marker and metal ruler, outline square tile blanks on the glass surface.

• ​Lubricate the carbide cutting wheel with light oil and make a single, firm, continuous score line across each mark. (Tip: Heavy 8–12 mm glass requires consistent downward body weight; never score over the same line twice).

• ​Position running pliers along the score line or place the score line over the edge of a sturdy workbench, applying firm, even pressure to propagate a clean, perpendicular break.

​To allow the bottom-mounted LED light to shoot vertically through the entire stack, every glass tile requires an aligned center hole:

1.​Place each glass blank flat over a dense, non-slip backing material (damp cardboard or rubber mat).

2.​Pool a small amount of clean water directly over the drilling zone to prevent thermal cracking and lubricate the diamond edge.

​3. Using an electric hand drill fitted with a diamond core hole saw bit, begin the cut at an approximate 45-degree angle to score an initial crescent-shaped groove.

4. ​Once the groove registers, slowly tilt the drill upright to 90 degrees. Drill with light, pulsing pressure under continuous water lubrication until the core slug releases cleanly.

Sharp cut glass must be ground down not only for handling safety, but also to create faceted edges that catch and refract ambient light:

​Fit an angle grinder with a diamond cup wheel or abrasive flap disc.

​Keep the glass plates wet to suppress airborne silica dust and prevent heat stress.

​Grind off all four sharp 90-degree corners of each square blank, creating uniform octagonal profiles.

​Carefully chamfer both the top and bottom perimeter edges of each plate. This beveled faceting turns each raw piece into an architectural prism.

​Build the Mold: Cut and assemble rigid outer box molds using thick corrugated cardboard. Seal every seam thoroughly with heavy packaging tape to prevent slurry leaks.

1.​Cavity Core: Construct an inner rectangular cardboard block wrapped in smooth tape and place it inside the mold center to form the recessed pocket for the LED module and wire exit.

2 ​Mix & Pour: Mix Portland cement and fine sand with water until it reaches a thick, pourable consistency. Pour the mixture into the formwork around the core block.

3.​Vibration & Demolding: Rap and tap the mold vigorously against the workbench to release trapped air voids. Allow the casting to cure undisturbed for 24 to 48 hours before peeling away the cardboard formwork to reveal the finished concrete slabs (foundation base and top cap.

Let it dry

Once the cast concrete base and top cap have completely cured and hardened (after 24–48 hours), you can move on to dry fitting, electronics mounting, and permanent structural bonding:

1.​Verify Full Cure & Surface Prep: Ensure the demolded concrete foundation and top cap are completely dry to the touch with no residual moisture inside the pocket. Clean out any loose cement sand from the LED cavity and wipe all glass tiles clean using isopropyl alcohol.

​2.Column Stacking: Using clear high-strength adhesive (or UV glass glue), apply a uniform bead between each layer, ensuring the drilled central holes remain concentric and aligned. Clamp lightly and let the stack cure into a solid glass monolith.

3.​LED Installation: Mount the 12V LED module into the recessed pocket of the concrete foundation base. Route the two-conductor power leads out through the side/bottom relief channel and connect to the DC power adapter barrel jack.

​4.Structural Bonding: Secure the cured glass tower directly over the LED pocket on the concrete plinth with a clear bonding sealant around the joint. Mount the textured cast concrete cap to the top of the glass column.Cover it with concerate uper slab .

Note: "Powered via 12V DC adapter for stable long-term desk illumination."

When the build is finished, the combination of raw materials creates a striking decorative centerpiece:

​Daylight Appearance: The lamp looks like a brutalist sculpture. The raw, matte texture of the cured cement contrasts with the cool, icy sea-green hue of the heavy 8–12 mm glass layers.

​Nighttime Glow: When powered on, the LED fires directly up through the diamond-drilled internal bore. The rough-ground faceted edges capture the light rays, refracting an ambient cyan-blue glow outward across the desk while keeping the solid concrete