During one of my outings with my girlfriend, we stopped by the slightly pricey (IMHO) furniture store, and I found a lamp which I fell in love with. It's a very simple, modern looking, frosted acrylic pendant lamp that I thought would look perfect above my dining room table.
The only problem for me with the lamp was the price: CAD $425+tax. I realize may not be very expensive for some ppl, but I couldn't justify spending that much on a lamp. Maybe it's a guy thing? So I decided to make it myself, since it seemed easy enough.
The only problem for me with the lamp was the price: CAD $425+tax. I realize may not be very expensive for some ppl, but I couldn't justify spending that much on a lamp. Maybe it's a guy thing? So I decided to make it myself, since it seemed easy enough.
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Signing UpStep 1: Lamp dimensions and materials
Luckily, the store put the lamp dimensions on the tag along with the price, so I didn't have to get my tape measure :)
(you might not be able to see in the picture, but the dimensions printed are 36" x 7" x 7". I know this is different from what the website says which is 36" x 7" x 11". It turns out I noticed this while writing this instructable, but I personally like the 7" x 7" look)
I called around some of the local acrylic suppliers in the GTA (I'm from Ontario), and the cheapest one was PlasticWorld.
From them I got the following (cut to size) frosted acrylic sheet (I think they call the frosted sheet P90?):
2 pieces 3/16" x 7" x 36" for the sides
2 pieces 3/16" x 7" x 7" for the ends
2 pieces 3/16" x 7" x 5" for the two top sections which the light bulbs attach to (I trimmed the 7" length by about 3/8" using a radial arm saw so that the tops were glued 'in between' the sides, rather than along the top. This gives a cleaner look.)
I also bought some acrylic glue (actually it is a solvent, so you actually get a chemical bond when it dries. A bit like welding for plastics). The stuff I got was Weldon 3. It had the consistency of water (very low viscosity), so I would recommend anyone else trying this to use a thicker glue as it was difficult to apply.
Total cost for the acrylic and glue: ~$60
For the lights, I purchased two IKEA HEMMA cord lights (in black) for approx. ~$10 each
For the stainless steel box, I got a 16 gauge stainless steel plate 7" x 18". In addition, I got a 1" x 42" piece which would complete the electrical 'box'.
You'll also want to pick up 2 rubber grommets from Home Depot (about $0.50 each) which fit the lamp cord.
(you might not be able to see in the picture, but the dimensions printed are 36" x 7" x 7". I know this is different from what the website says which is 36" x 7" x 11". It turns out I noticed this while writing this instructable, but I personally like the 7" x 7" look)
I called around some of the local acrylic suppliers in the GTA (I'm from Ontario), and the cheapest one was PlasticWorld.
From them I got the following (cut to size) frosted acrylic sheet (I think they call the frosted sheet P90?):
2 pieces 3/16" x 7" x 36" for the sides
2 pieces 3/16" x 7" x 7" for the ends
2 pieces 3/16" x 7" x 5" for the two top sections which the light bulbs attach to (I trimmed the 7" length by about 3/8" using a radial arm saw so that the tops were glued 'in between' the sides, rather than along the top. This gives a cleaner look.)
I also bought some acrylic glue (actually it is a solvent, so you actually get a chemical bond when it dries. A bit like welding for plastics). The stuff I got was Weldon 3. It had the consistency of water (very low viscosity), so I would recommend anyone else trying this to use a thicker glue as it was difficult to apply.
Total cost for the acrylic and glue: ~$60
For the lights, I purchased two IKEA HEMMA cord lights (in black) for approx. ~$10 each
For the stainless steel box, I got a 16 gauge stainless steel plate 7" x 18". In addition, I got a 1" x 42" piece which would complete the electrical 'box'.
You'll also want to pick up 2 rubber grommets from Home Depot (about $0.50 each) which fit the lamp cord.
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1
rchlebow says:
Apr 30, 2013. 5:58 AMReplyWell done sir, I "lol'd" when I saw the tag with the dimensions. Do the edges of that frosted glass light up differnetly then the rest of the surface? I am asking this because I am curious what the mood lighting would be if you used different frost shadings, or RGB LED's for different colours.
joelhunn says:
Feb 21, 2013. 10:13 AMReply
Very nice! I have toyed with this idea for a long time, but have never had definitive info on how to join the acrylic. Looks like a very expensive fixture! Thanks for the intructable.
9
jawasan says:
Oct 13, 2012. 7:24 AMReplyAwesome build! I have some sort of fascination with DIY lighting so this is right up my alley.
116
mikeasaurus says:
Oct 9, 2012. 8:54 AMReplyGreat lamp! I love home made alternatives to (often pricey) commercial products.
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