Print PDF
Favorite
Email
When I was a kid, I remember having an environmental assembly at school which included a speech about cutting up six pack rings before throwing them away, so wildlife wouldn't get their necks stuck and strangle themselves. Whether this is a real phenomenon or not, six pack rings are common and un-recyclable pieces of plastic. This lamp experiments with six pack rings as a material -- their translucent qualities, their relative strength and flexibility, and the repeated circular form.
I made fourteen strings of rings by cutting, weaving, and re-melting the plastic back together using a soldering iron to weld with. The strands were folded in half, welded, then in half again, and welded again, to form thinner, stronger strips. The strips were then joined by burying the ends in concrete, forming a hollow column in which lights could be placed.
The bottom doughnut of concrete tensions the rings, forming a simple suspension structure that diffuses the light of three bulbs inside, casting intricate patterns of shadows on adjacent surfaces. The lamp glows with a strong but soft light. Instead of being hung, it can also just be heaped and tangled on the floor, in the corner, as a mound of gentle illumination.
This project is pretty cheap, but labor-intensive. There are only a few things to buy or scavenge -- the electrical components, a little bit of concrete, and the rings themselves. Saving up rings would take far too long for me to accumulate myself, so I solicited donations from friends, as well as from the stock room at GB's Newbern Mercantile, in Newbern, AL.
This design takes:
-anywhere from 150-200 six-pack rings, depending on your ambitions and thirst
-one lamp cord, length of your choosing
-three bulb fixtures
-three compact-fluorescent bulbs
-switch (optional)
-electrical tape
- 40 lb sack of quickcrete
-tupperware or similar containers for concrete formwork
As far as tools, you'll need a soldering iron, a boxcutter or x-acto knife, a five-gallon pail for mixing concrete, a masonry trowel, and some pliers for the electrical parts.
First six photos by RaMell Ross. (www.ramellross.com)
Use only fluorescent bulbs in this lamp, as incandescents get too hot and will melt the plastic and possibly start a fire.
I made fourteen strings of rings by cutting, weaving, and re-melting the plastic back together using a soldering iron to weld with. The strands were folded in half, welded, then in half again, and welded again, to form thinner, stronger strips. The strips were then joined by burying the ends in concrete, forming a hollow column in which lights could be placed.
The bottom doughnut of concrete tensions the rings, forming a simple suspension structure that diffuses the light of three bulbs inside, casting intricate patterns of shadows on adjacent surfaces. The lamp glows with a strong but soft light. Instead of being hung, it can also just be heaped and tangled on the floor, in the corner, as a mound of gentle illumination.
This project is pretty cheap, but labor-intensive. There are only a few things to buy or scavenge -- the electrical components, a little bit of concrete, and the rings themselves. Saving up rings would take far too long for me to accumulate myself, so I solicited donations from friends, as well as from the stock room at GB's Newbern Mercantile, in Newbern, AL.
This design takes:
-anywhere from 150-200 six-pack rings, depending on your ambitions and thirst
-one lamp cord, length of your choosing
-three bulb fixtures
-three compact-fluorescent bulbs
-switch (optional)
-electrical tape
- 40 lb sack of quickcrete
-tupperware or similar containers for concrete formwork
As far as tools, you'll need a soldering iron, a boxcutter or x-acto knife, a five-gallon pail for mixing concrete, a masonry trowel, and some pliers for the electrical parts.
First six photos by RaMell Ross. (www.ramellross.com)
Use only fluorescent bulbs in this lamp, as incandescents get too hot and will melt the plastic and possibly start a fire.
Remove these ads by
Signing UpStep 1Welding Rings
The basic welding process is quite simple, but it is also time-consuming and easy to burn your fingers. It can work to do this while watching TV or something.
Take one set of six rings and slice three of them, all on one side. Interlace the cut ends into the circles on one side of a new set of rings. Rejoin the cut edges by overlapping them and gently smoothing over the joint with the soldering iron. Once the plastic melts some, squish it together with your finger. Smooth it out some more. Flip it over and repeat. Do some practice ones first, and you'll get a feel for how much heat and pressure are needed to achieve a good weld.
I welded mine into strands that were sixteen rings long. You could make them longer or shorter or whatever, depending on how big you want the final lamp to be. Then fold the strands in half lengthwise, put some welds in to pin the fold, then fold them again lengthwise, repeating the process. You end up with a strong, yet still flexible, string that is visually dense.
Take one set of six rings and slice three of them, all on one side. Interlace the cut ends into the circles on one side of a new set of rings. Rejoin the cut edges by overlapping them and gently smoothing over the joint with the soldering iron. Once the plastic melts some, squish it together with your finger. Smooth it out some more. Flip it over and repeat. Do some practice ones first, and you'll get a feel for how much heat and pressure are needed to achieve a good weld.
I welded mine into strands that were sixteen rings long. You could make them longer or shorter or whatever, depending on how big you want the final lamp to be. Then fold the strands in half lengthwise, put some welds in to pin the fold, then fold them again lengthwise, repeating the process. You end up with a strong, yet still flexible, string that is visually dense.
| « Previous Step | Download PDFView All Steps | Next Step » |
Sadly the animal thing is true, they stick their head in and as they grow, the necks grow to big for the rings.