Introduction: A Wooden Dog LED Lamp

By Well Done Tips

This time I’ll show you how I made a cool looking wooden dog LED lamp that could be powered with a USB port, power bank or smartphone charger.

How I did it - you can check by looking DIY video or you can follow up instructions bellow. For this project you will need:

Materials:

Ash beams 30x15mm in a total of 2.1-meter length

Ash edge-glued panel or already 8mm thickness 110x640mm board

5V LED strip Link

4mm polycarbonate (Acrylic)

CA, Epoxy and wood glue

Piece of tin-plate

Two wood screws

Treaded 6mm rod, wing nuts, and washers

Nylon braided power wire Link

USB A connector which could be used from old USB charging wire

3-way power button with fixation

Tools:

Drill and bits

Table saw, band saw jig saw or other cutting tool to cut acrylic

Soldering Iron

Sand paper (320 grit)

Utility knife

Clamps

and some other usual bits and bobs which is laying around the workshop.

Step 1: Preparing Wood

First things first - it needs to cut wood to need length.

I’m using 30x15mm ash beams and cut to need length. Measurement will be provided in one of the pictures.

Step 2: Cutting and Driling

All four legs and ears were cut in a slight angle. After that, with forstner bit made a recess for a washer. All rest piece was drilled with 6mm drill bit and sanded with 320 grit sandpaper.

Step 3: Threaded Rod

Cut two pieces of 6mm threaded rod and by using drill and angle grinder rounded both ends.

Step 4: Test Assembly

Used cut threaded rods, washers and wing nuts and made the first test assembly. Not it’s time to prepare wood for the head.

Step 5: Preparing Wood for the Head

Used ash edge-glued panel and cut it to 8mm thickness board. If you already have such a thickness board - you’ll save some time. Later on, cut the board to 4 pcs of 110x160mm. To be able to glue all four pieces to one unit I made 45 degrees edge cuts at the same spaced bottom part to get top part narrower than the bottom.

Step 6: Glueing

Used painters tape, placed all 4 pieces, applied wood glue and fixed all parts with painters tape tension and some additional holding power from regular clamps.

Step 7: Sanding and Installing Ears

When the glue was dry - removed all clamps and gave a light sanding to get a nice and smooth surface. Then drilled two holes for ears. Used 6mm bolt and secured an ear at each side with washer and wing nut.

Step 8: Installing Acrylic

Made more holes and chiseled one, which will be used for the power button.

Applied some CA glue at ears holding bolt heads to avoid bolt turning around. Cut a piece of 4mm acrylic which was glued in the front of the head with CA glue. This milky acrylic very nicely will distribute the light.

Step 9: Attaching Head

Installed nylon braided two wires cord. A knot will keep the cord in place.

Drilled two holes in the neck and with 2 two flat head wood screws secured head in place. Also applied wood glue to get stronger joint.

Step 10: Installing 5V LED Strip

Cut used thin-plate. Cut and glued pieces on thin-plate cut to my needed shape.

After that resoldered all cut joints back by using some twisted wire and soldering iron. For the middle strip made a spare power wire, which will allow me to turn that strip separately from the rest of alls. This will give a dimm mode. While other wires will give full power mode.

Step 11: Installing LED Panel

Used epoxy glue and glued prepared lighting panel inside the head. After that soldered negative terminal to the power cord. And all positive power wires were soldered to the power button.

Step 12: Closing the Head

Closed the hole with a piece of ash board and wood glue. Applied some pressure with the flat board to get nice an flat surface.

Step 13: Preparing USB Connector

Soldered USB A connector to the nylon braided cord. After that, I used a shrink tube to fix nylon braided threads in place at USB connector.

Step 14: Finishing the Wood

Took all apart and applied two coats of Danish oil. After applying the last finishing layer the real texture and color show up.

Assembled everything back and wooden dog LED lamp is ready.

Step 15: The Result

This wooden dog LED lamp could be powered by any USB port. That means - power bank, PC, or regular smartphone USB charger.

The lamp has two modes - dimm and bright. The dog stance could be adjusted from sitting, standing or whatever what do you come up with. Just release wing nut and twist legs, tail or ear and secure wing nut back. I hope this project will inspire you to make something similar.

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