Introduction: Desk Lamp, With Articulated Arm

About: It all began with legos... And now, I'm a woodworking lover, and DIY passionate! -- Mackero por conviccion, Windowsero por obligacion, admirador de Unix, y amante de CMD

Hi everyone. This is my 1st instructable, even when is not my 1st diy project.

Please excuse my grammar, this is not my default language, but I hope the instructions and the photos being enough for understanding.

I hope to upload more projects, anytime soon!
Thanks for your visit!

Step 1: Materials - Materiales

First of all, we need to get the materials and tools for this project.

Most of it, I get it on a hardware store, and a few items, get them from and old, broken lamp (The Cone, the clamp and the piece of threaded pipe)

2 Inches width, PVC Pipe, as much as many arms you want, I use 25 cm for each arm

A Lamp Cone, or you can use a PVC Fitting adapter.

A Plastic Clamp, to hold your lamp on the edge of a table

2 PVC Caps, one for the clamp, and one for the cone, if you gonna use a fitting adapter, you can replace it with a 90° degress piece

Obviusly, a light bulb socket.

A light bulb maybe?

A piece of threaded pipe, wich goes on the socket, and trough the cone, and another one, wich goes between the PVC cap and the plastic clamp.

4 Locknuts to the threaded pipe, 2 for each piece

Screws, locknuts and washers. I use 2 washers for each Screw, you'll see the picture later

Step 2: The Light

Insert the threaded pipe inside the socket, then trough the cone and pute a locknot.

It should look like the last photo.

Step 3: Cutting the PVC Pipe for the Arms

First, draw a mark every 25 cm / 10 inches, on the PVC Pipe.

Use the HandSaw, to cut the pieces.

After that, use some sand paper to get a smooth finish.

Step 4: Making the Flat Shape for the Arms

This step, will be much easier with a soldering torch, but I don't have one, so I use my stove instead.

Keep the PVC spinning to avoid overmealted parts or black bubbles.

With a low flame, I keep it around 20 seconds spinning and then, using the edge of the counter and a hard drive, I press the PVC to close the gap, and get a straight edge.

Wait a few second to cold down, and put a washer over the flat PVC, to mark the hole in the center and the use the outside to make the edge curve.

Use a drill to the center hole, and the HandSaw to cut the edge arround your marks.
Make sure you left 2 PVC parts, with one end rounded, where goes the PVC caps.

Step 5: Building the Articulation

Split the flat side of one PVC piece, and insert in between, the flat side of another one

Put a washer on one side of the screw, the screw inside the center hole, another washer on the other side, and close it with a locknut.

Step 6: The PVC Caps

Lets start with the clamp side.

The clamp I had, already have a hole for the original lamp.

So, you just need to drill a hole on one of the sides, and then, put a piece of threaded pipe inside the hole and the PVC cap.

Put a washer on each side of the pipe, and close it with a locknut on heach side.

In the cone side, put the threaded pipe inside the cap, and the cone to get a 90° degress shape, and secure it with washers and lock nuts on each side.

Step 7: The Electronics

Now is time to make the electrical part.

This is a very simple circuit, just the light bulb, a switch to on/off the light, and the electrical plug, all in series.

Make sure you left anough cable to connect your lamp anywhere.

Step 8: Finished!

And thats all folks!

Just plug the lamp, turn it on, and enjoy!

I make all this instructable, with hand tools, that everyone could just have around, and the cheapest way possible.

Either way, any comment or recomendation, will be appreciated.