Geometric 3D Printed Lamp

Have you just gotten into 3D design or new to world of 3D printing.Follow the 6 simple steps below using 123D design software by Autodesk to design your own Geometric Pentagon lamp.

I have also attached the STL files(ready to print 3D design file) at Step 5 and 6, which you can use to print at home if you have a 3D printer. Or use a 3D printing service like 3D Hubsif you dont have a 3D printer.

You'll need to print out the 3Polygons.stl file 11 times ,a suggestion here would be to use three or four different filament colors. And then put the 3D printed pentagons together using Hot Glue orSuper glue.

This ible is inspired from Geometric Cardboard Lamp by lindarose92

Note: when selecting a bulb to use with the Lamp try and use a LED bulb or CFL bulb that does not dissipates to much heat.

Step 1: Download 123D Design

Download 123D design and Install from the following Link

http://www.123dapp.com/design

Open 123D design and using the Menu on the left hand side, Save a Copy ->To My computer the file to a location on your desktop/local folder on your drive. Give it a name , in my case I named the file 3Polygons.123dx

Step 2: Create a Pentagon

To Create a pentagon on the Grid in the 123D Design

Go to the Sketch Menu item(the one with Pencil icon)

And select Polygon, and click on the grid.

Now with you mouse pointer select the size of your Polygon, which in my case is 46mm as shown in the second screen shot above. You can also type 46

Hit tab to select the number of sides of the polygon which in out case is 5 .

Step 3: Using Offset to Create the Inner Pentagons

Now to create the inner pentagons we will use the Offset feature.

Go to the Sketch Menu again and click on Offset sketch profiles as show in the screen shoot above

Then select the pentagon and move your mouse pointer inwards and type in 4. Basically we want the Pentagons to be 3D printed with 4 mm thickness.

Now click on offset again and this time offset for 2 mm

Again click on the offset and for the second pentagon offset for 4 mm

on the same lines create and offset for the third inner pentagon

Step 4: Extrude the 3 Pentagons

Now we want to draw the height of the Pentagons , which is called Extrusion in 3D design terminology.

Select the 3 Pentagons to extrude by pressing the Shift key and selecting the pentagons using your mouse pointer.

You will observer a gear box like symbol appear , click on it and select extrude as shown in the second screen shot.

Now type in 2 , as we want the height of our extrusion to be 2 mm.

Step 5: Save STL Files

You are now ready to save you file as an STL file which your 3D printing software like Repetier-Host will use to print the file.

From the Menu Drop down select Export --> STL --> Select the mesh tessellation as Medium and give the file a name as shown in the screenshots above. In my case i named the file 3Polygons.stl

Step 6: Designing the Base to Fit in the Bulb

To design the Base of the Lamp

Create a new file using File --> New and save the file as LampBase.123dx

Create a pentagon with a radius of 50 mm in the similar way as we did in step 2

Offset the pentagon inwards by 2mm

Draw a circle by select the Sketch--> Circle tool and select the center of the pentagon

And offset the circle outwards by 2 mm as shown in the third screen shot above

Now select the space between the outer circle and the inner pentagon and extrude for 1 mm

Scroll to zoom in into the grid and select the inner circles to 4 mm as shown in the fourth screent shot above

Finally extrude the outer pentagon by 2 mm

Step 7: 3D Printing the STL Files Attached

Download the 3D printing software that your printer supports, in my case I am using the Printrbot Simple Metal which use Repetier-Host as a software to

• Slice the STL files attached,which basically means cutting the part into various layers
• And send commands to the 3D printer while printingIn my case I am using the Makerbot True Red PLA.

Download the STL files attached for the Polygons.stl

• slicing should take about a 15-17 seconds
• and printing should take about 12- 14 mins base on your printer settings.

You will need to print 11 copies , try and use different filament colors.

Now download the Polygon_BulbBase.stl file from the previous step and

• slicing should take about 30-35 seconds
• and printing should take about 15- 20 mins base on your printer settings.

Step 8: Use Hot Glue to Glue the Polygons in Place

Once your done with 3D printing, fire up your Hot glue gun.

Tape the outermost Polygons of various colors to the table using tape as shown in the picture above.

Now use your hold glue gun to stick the polygon edges and conners together.Dip your finger in a bowl of water and quickly rub it over the hot glue just before it cools.

Use the same tape technique to hot glue the other polygons till the dodecahedron is completed.

Step 9: Hot Glue the Smaller Polygons

Add a drop of hot glue to all the five ends of the smaller 3D printed polygons

place the polygon one on top of each other as shown in the second picture above,and hold it for about 30 seconds till the hot glue hardens.

Step 10: Replace Your Existing Shade of the Lamp

Remove the old lamp and the bulb shade from the lamp base.

If the 3D printed Polygon bulb base does not fit the bulb nice and snug use a couple o rubber band as shown in the second picture above

No screw the bulb to the lamp base and add dodecahedron on top.

If you plan to make this a permanent fixture hot glue dodecahedron to the base.

Note: when selecting a bulb to use with the Lamp try and use a LED bulb or CFL bulb that does not dissipates to much heat as this could case deformities in the dodecahedron structure.

Step 11: Here Are a Few Other Ways You Can Use the Lamp

Congratulation you are done ! and you have a new lamp !!

Here are few places I plan to use the lamp shade.

• Use it in my balcony/porch table using LED glow lights (i am using iGlow LED spot lights)
• Use it with a LED color changing Part bulb if you are throwing an house party
• Replacing existing ceiling lamp shade

Leave a comment below if you can think any more use case..