Mechanical Iris Dimmer (3D Printed)

Dim a lamp using 3D-printed iris. A neo-steampunk style addition.

We have a hanging LED lamp which is insanely bright, and we did not find any suitable electronic dimmer.

Then I decided to add a 3D-printed iris to each LED module, as my first 3D printing project.

Now each LED module can be separately dimmed as desired.

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STL and design files are provided in the ZIP archive. Project files are on GitHub.

Step 1: Iris Design

I designed the iris using OpenSCAD, with each layer drawn in Inkscape.

Rectify the pieces if needed (see notes on 3rd picture), so that the iris can be opened/closed with no friction.

Tiny drops of plastic glue secure the ring to its counter piece.

Step 2: Optional - Attachment Design

I oped to design an attachment (very specific to my lamp -- you would have to design your own), and to glue it to the iris.

After having done it, I would recommend against. instead, you can directly glue the iris against the lamp, e.g. using some Sugru, leaving a later removal possibility.

Step 3: Cloning

Once the pieces all fit, mass-produce them to match the number of LED modules.

Step 4: Mounting on Lamp and Using

Clip or glue each iris to the lamp. Done!

You cannot completely dim the lamp due to its diffusing layer, but the intensity can be effectively reduced down to a very pleasant level.