Smart Lamp - a Lamp With Adjustable Brightness

Welcome to this step-by-step instructable on creating a remarkable DIY lamp that harnesses the power of variable resistors to adjust its brightness according to the user's input.

In this instructable, we will guide you through the process of building your very own smart lamp with a variable resistor circuit. Whether you're a seasoned electronics enthusiast or a complete beginner, this project is designed to be both educational and fun. By the end of this tutorial, you'll not only have a functional and stylish lamp but also some knowledge on how to create circuits and laser cut!

Supplies

Before you embark on this creative journey, it's essential to gather all the necessary supplies and tools. Here's a list of items you'll need to bring your DIY lamp to life:

Materials:

3mm Medium-Density Fiberboard (MDF): This versatile and easy-to-work-with material will be the base for your lamp's structure. You can cut and shape it to your desired design.
3D-Printed Parts: Utilize a 3D printer to create custom components for your lamp, adding both functionality and aesthetics to your project. Design and print parts that fit your unique vision.
M6 and M8 Bolts and Nuts: These hardware items will be used to secure various parts of your lamp together, ensuring stability and durability.
Electrical Circuit Materials: More details in the circuit step of this instructable.

Tools:

Laser Cutter: To precisely cut and engrave your MDF components, a laser cutter is essential. This tool will help you achieve clean and intricate designs for your lamp.
3D Printer: If you're incorporating 3D-printed parts, you'll need access to a 3D printer. Make sure you have the necessary filament and settings for your chosen printer.
Safety Gear: When working with tools, it's crucial to prioritize safety. Wear appropriate protective gear such as safety goggles when needed.
Soldering Iron: To solder the electrical circuit itself.
Hot Glue Gun: To be able to glue most materials together quickly and easily with a lot of room for error.

Now that you have a clear understanding of the materials and tools required, let's dive into the step-by-step instructions for creating your lamp. Don't forget to check for any additional components or specific brands needed for your particular design, as mentioned in the upcoming sections.

Step 1: Laser Cutting

The first step is to laser cut our lamp base's structure. Laser cutting is much more precise and quicker than manually cutting the wood to get our shape, and since I have access to one, I'll be using it for my project. If you don't have access to a laser cutter, you can use the dimensions I've provided and cut it to those specifications, or you can choose to create your own dimensions if you wish.

If you aren't sure how to laser cut, here's a guide on laser cutters and getting started with one.

The Smart Lamp Drawing is the one to laser cut.

The Smart Lamp Dimensions are the dimensions.

Step 2: Lamp Shade

Every lamp has one, and so does ours. The .stl file attached is the lamp shade I've used for my lamp. The lamp shade is going to house the actual LED itself so it needs enough space, so if you're going to create your own shade, make sure to leave around 1.5cm at the base for the LED.

If you want to use the model I'm using, you can 3D print it, and if you aren't sure how to 3D print, here's an article that explains it pretty well.

Smart Lamp Shade v3.stl
Download View in 3D

Step 3: Circuit

The heart of this project lies in the circuit. The circuit itself is pretty simple, so I went ahead and soldered on a perfboard right away, however you can experiment with a breadboard first if you'd like to make sure it works or improve on it.

The image on the left is the circuit diagram for our light-adjusting circuit, and the materials we need are as follows:

Perfboard (and breadboard)
100kΩ Potentiometer
White LED
470Ω Resistor
BC547 NPN Transistor
9V Battery Holder
Wires (Preferably Multi-Core)
Solder
Soldering Iron

If you are unsure on how to solder, here's a nice guide that explains the basics of soldering pretty well!

Step 4: Assembly

Now all we have to do is assemble all of the components together. Using the M6 bolts and nuts, we will assemble the base by putting the bolts through from the top, and then a M6 hex nut, followed by the bottom plate, followed by another hex nut and finally an M6 dome nut, with the circuit sandwiched between the top and bottom plate.

The potentiometer will go through the hole in the middle of the two posts, and we don't really need to secure it since the squeeze of the base plates should secure it on its own. The battery holder will jut out of the side to easily replace it whenever we need to, but you can always improve it with a battery holder of sorts.

For the posts themselves, I used wood glue to secure it into its designated spots since it is quite strong and also doesn't really show for the most part, and then attached the smaller arms at the top using more M6 bolts and nuts. The actual lamp shade is attached using M8 bolts, which I hot glued together. The LED itself is just secured with some tape, but I recommend using a form of glue or moving the wire around until it naturally rests facing out of the lamp shade.