The World Cup Rhythm - Lamp

Hola folks! It's samba time! I'm referring, of course, to the ongoing FIFA Football World Cup in Brazil which is in it's final stages. I love the action and It is only fitting that the theme I selected for this contest was based on this mega event of a sport I truly love.

But the fundamental reason for me to be able to do this at short notice is the fact that I landed on one of Tarun's blog last week. I admire his love for cardboard and the various methods he proposed to interact with it to make handcrafted stuff. It was a fascinating read. For some reason his story resonated with me and it brought back my good old days as a student where I'd do all these things and truly loved being amid glue, paper, scale, beads etc.

Thanks to this contest, I have found the motivation to start doing handicraft again. What I have done for this contest is something I've thought for a week and done in a single day with the help of my amazing wife. Hope you will like this instructable enough to inspire you to do something bigger and better. Here's to more Instructibles from me :)

I would like to thank the following artists/image sources that helped to source and build this design:
Footballer from http://goo.gl/yC2nWR, world map and world cup from google images - not sure about the authors. Also Mr nelson for being the guiding LED light.

Step 1: Step1: Materials Required - Kick Off

1. A cardboard box of your choice. Big enough to hold a bulb and small enough for you to be able to design screens (I used a 20x17.5x13.5 cm box. Basically one that a hard disk came in)
2. A Heavy duty safety knife (a cutter with a retractable blade)
3. A Pencil
4. A compass from a geometry box
5. Scissors
6. Glue
7. A scale
8. Chart paper/Thin board that is easily poked by a pin. This is the main activity so choose well. Color doesn't matter much since it will be opaque and light will pass through the holes only. Get enough for the areas you need to cover
9. Copies/Tracing/Printout of whichever designs you will be poking holes in. (I chose 3)
10. A Bulb (preferably LED because of lesser heat emission and eco friendliness ..so I am told).
11. A Bulb holder with adequate wire and plug

Step 2: Step2: Techniques Used - a Good Dribble

Cutting the box

• Choose which side of the box you want the light bulb coming in from. Top or bottom are the best bets. It allows to keep things simple. I used the top.
• Given that you know the direction of the light, decide which sides you want the pin hole designs to be put up. It could be one side. I chose 3 sides
• Cut out the sides where you will insert the pin hole design frames. I had to cut 3
• Make a hole for the bulb/bulb holder to pass through.

I chose a rotating LED light because it fit really well with the theme. The moving light looked like it breathed life into the subject, especially the footballer making it dynamic instead of a still picture. I do admit this project started looking more like an installation than a lamp given the low light being emitted. Replace LED with a regular bulb and it becomes a lamp.

Step 3: Step3: Constructing the Lamp - Effective Passing to the Left

Most effort is spent in poking holes in the selected design. It requires a lot of patience. Also you need to keep checking if the pin is piercing through the papers well.

Poking Holes

• Ideally your drawing should be black and white.
• Keep your drawing over the chart/board you want to pierce and then pierce them together. You could draw directly on your board and pierce it.
• You can fill the drawing with holes or you can poke holes in the outlines. Either way it should have enough detail to show what it actually is without interpretation. I tried all these and seems to have worked well
• Use the "compass" to poke the holes. I tried a safety pin but it was painful and cumbersome. Not recommended
• Ensure the gaps are equal so that the composition is good. Once you get good at it you will find yourself experimenting with less density and more density of holes to give the subject more dept

Step 4: Step4: Constructing the Lamp - Effective Passing to the Right

Making the Frames

• The cool part about this project is that the frames are changeable.
• Make as many screens as you like.
• Keep changing according to your mood. Not that making pin hole drawings are easy.
• Without patience, you will be looking at doing one screen with difficulty :) Make sure your drawings fit the frame you choose.
• Keep the drawing in the center so that the light can shine through it better. Holes at the edges are neglected by the bulb.
• Once the frame is ready you can start poking holes in your design. This is a typical client behavior but for once you get to do it ... literally

Step 5: Step5: Finishing Touches - Shaking Off Defender

The final “product” when inactive almost looks hilarious because I added a last minute cylinder to hide the ugly wires. It looks like a poor man’s steampunk steamer. But when the lights come on it’s anything but that. This is just a setup to fool the defender and the goalkeeper. The striker is buying time for that small opening.

Also the LED rotating light is a tad bulky and unwieldy. At this point I wished I’d chosen a bigger box.

Step 6: Step6: Gooooooooooooooal!!

The striker has hit the ball well, the ball curves into the goal post leaving no chance for the goalkeeper. It’s a beautiful goal. The light passes through the holes beautifully. The motion makes the still images dynamic. Football comes alive through a pin hole drawing!!

Step 7: Variations: Try Other Type of Bulbs

The bulky LED lent motion but the light could do with more power. The other option was to use a proper LED light or a CFL light. The result is more breathtaking even though not dynamic. It reminds you of nightlife in Paris if you were to look at it from the Eiffel Tower. Ah ok it's light through a pin hole in a cardboard box but just as beautiful to me :)

Step 8: Action Captured

Comments

[That Redhead]

This is amazing! Love love love!!!!

[sabu.dawdy]

congrats dudeee =)

[hardlydavidson]

thanks so much!

[Tarun Upadhyaya]

Congratulations for making to the finals :)

[hardlydavidson]

thank you thank you. if it wasn't for your contest I'd still be dreaming of creating an instructible. it was such good fun making the lamp. well! a light source mostly. how does one compete with these LED wizards man!! many thanks for the inspiration. hoping to add some worthwhile ibles while I'm here. it's a dream to be a finalist with a first creation among such stellar entries. thank you again for this opportunity.

[Tarun Upadhyaya]

Congratulations on your winning:),

I am so happy for your initiative and I hope you continue to post more. I tell you my judgement was largely based on original ideas and uniqueness. :)

[Anusree Manamkottu]

Too good! :D

[hardlydavidson]

thank you. much appreciated.

[sabu.dawdy]

I love the way I think the country Brazil is more bright on your country map. awesome ~ible. thank you for sharing it

[hardlydavidson]

@sabu.dawdy nice catch man. Very happy you noticed. I took a picture in a specific angle for that effect :)

[sabu.dawdy]

haha yes i did noticed it:) and it is a good idea to be honest =) well done!!

[Tarun Upadhyaya]

First of all I am honored to have you inspired and thank you for putting those nice things about me in the introduction. It means a lot to me :)

Second, the goal of the featured author contest is achieved when a person like you gets inspired and post something that follows the theme of the contest. Thank you for that.

Finally , I looooved your lamp. I believe strongly that to create an awesome lamp or a lighting object, we need not have to be high-tech, we just need the right eye to visualize how the light will look like. And off course, i loved how you have a transformed your imagination simply into an amazing lamp.

+1 for the idea of rotating bulb, it reminded me of school days when I used to create those lamps where heat from the incandescent bulb was used to rotate the inside of lamp and made it look like a fish aquarium.

All the best.

[nodcah]

Voted! It's pointillism to a new level! =D

Also, you can add the video to step 8. If you click "save" instead of "publish" you should we should be able to see it, and it'll still be a valid entry (I believe) into the contest.

[hardlydavidson]

thanks @nodcah. Wow that's some compliment! Next goal is to try a more detailed pointillism like drawing. The only challenge will be to get the right material and pin. Chart paper/board tear easily if the holes are too close. Any ideas?

I tried the save, seems to work. The video's on the instructable. I checked with the support team as well. They seemed to be fine with it. Thanks much.

[nodcah]

I would either try a thicker type of paper, or using different sized dots. =)