Vinyl Record Table Lamp

by CYNICALifornia

32K9413

Intro: Vinyl Record Table Lamp

Easy to make table lamp using tools you probably already have, stuff you can buy almost anywhere, and a little fun time on the workshop.

STEP 1: Gather Your Supplies

Materials:
Record
Push button switch
Outlet light socket adapter
Lamp cord

Tools:
Drill press w/bits
Dremel w/grinding wheel
Soldering iron
Electrical tape
5-Min epoxy

STEP 2: Form the Record

Preheat oven to 250-300 deg F.

Put the record on a tall glass (NOT plastic mind you) cup, and put those on a cookie sheet.

Put it in the oven.

Watch it, this shouldn't take more than a few minutes. The record will droop around the cup.

Remove from oven and let it cool, or take matters into your own hands shape it as your heart desires. Do be careful not yo burn yourself.

STEP 3: Drill Them Holes

Drill two holes. One for the switch on the label, and one for the cord in the back.

Use the dremel to expand out the center hole so it's big enough to fit the light bulb through, but still smaller than the socket.

Use the dremel to clean up the holes on the label.

STEP 4: Solder and Tape

Push the wiring end of the cord through the cord hole into the record and tie it in a knot.

Solder one wire of the cord to the socket, and the other to the switch.

Then solder the free switch wire to the other socket terminal.

Tape all connections and the knot with electrical tape.

STEP 5: Final Assembly

Use the 5-Min epoxy to glue the socket in place inside of the light. You want to glue the rim of the socket to the label.

Use the included nuts to attach the switch to the lamp.

Pull the cord back out to the knot.

Put a bulb in, plug her in and hit the switch.

Thar she Glows!

13 Comments

moo of the cow 14 years ago

awesome were would you find records tho????

naruto the ninja13 14 years ago

put a chain made from record circles (litle circles cut from old records) on the bottom of the lamp and hang it from the celing for cool lighting for a 1960's themed house/room/resturant/store/haunted house(just kiding)/amusement park

Shut Up Now 15 years ago

i wanted to do this except make it a hanging lamp. did anyone have problems with the glass cracking or breaking from the heat? thats all i was worried about

Darkshot 15 years ago

GJ!! :D, i would do this if my mom would let me use one of her records...but alas she hates it when i even get near them ;) gj thou :D

CYNICALifornia 15 years ago

Garage Sales and Thrift Stores my friend. Just make sure its an album no one will miss (eg Cher) or too badly scratched to be of any value.

judelizowski 16 years ago

This is an amazing instructable!!!!! I am going to go to a garage sale, get some cheap records, and make like, 10 of these for gifts!!!!! once again great intsuctable!

afcbasser 16 years ago

wow, that's simply begging to have a black-light installed in place of a standard bulb!

casshan 16 years ago

That is a really neat lamp. I was going to start working on a lamp soon anyhow because I've been fiddling around on Instructables and keep seeing stuff that looks like it's a lot of fun to make. I guess yours will be the first one I do since I've already got the stuff laying around the house though. Really neat lamp though. !!!

Spectrace 16 years ago

that thing looks so cool, nice instructable . one thing about the type of bulb though, it might be a bit wise to use a CFL bulb because it produces less heat, and with the regular bulb, if on for a prolonged amount of time, might warp the hole. I'm not too sure, but just a suggestion

CYNICALifornia 16 years ago

That was a concern I had when I originally did this project a year ago. However, my blue bulb, which is 60w I believe, never melted the record, even after hours of use. I don't know that I'd go over 60w though. If you want a really cool effect get a color changing LED bulb that looks awesome, but produced virtually no heat.