Introduction: Wooden Desk Lamp With Levitating Dimmer / Color Changing LED

By GitHub
About: Hi, I'm Kostiantyn, I love to invent and bring it to life. It doesn’t matter what will be used for this, but most of all I prefer working with wood, LEDs, and microcontrollers. @TimberRough

The idea of this project was to make an unusual or creative wooden desk lamp by using a laser cut which will look not like a laser cut.

The main challenge was making a slim frame and then the software and electronics part.

The lamp stand is made from oak layers, a slim frame from oak (outside), and an alder (inside).

Finish with mineral oil.

For the firmware base, I used the WLED project and enriched it with the Hall-sensor usermod. As a result, I've got a desk lamp with a levitating dimmer, multiple-color animated effects, WiFi control, and a lot of pleasant.


The video is about the process of making

Wooden Desk Lamp with Levitating Dimmer / Color changing LED


#tablelamp #woodworking #lasercutting #diy #wled #led

Supplies

Tools:


  • DIY Laser cutter/engraver 520x520mm, 5.5w
  • Disk Sander
  • Soldering iron

Components:


  • Oak sliced veneer 2.5 mm
  • Oak sliced veneer 4.5 mm
  • Alder sliced veneer 2.5 mm
  • Mat plastic (any sort of thin plastic) as a diffuser
  • Magnets NdFeB 4x5x2mm, 12pcs
  • Fabric braid (Braided cable sleeving)
  • Wood glue: Titebond 3
  • CA Glue (Gel) + Activator
  • Natural mineral oil for wood
  • Esp8266 controller
  • WS2812b addressable LED strip
  • Analog Hall sensor
  • USB-C plug
  • Some sort of wires

GitHub Link

Step 1: Download Sources and Cut With Laser

Everything except the grooves needs to be cut out, I engraved the grooves to a depth of about 1mm.

Attachments

Step 2: Clean the Grooves From Soot

The decorative parts have grooves that will be used to attach the diffuser.

Step 3: Create Alignment Shape

I decided to create a leveling mold using scraps from the laser cutting. This is due to the fact that the frame parts are very thin and will definitely twist after applying glue.

Step 4: Glue the Inner Wood Layer With Decor

I placed the decorative part into the resulting frame for alignment.

Then I quickly applied glue to the next layer and placed it in the frame as well.

Used weight for a tighter fit.

Step 5: The Result After the First Layer Glued

Step 6: Repeat Gluing the Layers to Get a 10mm Height of Frame

I continuously increased the alignment frame height together with gluing the next layer.

Step 7: The Result After the All Layers Glued

After the glue is set the frame is very solid

Step 8: Glue the Stand Base

Quite an easy task, all "O" shapes glued together.

The bottom and top are shown on the photo.

Step 9: Glue the Frame Holder to the Stand

It is advisable to glue the frame holder very precisely. I protected the frame from the glue using masking tape.

Step 10: Polish the Frame and Stand

Step 11: Make a Hole for the USB-C Socket

I used a micro drill and needle files

Step 12: Place the LED Strip in the Frame

Cut the length of the strip by the marked line

Step 13: Cut the Diffuser and Place It in to the Frame

I used some mate plastic, you can use paper, or other materials

Step 14: Solder the Components According to the Diagram

Step 15: Firmware

Here I will not delve too deeply into how to compile/upload the firmware, since this is very well described on the website of the original project WLED

I developed a small usermod for the Hall sensor.

If you want to compile it by yourself sources you can find on my GitHub repository.

Also, I uploaded the already compiled binary to the repository.

Quick guides:

How to compile

How to install binary

Attachments

Step 16: Glue the Magnet Holder Rings

Step 17: Put Magnets to the Wooden Holders

The bottom part needs to have one magnet per hole, the top part - one.

Magnets need to be placed with opposite polarity in the top and bottom parts, so they will pull each other.

Fix magnets with CA glue.

Step 18: Polish and Round Holder Parts

Step 19: Glue Hall Sensor in to the Bottom Holder Ring

I bent the sensor legs 90 degrees to place it corresponding to the magnetic field we want to measure.

Step 20: Braided Cable Sleeving, Hall Sensor Wires, Magnet Holder

Place braided cable sleeving to the hall sensor wires and fix it with a magnet holder with glue.

I used braided cable sleeving which I cut from the old headset.

The goals to use it:

  • Squeezing and unclenching this tube will fix or release the wires inside it, allowing you to fix the distance of the magnetic ring.
  • Decorate wires

Step 21: Fix Cable Sleeving With "H" Part

  • Pass the tube through the hole in the "H" part.
  • Measure the distance with the tube extended.
  • Secure the tube with CA glue.

Very important! Use gel glue and an activator, you only need to glue the tube itself, the wires inside should move freely.

Step 22: Glue the Top Magnet Holder With an Empty Tube

Step 23: Put Hall Sensor Wires and Tube Into the Stand Hole

Step 24: Solder Hall Sensor Wires to the Controller

Solder Hall sensor wires to the controller according to the diagram below.

Put the controller and all wires in to the stand.

Step 25: Secure the Bottom Cover and Frame Holder (H-part) With Screws

Step 26: Fix Top Tube to the Frame

  • Put a small holder on the tube
  • Measure distance
  • FIx holder with CA Glue
  • Cut the rest of the tube
  • Glue holder to the top part of the frame


Step 27: Finish With Mineral Oil

Step 28: Final Result