hi folks,

today i show you my convertible bedside reading lamp. The starting point for consideration were two conflicting requirements.

1.) I need a bedside lamp, that does not dazzle me, when i turn it on at night.

2.) I beed a bright spot, as a reading lamp sometimes.

Both needs should be combined in on lamp. So i build a background light, that could be easily converted in an reading lamp, by a pivotal movement.

Step 1: Materials and Tools

Materials i used:

LED-Stripe ( warm white)
switches
cables
power supply
socket for power supply
different wood stripes / wooden bars
aluminum c-profil
screws
paint
insulating screw joints

Tools i needed:

miter saw
soldering iron
screwdriver
hot glue pistol
sandpaper
brush

Step 2: Measurements

I measured the available space and looked wich hight the lamp should reach.

Step 3: Build the Swing Arm

i took two wooden stripes for the arm

One was an profiled/contoured one that visually matches to the bed. The other one was a flat one, a little bit slimmer than the profiled one. The recess to the slimmer stripe ist needed to hide the cable later on.

The flat stripe is a longer than the profiled to generate a flat mounting point for the joint

After sawing i screw them together. I Predrilled the mounting points for the screws, to prevent damage.

Step 4: Prepare LED Stripes

I cut the stripes at a length i choose. Before that i tested the brightness in the dark bedroom.

After the cutting i soldered a cable to the stripe. The cable was 20 cm longer than the swing arm.

Step 5: Prepare the LED Housing

I took the led stripe, the swing arm and a wooden stuff for the open side of the profile. I preassembled the parts the get the length i need. Then i sawed the aluminum profile.

The wooden stuff is made from two peaces of the slim wooden stripe.

Step 6: Paintjob

I painted the wooden parts

Step 7: Assemble the Lamps

I hot glued the wooden parts into the aluminum profile. I adjusted the right angle as long as the glue was hot. The LED stripe was self-adhesive.

After that i glued the cable in the groove on the backside.

One of the Lamps was assembled back-to-front.

Step 8: Build the Joint an the Attachment Point

I drilled the joint point in the swing arm an mounted it to an spacer. The spacer ist attached to an flange. The flange is screwed together with the bed later.

The wooden parts have been sawed by eye, they are looking were "ugly" but you will not see them in use ... and i was in a hurry ;-)

Step 9: Connect the Switch.

The switch is connected to the Lamp with insulation screw joints. Ground is connected to the power supply directly. The switch disconnect the VCC. In my case i just wanted one cable to connect the switch from one side, so i bypassed witch a short cable in the housing.

Step 10: Mount Lamps to the Bed

The lamp was mounted with screws to the bed. To limit the swing distance i used the bedpost for the reading lamp position, and i hot glued an wooden stopper for the background light position.

Step 11: Do the Wiring

I hote glued the loose cables to the bed. I payed attention that the cables don't limit the swing way and the cables don't cast shadows in the walls.

Step 12: Let It Work ...

I pushed the bed, back to the wall and tried it out .... i am happy with the result. But take a look by yourself

This is not an instructable u can use one-to-one ... ok, you can, but it'll make no sense. I should give you an conceptional idea, wich has to be fit to your bed and uses.

I hope you enjoyed it.