HIPS Closed Flower Lamp

In this instructable I will show you how to make my flat pack lamp design. This was a project in school for me and is based on existing ikea lamps. I have included a copy of my project if anyone is interested. To carry out this instructable you will need some tools and materials.

Tools

.scalpel

.cutting mat

.sandpaper

.printer

.cnc/camm2/laser cutter/saw… (Whether you make it by hand or using machines)

Materials

.HIPS (high impact polystyrene)

.polypropylene sheets

.ikea bulb fitting

.ikea light bulb

Step 1: Modeling the Lamp in 3d Software (solidworks)

To start with I modelled my lamp in solidworks which took

numerous iterations to get it correct. The lamp works by having 2 disks with slots and holes engraved in them, the sides then slide and click into the disks to form the shape of the lamp. The design also has polypropylene inserts to diffuse the light to form mood lighting (these can be removed if you want). I decided to go with a shape that I think resembles a closed flower as I thought that it would look nice for decoration. I have supplied the files to save you the trouble of copying it :)

Step 2: Cutting the HIPS Disks and Slides (8 Slides 2 Disks)

This is where you use what you have available, in my case my

school has a camm2 which is a cnc ish machine but you can use a laser cutter, scroll saw…

I have included the settings that I used for the cutting but they will vary from machine to machine so use them as a guide. Once I had the settings right I had to use double sided tape to secure the HIPS to the bed of the machine so that I could begin machining. Once completed I remove the tape and take the pieces out of the sheet. The pieces come out rough so they will need sanding smooth. I apologise for the lack of photos of this stage but this was a time critical stage so I forgot to take pictures for this.

Step 3: Cutting Out the Polypropylene Inserts (8 Pieces)

To diffuse the light from the bulb you need to make some

inserts which I made from polypropylene sheets. You can do this by printing the design and spray mounting it on the sheet and cutting with a scalpel, ruler and cutting mat. You can also use a camm1 (plotter) to cut the pieces out. These may come out slightly rough so they will be sanded and finished like the HIPS pieces.

Step 4: Sanding and Finishing

Now that you have removed the pieces from the machine and

separated them from the sheet you will now need to use a scalpel/cutting mat and sandpaper to finish the pieces. You need to use the edge of the scalpel to remove any burr and then sandpaper to smooth the pieces. You work your way down from sandpaper to micromesh (240-12000 grit) to get the best results but you can go as far as you want.

Step 5: Assemble the Lamp

You now have all the pieces of the lamp so you need to gather

your light fitting and bulb. You need to screw the fitting into the bottom disk and begin to put the slides in place using the second disk. Once all 8 of the slides have been clicked in place you can put the polypropylene inserts in place. Now all you have to do is plug it in and turn it on and you’ve got yourself a functional lamp. This lamp however can be used as a table lamp or a ceiling lamp due to the use of disks, all you need to do is screw the lamp into a ceiling light fitting.