Introduction: Magnetic Table Lamp

I wanted a new table lamp, but found a regular table lamp rather uninteresting. I wanted to create a lamp with which it is possible to readjust the shape and size.

The table lamp exists out of eight cubes, with which you can build different shapes. Each cube has four bright 0.5 watt straw hat LEDs inside.

This lamp was easy to make, but consumes a lot of your time.

The light output depends on the total amount of cubes that you use. If you use just one cube you have little light (for example as a night light), if you use all the cubes you have more than enough light to light up a room.

The overall cost of this project was low, except for the neodymium magnets (40 $), which seem to have risen in price the last year.

Step 1: Materials and Tools

Materials:

  • 40 0,5W straw hat LEDs 
  • 8 bridge rectifiers
  • 8 6.8 Uf > 12v capacitors
  • 16 39 Ohm 1W resistors
  • Perfboard
  • Conductive silver
  • White acrylic sheet
  • 192 nails
  • 1926 mm by 5 mm round neodymium magnets
  • 12v power supply 2 amp
  • Toggle switch
  • Wooden board (9 mm thick)

Tools:

  • Wood glue
  • Super glue
  • Jig saw
  • Miter saw
  • Sand paper
  • Wood clamps
  • Drill
  • Drill bit3 mm, 6 mm
  • Hole saw 67 mm,  74 mm
  • Solder
  • Solder iron

Step 2: Sawing, Drilling and Gluing

Saw 48 squares of 10 cm by 10 cm out of the wooden board.

Saw a 45 degree corner off each side of each cube.

Draw a cross in each square and make a mark 1.3 cm from each corner. Drill a 3 mm hole in each mark, and drill a 6 mm hole 3 mm deep on top of that.

Drill a 67 mm circle in the middle of each square.

Use wood glue to glue five pieces together so that you get cubes with one side missing.


Step 3: Drilling Acrylic Circles

Saw 48 74 mm circles out of white acrylic using a hole saw. 

Use super glue to glue the white acrylic circles on the inside of each cube and on the eight remaining squares.

Step 4: Making Connections

Put nails in each 3 mm hole. Solder them together on the inside of the cubes.

Each nail of each side represents a negative or positive connection. Starting from the upper left corner you've got positive, on the upper right corner you've got negative, on the lower right corner you've got positive and on the lower left corner negative. Use electrical wires, solder and a solder iron to connect the positive corners together and to connect the negative corners together.

Step 5: Circuit

The source voltage is 12 v. Each cube has four 0.5 watt LEDs inside. To drive the LEDs in each cube, I made a circuit containing the following components: bridge rectifier, a 6.8 Uf capacitor and two 39 Ohm 1w resistors. Schematics are shown in the above picture.

Solder the circuit to the LEDs. Solder this to a positive and negative connection inside the cube.

I used a bridge rectifier so you can place the cubes on each other in whichever way you want, the LEDs will always turn on.

Use wood glue to attach the remaining squares onto the cubes.

Step 6: Magnets

Use super glue to attach the magnets into the holes in each corner of the squares (on top of the nails). Use conductive silver between the nail and the magnet for better conductivity.

Glue the magnets in the same pattern as you made the electrical connections. For example upper left corner south, upper right corner north, lower right corner south, lower left corner north. 

Repeat this process for each side of the cube.

Step 7: Base of the Lamp

Saw two 14 cm by 14 cm pieces out of the wooden board.

Saw four 14 cm by 4 cm pieces out of the wood. Saw a 45 degree corner off the short side of each piece. Glue these pieces together on top of a 14 cm by 14 cm to create a box, leaving the top aside for the moment.

Drill a 6 mm hole in the middle of the front and the back of the box.

Draw a cross on the remaining 14 cm by 14 cm piece (the top) and make a mark 4 cm from each corner. Drill a 3 mm hole in each mark, and drill a 6 mm hole 3 mm deep on top of that.

For stability of the base I glued some iron bars inside the box.

Step 8: The Base Part 2

Put the cable from the 12v power supply through the hole of the back of the box.

Put a switch through the hole on the front of the box.

Solder the positive end of the power supply to a terminal of the switch.

Solder a wire to the other terminal of the switch.

Put nails in each 3 mm hole. Each nail represents a negative or positive connection. For example, starting from the upper left corner you've got positive, on the upper right corner you've got negative, on the lower right corner you've got positive and on the lower left corner negative. Use electrical wires, solder and a solder iron to connect the two positive corners together and to connect the two negative corners together.

Solder the positive and negative wires of the power supply to the positive and negative connections on the top of the box.

Use wood glue to glue the top onto the box.

Use super glue to attach magnets in the pre-drilled3mm deep holes. Use conductive silver between the nail and the magnet for better conductivity.


Step 9: Enjoy!

Finish thetable lamp with bees wax or wood oil or ...

Enjoy the light and the different shapes of your table lamp.