Introduction: DIY Pipe Floor Lamp

About: I am currently studding computer science in Germany and love to build stuff in my spare time. Since I live in a shared apartment, I got some limited space, so I love to build multipurpose things, that save som…

A few weeks ago I stumbled over the pipe lamp project by frenzy and instantly wanted to build my own lamp.

Since I made a lot of desk lamps in the past, I wanted to explore new territory by building a floor lamp. The whole project involves only a few steps and took me only an hour.

WARNING: Since this project involves AC power. Please use caution when handeling AC outlet power.

Step 1: Gather All the Supplies

Bill of material:

  • You will need some heavy wood as a base for the floor lamp. I used a 20cm x 60cm piece of countertop.
  • Arbitrary pieces of galvanized pipe to build your lamp base. In my case I used 1/2 inch pipes.
  • Preserving jar with a metal screw cap.
  • Bulb socket, light bulb, wire, wall plug and some screw terminal block.
  • Fitting screws

Tools:

  • Power drill
  • Screwdriver

Step 2: Build the Lampshade

Drill a hole into the jar cap and run the wire through it, so the bulb socket is on the inside of the preserving jar. You can now screw the light bulb in or do it in the end.

I used a LED Edison light bulb to get some warm lighting.

Step 3: Build the Floor Lamp

Center the base of the lamp on the piece of wood and mark the position of the holes. Then pre drill them, so the screws don’t damage the wood. Afterwards screw the base onto your heavy piece of wood.

Afterwards you want to lay down all the parts as you want the final product to look like. Then run the wire through every component as needed.

Lastly you can build the base of the lamp and see what the final product will look like.
Once you have it right and are comfortable with the look of it you can tighten the pipes together.

Step 4: Do the Electrical Work

Connect the wall plug and the ON/Off switch to the wire of the lamp via some terminal blocks.

Make sure, that there isn’t any short circuit in your wiring.

Step 5: Conclusion

I know that the instructions are not as detailed as they should be for reproduction. But I think that I will inspire you to be creative and build your floor lamp with your own style.

Some ideas for future improvements:

  • Drill two holes into the pipe, so you can place the ON/OFF switch on the side of the pipe.
  • Use some stump of a tree as base for the lamp. It will look better than the countertop.
  • Make everything waterproof so you can place the lamp outside.

Lastly it would be nice to get your Feedback. Not only because this is my second post, but more over because I want to improve this article.

  • Are there points, where you got confused?
  • Is something not clear?

Now its your turn to build your own lamp!

See you in the comments,
sincerely Langhalsdino :)

Lamps and Lighting Contest 2016

Participated in the
Lamps and Lighting Contest 2016