Quick Alternative Lamp Cover : 7 Steps

Renting an apartment leaves you often at the mercy of the style choices of your predecessor. Just what happened to me with this lamp. So I needed a quick solution without changing the existing base.

The sketch is the start. The lamp has three flaps to hang a cover on it. I will use them and put a simple metal plate underneath. It´s going to make it a more indirect lighting and a bit dim overall, but that´s alright for me.

Step 1: Planning

To start out I sketched it quickly in 3d. -Makes it easier to get exact measurements for later. I am aligning the metal plate with the rest of the room rather than the geometry of the lamp. That puts the hooks out of the center but with the 3d model it is easy to work with.

Step 2: Materials & Tools

The main material is sheetmetal. 2mm aluminum with a polished surface is what I am using, mainly because we have it in the shop. The only other material needed are 3 screws and the fitting female screws.

Step 3: Base

The base is going to be a simple 30x30cm plate. The polished surface is covered with a protective plastic. Keep it there as long as possible. The bare aluminum loves to catch fingerprints. I cut the 30x30 from a bigger sheet, cutting one side first and then the others in a right angle to it.

Step 4: Hooks

For the hooks I cut 3 strips of the aluminum 20 mm width and 170mm long. Out of the cutter the are a little bowed, so I pressed them back in shape. First I drill the hole (5mm) on one end of the strips. This is to connect the hooks later to the base with the screws. Then two times bending each strip to make it an actual hook.