Click here for the model file and other information on my post at Printables.com
When I first started 3D printing, I had a few ideas for projects that I could not just let go. For some reason, decorative artistic lamps was one of those things. The result is what is, as of the time this is posted, my most technically challenging print so far (which isn’t saying much).
It started with a 3D model, a scan of the Venus de Milo statue. I first saw it and knew this would be the base for my lamp. Before I could start actually printing, I needed to understand the hardware involved in lamps — an old table lamp would do the trick. From this lamp I had the wire, light bulb, bulb socket and switch. The socket used a stand floor lamp threaded pipe. As someone who has no mechanical engineering training, or any experience with threading, it was surprisingly hard to figure out what kind of pipe this was, and where I could get a short length for my project. I was able to get the pipe I needed (1/8 IP?) at an online store like antiquelampsupply.com.
But that wasn’t the end of it. Now I needed to make the altered 3D model with a path for the wire and threaded hole for the pipe. This was done using Autodesk Meshmixer and a 3D model of the same kind of pipe, retrieved as a CAD model from another online store like mcmaster.com.
After a few test prints to ensure the threaded hole was a good fit for the pipe, I put it all together: Pipe in the hole; thread the wire up through the base and out the pipe; screw the socket base onto the pipe; connect the wire to the socket contacts; screw on socket top; insert bulb.
But this setup, without a shade, was far too bright to be useful at all. I decided to turn to some gray filament to print a two-part lamp shade/diffuser. I gave it a vaguely human shape, and printed using Cura’s spiralize mode. It doesn’t make it any easier to look at, but it does diffuse the bulb’s light somewhat.
The final result is… less than spectacular. Many spurs and nicks are obvious in the print from the support material that was needed to print properly (especially at the base the statue stands on). Overall, this is not my greatest artistic achievement. But as a proof of concept, this hit the mark – I proved it is possible for me to make a custom lamp via 3D printing.
