Studio 4 Journal, Week 4

This Week

• MDF Sphere Continued
• Base Turning
• CAD Flat Pattern
• Button Adjustments

MDF Sphere Continued - Again with the sphere... Yes. Its taking some time to get to a finish that is free from dents and such. At this point, its at the stage where I cant see that it is worth spending any more time on it. It has already consumed way too much of that resource.

Base Turning - The base is a simple ring of cement which I have made a test part in foam, then turned up out of timber in order to cast a mould off of. There is a circular housing in the centre for a 3D printed part that will create the more intricate parts that wont be seen when the lamp is assembled.  The choice of 3D printing is simply because of the fact that it is quick and accessible to me, unlike the CNC milling machine at uni. The more I can get done in the break. the better.

CAD Flat Pattern - Working in Solidworks, I've modeled the Alucobond components with consideration to the fact that I will be using the CNC mill to cut the shape. I'm not going to a realistic model, its just a functional model to give me a flat pattern to cut from. Even after i export the flat pattern, I intend to modify it in Illustrator to make the CNC process as quick as possible when the workshop is open again.

Button Adjustments - I've decided that the lamp needs to have a brightness adjustment. There will be a small button at the front of the sphere which will controll the brightness at 8 different levels. I've remastered the original power button cam to fit into the space available in the final design for the arm. Also, created a CAD model of a first attempt for a mounting system for the smaller brightness button. I'll test this out next week.

Studio 4 Journal, Week 3

This Week

• Latex Mould Testing
• MDF Sphere Continued
• 1:1 Scale Model
• Light Source Details

Latex Mould Testing - I had been a little worried about how well the latex will hold the round shape over such a large area. The test involved making a quick mould with a bowling ball which I borrowed from a friend. The ball is a little old and used with some small gouges in it which means I couldn't use it to make my final product with, however is serves well as a test model.

I attempted to support the latex with some soil I have laying about, which in the end I think was a bad idea. I really should have found some sand. Perhaps I will go for a drive down to the beach and borrow some from the earth. The final result was covered in bumps. I also noted that the finish was not as smooth as the ball. I need to coat the latex with some Vaseline next time.

MDF Sphere Continued - Once the sphere had been turned to a ball that I was happy with, I put a load of Estapol over it to try seal the end of the MDF a little before going at it with the high build filler primer. I had a go at sanding it to round as best I could to remove the rings that were left behind by the denser areas where the MDF layers were glued together.

Further along, I had a suggestion from one of my lecturers to use a ring shaped sanding block and roll around the ball to achieve the perfect sphere. I went about cutting out a ring and ended up just using that as a stand. The easiest approach was to cut the abrasive paper in such a way that i could fold it into a cone and roll it around the ball. At this point, I've filled some small gouges and cracks with car bog, sprayed another coat of filler primer and am waiting for it to dry before I sand it down and repeat one last time, just for the best possible finish I can achieve.

The more time I spend on this, the better my final product will be. Investment.

1:1 Scale Model - Though this was in week 1, I figure its an important part in explaining the side of the lamp. Its no small thing, and the design has had a few further modifications since. There is also a lack of the piece of cement that would serve as the base.

The newer version has a slimmer arm with a taper running from the front and back into the centre of the sphere. Also, there is a taper that runs from the top of the lamp, down to the underside.

Light Source Details - Again, this was determined in week 1, but I've made some further changes. I've added a brightness adjustment button that should fit well into the existing design. The old power connector was a little ugly, so I've purchased a cleaner plug that I will be able to hide in the design much more easily. I cut away the top of a little button that was attacked to the dimmer I had purchased, so I could solder on my own button that have a better tactile feel.

There is a short video below showing the function of the electronics.

The next two week are a teaching break, so I wont have access the workshop at Uni. This does however mean I have no restrictions on my time other than eating and sleeping.

Studio 4 Journal, Week 2

This is the first journal entry which compliments the research and development process of my lamp design. For those who read this that aren't privileged enough to have seen the complete concept, all you need to know is that it involves a cement sphere and an Alucobond arm.

This week and the weeks leading up have been full of productivity...

• On/Off Switch
• MDF Sphere
• Latex mold Testing
• 1:1 Scale Drawing
• Light source soldering

On/Off Switch - The first iteration for mounting an on off button under the Alucobond was intended to use the plastic within the laminated sheet as a live hinge. I let a fellow student tinker with the sample I had cut, but they poked it too hard and broke the plastic. I took this on board and decided to set the button on its own mechanism. There were also some strength issues with the 3D printed parts.

So far the switch it mounted sideways with a cam  that allows for a slimmer fit than if the button was butted up against he Alucobond button.( 40mm vs 30mm) There is probably room for even tighter fitting and slimming. There will also need to be some efforts made to cut away excess material. Some adjustments have been made for a tighter track for the button to slide in and deeper travel.

MDF Sphere - In order to make accurate cement parts, I need a form to cast a mold from. Starting by laminating MDF sheet together I made a 210mm block. The laminating was done ins two parts, which meant that the MDF was able to bulge slightly, which made laminating the two parts together a little tricky. eventually I found some clamps that had enough strength to clothe the gap properly. Before I started on the large sphere, I tried turning a small one on the lathe at home which turned out pretty terrible. Learning what not to do from the smaller attempt, the large sphere turned out quite alright. I've filled some small gouges that appeared after the turning. Currently, I'm waiting for the putty to set fully before I clean up the sphere and go over it one last time to make it as rough as possible. If I deem it to be inadequate, I'll see about getting a new material and using more precise machinery in the workshop at uni.

This is more or less my method: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lConTQ-cUw

I'm taking the technique of using the ghost line as a guide, but my lathe has different mounting gear.

Later Mold Testing - Before I slap a load of latex on my sphere, I though I should test some smaller objects. Also, I've borrowed a blowing ball which is almost the same size and my design to test with.

1:1 Scale Drawing - I wont upload the drawing here, but after marking out some variation and narrowing down an accurate drawing which explains the size and workings of the lamp, I'm able to start working on getting on electronics under way. In addition to that, I've moves away from the rectilinear style of arm that I originally had, moving to something with a little more angular style to suite lamp's protruding angles.

Light Source Soldering - The lighting is provided by 9 strips of LEDs that are each 15mm long. Initially I had considered a brightness adjustment, but moved away from it because of the complexity of circuitry, but since that decision I've realised I might be able to wire in a dimming button with little effort. Possibly looking at using some Acrylic as a diffuser, but it might block too much light and i will need to do some testing.