Concrete Base Table Lamp

I actually thought up this design while building another lamp and decided it was worth giving a go.. in the end I'm glad I did because it turned out very cool! It's not too difficult to make as well, so hopefully you can give it a try.

If you do happen to like it then you can check out some more of my work on my instagram / website @jamesmcco1, or if you're feeling kind vote for it in the lighting contest it's in :)

Parts

1. Cement (1kg bag is more than enough)
2. 4mm metal pole (about 6m which will be cut into 12 lengths of 45cm)
3. Socket and Screw Base
4. 7w 20cm Edison Bulb
5. Switch and Plug
6. Some Wood (not too important which since it will be covered in cement)
7. 5cm of Pole (this is just to put the wire through, you could just drill a hole instead)

Tools

1. Saw
2. Drill
3. A pot to set the cement in
4. Plliars can help with bending the poles
5. Bucket for cement mixing
6. Sandpaper

1. Use the pot to draw a circle on a piece of wood [image 1]
2. Cut the circle out. Make sure to cut inside the line so it fits well into the pot. It's not important to get a perfect circle since it will be covered in cement. [image 2 + 3]
3. Mark around the circle points for drilling. Since we will have 12 poles, 30 degree spacing works. [image 4]
4. Drill holes [image 5]
5. Cut a small piece of wood and glue the screw base of the socket to it. Again this doesn't have to be beautiful, it will all be covered in cement.
6. Then glue this to the centre of the circle part. [image 6]
7. Drill another hole and put a piece of pipe in it for the electric cable to go through. If you prefer you can just drill this hole after the concrete base sets - it's up to you. I even drilled another couple of holes just to allow the cement in more, but it's not so important. [image 7 + 8]

1. Cut the poles into lengths of 45cm.
2. Draw out a template for the curve until you get a shape you like. [image 1]
3. Bend all poles to the same shape. This is easier said than done.. it takes a while and hurts your hands a bit if you don't have the right equipment.. but it's worth getting right. [image 2]
4. Put the poles into the holes. make sure they sit right, this might involve bending them a bit so they don't cross too much in the middle. [image 3]
5. When you've got all the poles in it should look like this [image 4 + 5]

1. When you have the poles in, place the completed base into the pot.
2. Pour about 1/2 the bag of cement into the bucket and mix with water until it's thick. How much exactly will depend on the size of your pot.. but as long as it is enough to cover the wooden base up to the bottom of the screw base. [image 1]
3. Leave the base to set. I left it for 3 full days to be sure.
4. If you oil the pot you should be able to take it out without cutting it.. I forgot.. so cut along the side of the pot with a knife or scalpel. Then take the pot away.
5. When you do that you can give the base a slight sanding to smooth it off. [image 2]

* if you pour the cement to the very top of the pole and it starts to cover it, you can put a stick in the pole so you know where it is when the cement dries.

1. Put the cable up through the pole / drill a hole for it to go through if the cement has blocked the bottom. [image 1]
2. File away a track under the base to the cable can sit in the track and not make the lamp unsteady.
3. Screw the bottom of the socket onto the screw base. [image 2,3]
4. Drill a hole in the bottom of the socket and put the cable through. [image 4]
5. Connect the cable to the terminals on the base (Brown to bottom live, Blue to side neutral). It is best to extend the cable enough so you can do the wiring outside the metal poles. This makes things much less awkward, then you can easily put the connected part back in place. [image 5, 6]
6. Screw the top of the socket together and test. [image 7, 8]

** The surface of the concrete in these pics doesn't look as good as in the previous step since it's actually pre-sanding. I didn't take such good pics of the electronics of the well sanded one so picked up with the documentation when building the next lamp! **

And that's it.. I hope you enjoyed the instructable and learned something - please let me know if you have questions or if you have a go at building it.

And again, if you like you can vote for this in the lighting competition or check out my instagram @jamesmcco1 for some more designs!