Magnetic Shape Shifting Lamp

A useful desk lamp that transforms according to your requirement, as well as your whim.

Each box can be arranged around the next one in more than 10 ways. So in total there are more than 9^10 ways to arrange this lamp.

This design does require some precision and patience. And maybe 10-12 hours of time.

Disclaimer : The lamp came out great but the magnetism isn't amazing. They're enough to hold pieces in place (see images) but please don't imagine strong snapping. Just so you won't be disappointed after all the work.

Jump to step 2 for Laser Cut files.

Laser Cutting Material

• 2.5mm Pre Laminated MDF Sheet
• 2.5mm clear acrylic (or use the same prelam)
• 2mm diffuse acrylic
• Bond Paper

Materials

• 5mm spherical neodymium Magnets - 110 numbers (I bought the standard 216 set)
• LED light Strip (of choice) and DC Adaptor (I used 12volt strip by 3M with 30watt Philips adaptor)
• Wire (more than 1mm diameter core)

Machines

• Drill Machine and 5mm Drill Bit - Flat tip
• Solder Iron and wire
• Glue Gun (optional)

Basic Craft Tools

• Wire Cutter
• Scissors
• Paper Cutter
• Fevicol SH
• Super Glue
• Scale
• Vernier Caliper (optional)
• Acrylic colors (optional)

There are a few areas that require precision in this project. So going over the concepts would be helpful to avoid mistakes. Here are a few things to look out for before ordering the materials.

MAGNETS are Key to this project Buy here

• All Magnets must be free to move around.
• Each box contains 11 freely moving magnets, allowing the boxes to freely stick (and snap) to each other at all junctions (without any magnets repelling each other). Hence I used spherical magnets, even though they are not the strongest.
• I couldn't find the 6mm spherical magnets that I initially wanted to use. They would be stronger.
• If you plan to use other shapes of stronger magnets, you will have to come up with a solution to allow them to rotate inside their container.

MDF Color

The final design has Cut edges visible on all sides of each box. If you choose light color MDF, black edges will show (typical to Laser Cutting). So include that in your design idea.

Lights Buy here

• Pick lights that can be evenly spread out across the box and would not be concentrated at any one location. Otherwise the diffuser won't be able to scatter light enough, resulting in a bright spot.
• You can also put RGB lights with remote controller and dimmer. And even an Arduino Uno unit.

Adaptor size

I fit the DC Adaptor inside the first box. Make sure your adaptor is the correct size. Otherwise you can just place it outside near the power supply. I took off the plastic casing and simply used the inside circuit board which is much smaller.

Box Design

• The 1:1:3 dimensions (EXTERNAL) of the box are deliberately designed to allow for perfectly alignment of pieces while playing.
• You can change the size of the box though. Current size is 4.5 x 4.5 x 13.5
• Other combinations like 1:2:3 or 1:2:2 or 1:1:2 can also work.
• You can have multiple sizes for more interesting final compositions

Total Number of Boxes

You can have any number of boxes you like. But there are a few considerations.

• Too few boxes may not make for interesting compositions.
• LED Lights tend to get dimmer as they get away from the power source.
• Too many pieces might be time consuming.

LASER CUTTING FILES ATTACHED BELOW. I also attached a sketchup file for massing study in case you want to play around. (see image)

Depending on the materials you decide to use, you might need to make following adjustments to the file.

MDF thickness

Adjust the grooves depending on MDF thickness. (Maintain the external dimensions in 1:1:3 ratio). Also plan for drill holes where magnets go.

Grain Direction

Make sure to check which direction you want the wood grains to be in. It should be consistent for all boxes and sides.

Connecting Wire Hole Size

The hole size in the current design is 2mm diameter. You can increase that if you plan on using a thicker wire to connect the lights. Wire connecting the boxes should not interfere while placing the boxes in any position. So hole placement and size is important. I had to increase the hole diameter later because the wire was too thick. (see image)

Adjusting for magnets

You might need to come up with your own solution in case you need to use another type of magnets.

The scoring for Drill hole marks needs to be very light.

I suggest printing and assembling 2 trial boxes first. Also you can print an additional spare set for testing or breakage (see image)

Problem

Magnets need to be as close to each other as possible for maximum attraction. And the attraction diminishes very quickly with distance. If you simply place them behind the MDF, they would be useless.

Solution

• Drilling holes in the material - almost all the way through. That way 2 magnets from different boxes can be almost touching each other when boxes are brought together.
• I used a 5mm drill bit with relatively flat end (see image) that worked great for me.
• DO NOT use a sharp pointed bit. It will drill through and also not create enough space for the magnet to sit in.
• To check for hole depth, hold the piece against light. You have reached the correct depth when you start to see is a tiny translucent dot in the centre where light can come through. (see image)

Caution

• You will need to make 110 drill holes. So be patient.
• Try to make the holes at the exact location marked by the x sign.
• Drill with variable speed would work best for a clean finish.
• Try not to drill through.
• If you do drill through, fill a small amount of thick acrylic paint (Matching the MDF colour) to seal the hole. (see image)

Each magnets is to be held in place by 2 small acrylic squares (with holes) placed on top of it, while the magnet sits in the drill hole. This step is to simply take one of each of the 2 types of squares and super glue them together to form the cover. Now they are ready to be placed on top of the magnets, securing them in place.

Lay out the individual MDF cut pieces and place a magnet in each drill hole. Now carefully glue the covers to the MDF, trapping the magnet inside. (see images)

Caution

• Make sure to not glue the magnet along with the cover.
• I recommend using fevicol and not superglue for this step. It will be much easier to fix if you accidentally glue a magnet in place.
• Use the scored square as guide for correct placement. Precise placement will help later while putting in the paper.
• As you will discover, magnets bounce around quite a lot, so do this step carefully and patienty.

Test for accidental gluing

After glue dries check again if each magnet is still free to move. Take another left over magnet and bring it near your magnet. Then rotate it around in your hand so that the other pole now faces your magnet. Both times it should be attracted. If the magnet gets repelled on any one pole, that means your magnet is stuck and not moving.

Fix

Take off the cover by force. Take out the magnet. Clean and redo Step 5 for all such magnets.

This step would depend on the type of lights you picked.

• Cut the light strip to size. Make sure the lights are bright enough even after the diffuser.
• Now cut the connecting wire to size. This is the wire you will see between each box in the end. You need 15cm of free moving wire between each box. So make each piece to be around 20cm.
• Connect the light strips with the wires.
• Maybe pick a black wire instead of the white like mine (maybe less visible)
• DC wires need to have more thickness. Consider wire with more than 1mm diameter core.
• You want the final wire bending position be as shown in the picture. Because they need to be pulled in and out while playing.
• Check that the lights are working properly after all connections are done.

Each of the boxes will now be assembled around the completed light strip. Glue however you see fit but keep a few things in mind.

• DON'T forget to insert the wire in the hole before closing the box.
• DON'T glue the wire to the box (it needs to move freely)
• DON'T glue the diffuser top. Use it as a guide for making a neat box.
• Try to keep the exterior surfaces clear to glue marks (see image).
• Be sure to recheck the grain direction each time.
• Allow enough drying time.

You might find that there is some light leaking from edges. (see image)

Just fill some black acrylic paint (undiluted) from the inside. Allow at least 3-4 hours of drying time for thick paint.

• Fold all the papers as shown in image.
• Align the squares for precise folding. Do this step patiently otherwise the paper might not fit nicely in the box.
• Insert the folded paper in the box and open flaps one by one. You'll need to maneuverer the paper around the magnet covers and the lights.
• It's ok if you tear the paper at a few places too. They won't be visible.
• Glue the top edges of the paper neatly, so they don't create any dark shadows on the diffuser sheet. (see image)

The idea is to fit the adapter inside the first box. But I chose to keep it outside because there wasn't enough distance for the lights to diffuse. If you plan to do this, follow these steps.

• Glue the magnets for this box right into drill holes (it won't be a problem since magnets in all other boxed are movable). This will allow more space to fit the adaptor.
• Take off the plastic casing and use only the circuit board.
• Fix and glue the circuit board. Place the lights on top of the adapter.
• Check for diffusion.

1. The lights I used had a strong tape on the back. But I also used additional clear tape to secure it properly to the paper. Since the boxes will be moved around in all orientations.
2. Ensure sufficient distance between the light source and acrylic diffuser for even lighting.

Your lamp is done.

Simply place the diffuser sheet on top. I have designed it to fit snugly with the box. This way you can do maintenance later as required.

• You can think about engraving patterns on the diffuser as well as the MDF. Something that continues across edges might look great.
• Additional magnetic supports from the outside can help make more cantilevered designs.