Portable Led Study/Reading Lamp Using a Metal Hanger

I normally study using a study lamp, but oftentimes I end up in situations where I don't have enough lighting to properly study or read. Most study lamps are meant to be plugged into walls and as such can not be reliable in situations where portability is necessary or when electricity is unstable such as during a thunderstorm or power outage. As such I decided to make a portable, battery powered study lamp.

The casing for the electronics was made using cardboard, while the stand was made using a metal hanger to allow for adjustability

Materials

Cardboard

16.2cm X 17.3 cm(6.4in x 6.9in)

9V battery (A battery of lower voltage will still work, just ensure to use an appropriate resistor)

3 Crocodile clips

1 breadboard wire

220 Ohm resistor

1 Switch

1k potentiometer

3 (or more) LED's

Metal Hanger

Card Paper

1 sheet of printer paper

Instruments

Hot glue gun

Scissors

X-acto knife

Mathematical compass

Ignore the soldering iron in the image, I intended to use it however I ran into some issues.

Unwrap the hanger from its normal state so that you have a long piece of metal. Then cut the metal to your desired length. With most brands of hangers it can easily be broken of to a specific length by repeatedly bending it in that specific area repeatedly. Be careful though as this does produce some heat.

I created the base of the lamp which holds all the electrical components using the cardboard. I crafted a rectangular housing for the electrical components by cutting the cardboard to an appropriate size and using hot glue encase it.

With this I wired all the electrical components. I used a small amount of hot glue to secure the battery to the casing. To secure the switch and potentiometer I used an Xacto knife to cut exact holes for these components, however tape could also be used on the underside to secure it.

The lights were connected in series and arranged in a triangle in the cardboard. Then I added some casing using some card paper, though cardboard can also be used. I applied oil to some blank paper to increase its transparency then I glued it onto the lighting.

Using a compass I created a hole in the cardboard for the stand to go through, then I slid the parts of the metal hanger into the holes made in the cardboard. I used glue above and below the hanger to add additional support. Once this was completed I bent the stands so the lights would be positioned above the reading material, though the stand can also be kept upright.

Using a hot glue gun I fixed the lights onto the stand. This final step completed the lamp.

Though the lamp may look boring due to the cardboard, it can be easily customized using paint. I liked the look of the cardboard so I didn't add any customizations. To test it out I turned off my lights and did some reading. The soft metal from the hanger made the lamp adjustable so I could change the height depending on my task. The LED's were also bright enough to accommodate comfortable reading in the dark.