Shedding some light on my work process
For a while I have appropriated a nice designer adjustable floor lamp with foot-operated dimmer, finished in satin stainless steel as a a convenient way to get close-up lighting on my work table. It can be pointed in three- D, but only positioned in two: there is no way to lower it. I needed a better solution, plus I was missing using the lamp's previous function as illumination for the shelves of my CD, DVD, VHS, cassette tape & LP collection.
I looked at retail choices, but retail shop floor lamps turned out to be either too decorative and not bright enough, or insufficiently manoeuverable. The Anglepoise lamp is a great and much-copied design, but the genuine article is quite expensive, just for a work lamp, and is not height adjustable either. I resolved to see if I could put something together myself, envisaging a height-adjustment clamp to hold a manoeuverable lamp on a vertical stand of some sort. This also seemed an opportunity to experiment with casting recycled polyethylene, which I have begun to be interested in. I have been collecting some milk container lids for this purpose. First off, at a shop I know that has some used industrial stuff, I spotted an up-light floor lamp with a broken shade, a good start for the base at only $20. (see Left) Next, at retail giant Mitre 10 I spotted an Anglepoise-style lamp which instead of the usual circular flat base, had a clamp mount, adaptable for flat or vertical surface mount. This looked like it would be readily adaptable to mounting on my pole, I might even be able to use parts of the clamp. This was $69.99, more than my aim of a cheap as well as useful solution should consider, but it looked so ideal I bought it. My next step was to make the clamp, something I had already envisaged and sketched in quiet time on a Saturday at work. (see Left) This a pretty basic concept and design! At left is the polyethylene stock, created from milk container lids, chopped up using garden secateurs. This might sound like a chore, but I kept them by my microwave and just did a few rather than do nothing or stare at the turntable going round while waiting for things to heat up. I will confess to making an aesthetic choice as well: I did not include black and red tops to avoid ending up with an ugly brown product. |