Voronoi Diagram Lamp
Introduction: Voronoi Diagram Lamp
Voronoi diagram is a really beautiful concept combining maths and arts. It's used in design, visual arts, architecture, can even be spotted in nature (beehives, giraffe hide, turtle shell). It's captivating, especially when combined with vivid colours and light.
I used cheap PVC pipes, some elbow grease, Dremel tool and 3D printing to make this lamp. There are many possibilities- you can use different patterns, different pipe colours and a wide variety of diffuser patterns and colours. And let's not forget about different LED lights. You can go with plain white LEDs, coloured ones, 12V or 5V LEDs connected via USB.
Supplies
1. Large PVC pipe; mine is 125mm and 35cm long. https://www.screwfix.com/p/manrose-125mm-round-pip...
2. Dremel, preferably with flexi-shaft attachment
3. Drill bits in various sizes (1.75-3mm)
4. Printer and PVC glue
5. Exacto knife
6. Optional- spray paint
7. Soldering iron, wire strippers
8. Glue gun
9. 492
Scotch tape
10. 3D printer
11. Light diffuser- see notes in Step 12
CHOOSE YOUR LIGHT SOURCE:
A. 50cm strip 12V LEDs + AC/DC converter
B. 50cm strip 5V LEDs + USB connector; something like this product: https://www.amazon.co.uk/PAUTIX-Dimmable-Flexible-...
5V strips sometimes come already wired and attached to a controller, they come in white and RGB
C. Lamp kit - two or three core wire, lampholder, plug, threaded rod - you will find everything here: https://lampspares.co.uk/
Lamp stand is 3D printed, but if you don't want to use plastic, you can make a similar lamp stand out of wood.
Step 1: TEMPLATES
There are a lot of pretty voronoi patterns available to download online. I provided just a few examples.
* You don't need any fancy photo editing programs, good old Paint will do the job and scale the pattern up or down and spread it across two sheets of A4 paper.
* If you are using this template, your design will go all around the pipe, therefore you will need to know the circumference of the tube. Either measure it with a flexible tape or use online calculator to figure out the circumference.
* My pipe was just under 40cm in circumference, so two sheets of paper covered it perfectly.
Step 2: PATTERN TRANSFER
Print the templates. Trim and align the sheets and use a glue stick to keep them together.
Since my pipe was 35cm long and paper sheet is only 30cm, I had an excess 5cm that I left untouched to create borders on both sides of the pipe. Borders are necessary to conceal scotch tape or glue you will later use to keep light diffusers in place.
Once your template is ready, mix a small amount of PVC glue and water and apply thin layer with a brush. Smooth the paper onto the pipe to prevent wrinkling and bubbles from forming. Leave it to dry for 1 hour.
Step 3: DRILL BITS
If your Dremel has a flex-shaft extension, use it instead of the main body, it will be easier to hold and manoeuvre. For smaller holes I used regular drill bits for metal (sizes 1.75-2.5mm), for larger parts I used Dremel routing drill which is 3mm.
Step 4: CUTTING PATTERNS
First things first. This is a messy job, so preparation is the key, otherwise you will end up like me and spend a lot of time getting bits of PVC out of your hair and wool sweaters.
* Have a vacuum cleaner and a rubbish bag at hand before you start cutting.
* You don't need to have a workshop to make this project. You can do it in the house, the PVC dust doesn't fly around the room, it pretty much only sprays within 2-3 feet of the main action.
* It's not difficult, but a bit mundane, so I'd recommend putting some headphones on and running music or ebooks in the background.
* You can't forget to wear a face mask and eye protection, stray PVC bits fly everywhere.
* If you have long hair, wear hair protection as well.
* Wear clothes with short sleeves (it's easier to clean bare skin from PVC dust), no difficult to clean fabrics. If you have them, go ahead and use plastic coveralls. 438