I went to the TAP plastics to ask about fabrication. They told me that they
couldn't do bends that were smooth and gradual; and what I was asking would
take about 2 hours @ $85/hr so...
I bought a piece of scrap acrylic (6"x 32") from the cut bin for about $5,
Then I went next store and bought a Band It birch veneer from Discount Builder's Supply for $19
I head home and began this:
First I used a heat gun to bend the acrylic into the shape you see. I didn't take
much heat in order to get it soft.
I head home and began this:
First I used a heat gun to bend the acrylic into the shape you see. I didn't take
much heat in order to get it soft.
The veneer I bought already had a paper backer with heat activated glue. All it
took was an iron (with a piece of foil to protect it) and a lot of pressure to get it
to stick to acrylic.
After that, I slapped on an Ikea LED strip light and took some vanity shots.
This is the form for a project that I am working on that will involve a recycled PETG panel and some high powered LED light engines with color selectable light temperature, on the cheap and analog no less. They have light output that can compete with 50w Halogen bulbs. So stay tuned for more.
P.S. Mouser.com order is coming Friday with parts!
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9 comments:
you're so creative!
the lamp looks great
Wow, thanks so much!
Rob
This is amazing!!! So lovely.
Very inspiring, I am definitely going to try a project with this method in the future! Thanks and keep being creative!
A couple of questions (I am going to try this for a coat hanger, minus the lighting)--what did you do with the edges to make them smooth, especially if you had to cut them; and what did you do with the edges and the faux wood adhesive? Did you try to cover the edges or did you leave the plastic visible?
Thanks, looks nice.
Nick
I used scissors to cut the veneer. Also I sanded down the edges as smooth as possible, but I did leave the edges of the acrylic showing.
Really rad idea. Mad props.
Some additional ideas for this concept (which I hope to try soon):
-use a material like a flexible mirror or mylar to create a reflection/diffusion pattern inside of the lamp's curve (http://www.filmtools.com/flexiblemirror.html)
-with an extended piece for the top of the lamp make another bend to create a box shape; lights on bottom of the top layer, adhere diffusion material to the bottom layer to create a soft glow
-use recycled cardboard to create curve templates and attempt to bend warmed acrylic in subtler shapes
-continue wood veneer along entire shape but leave edge of acrylic bare; place row of led lights to make the edge and the veneer glow (light comes out sides/ends and veneer glows warmly)
Great work!
I own a sign shop, so I am quite familiar with the materials and processes here. Sign shops tend to have a crazy amount of scrap materials that would be perfect for this kind of project. I do keep scrap for smaller jobs when they come up and I periodically will have folks come in to see what I have (It doesn't hurt to have a major design school 4 blocks away) I am quite content to sell whatever I have at extremely reasonable rates.
One bit of advice - be careful with bending acrylic - too little heat, and you will have stress cracks (especially at the edges), too much and it can be tough to control the curve. Uneven heat can be really difficult to acheive a good smooth curve. It does help to have a template to bend into. Way too much=bubbles and "crispiness". And NEVER clean it with rubbing alcohol after bending. It will haze with microfractures and be very brittle. A good way to finish the edges after sanding as smooth as you can is to flame treat them to a polish. Get a blow torch and gently heat the edges until you see it clear up. Practice on scrap first, 'cuz you can overdo it, but you'll get the hang of it. It looks great.
Remember that sign shops can and will offer a little bit of everything - so don't just settle for wood veneer. How about a brushed aluminum, holographic reflective vinyl with pink polka dots? I mean, if that's you thing and all.
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