How to make a stylish one from an old chandelier. DIY chandelier - an element of a unique interior

Problems with the choice of fixtures are familiar to many. Lamps are purchased last, so combining them with all other interior elements can be difficult. But you should not despair. After all, spectacular lamps can be made independently, without spending a lot of time and money.

1. New Year's decor on the chandelier

Plastic beads, which can be purchased in the department New Year's decor, you can decorate the finished lampshade. Bright colours and shine will turn the lamp into a real decoration of any interior.

2. Urban landscape

The outlines of city roofs, cut out of dark paper, are glued onto a light lampshade. Such an application will easily transform a boring plain lamp.

3. The whole world at a glance

In every house there are old cards that lie unused for years. From them you can make a lamp with your own hands. Just wrap part of the card right size old lampshade. For a neater look, the paper can be coated with acrylic varnish.

4. From papier-mâché

To make an original lamp with your own hands, you will have to remember the papier-mâché technique, familiar to everyone since childhood. The paper must be torn into small pieces and left for a couple of hours in an aqueous PVA solution. Then, layer by layer, an object of the desired shape is laid over the paper mass - for example, an inflated balloon. After the papier-mâché has dried, the lampshade is ready.

5. The second life of old newspapers

Just pasting a lampshade with a newspaper artificially aged with tea or coffee is too simple a solution. Cut out circles from it and glue them so that they partially cover each other. Interesting game light and shadow guaranteed. Additionally, it is better to varnish the lampshade.

6. Eternal lampshade

From an old metal basket or ordinary wire, you can make a lamp with your own hands, which will become a champion in strength and durability. In addition, such a lampshade is also completely fireproof.

7. From bright cocktail tubes

A lamp made of cocktail tubes looks democratic, but at the same time spectacular. Just glue the tubes of one of the sides onto the old lampshade with silicone glue. If you cut the tubes in half, the lamp will turn out to be smaller.

8. Chic and shine

Beads that have not been used can be used to decorate the lamp. Thread them onto thin jewelry wire (you can buy it at craft stores) and attach it to metal base lampshade.

9. Clear geometry

Cocktail tubes, painted in gold or silver, will become the material for making a lamp with your own hands. Between themselves they are fastened with a threaded thread.

10. Lace patterns

Just cover or glue a plain lampshade with contrasting lace. In the first case, it is better to use elastic lace: they will fit snugly against the surface of the lampshade and look neater.

11. Paper Chaos

Plain White paper, rolled up into tubes, becomes the raw material for original lampshade. Glue them together in a chaotic manner, moving from bottom to top.

12. A cozy lamp for needlewomen

All buttons that do not find a use for themselves can be used to make a cute lamp. String the buttons on strong threads, and fasten them to the top of the lampshade.

13. In harmony with nature

An intricately shaped branch will be an excellent basis for unusual lamp. In addition to it, you will need several light bulbs in cartridges. Just wrap the wires around the branch.

14. Almost edible chandelier

The base from an old lampshade, decorated with cutlery, looks quite brutal. Such a lamp will perfectly fit into the interior of a country-style kitchen or loft.

15. Delicate textile petals

For the manufacture of such a lamp, a fabric is selected whose edges do not crumble. The petals cut out of it are attached to the lampshade with glue.

16. From decorative rope

Generously smear the base for the future lampshade with a thick one and wrap it tightly with a rope with a rough texture. It is not necessary to use an old lamp as a basis. Even old utensils, such as glasses or bowls, will do.

17. Lamp in a skirt

Translucent textiles, for example, tulle from old curtains, can find a second life. Having collected it in the upper part in folds, fix it on a boring lampshade.

18. Patchwork

A lot of multi-colored shreds are tied on the basis of an old lampshade. The more of them, the better.

19. From favorite postcards

Often postcards and photos, even those that you like, lie idle for years. Paste them over a boring lamp, and it will instantly change.

20. Our whole life is a game

A deck that is missing a few cards should not be thrown away. Thick glossy paper with a contrasting pattern is an excellent material for decorating a lampshade, practical and beautiful.

So, the lighting problem is solved. It's time to familiarize yourself with

The cosiness and comfort in the room depends on the lighting. Make home atmosphere full of heat you can make a lamp with your own hands. Ideas to help you personally and with minimal cost to make an exclusive and fashionable lampshade, you can learn from this article.

Pendant lamp in the interior

Training

What you need to know before making a lamp:

1. It is recommended to use LED or energy-saving light bulbs, creating your own designer lamp. Standard incandescent bulbs get too hot and can damage its structure.
2. If the finished lamp is disassembled, you need to be extremely careful with the wires, and after finishing, make sure that they are intact.
3. There are bulbs of several color temperatures. When creating a pendant lamp for the home, it is worth opting for a “warm” shade.

An illustrative example for distinguishing color temperature: than more on the box, the higher its temperature, and the colder the shade of light it has.

Light bulb color temperatures

Frame selection

Before you make a lamp, you need to prepare the base. Most often, it is a pair of rings to which a backing of cardboard or plastic is attached to give shape.

The following ideas will help resolve the issue of finding the basis of the future lampshade:

• You can make this type of frame yourself, with only wire and pliers on hand.
• Frames are sold in hardware stores or in needlework shops.
• Often in the flea market there are old lamps, where you can get the frame.
• Instead of frame structure, the lamp socket can hold the neck of a 5 liter plastic bottle. Therefore, there is a solution in the figure below.

DIY lampshade

Lighting Ideas

There is nothing complicated in decorating a pendant or table lamp with your own hands. But it is better to draw a sketch on paper before starting work. The process will be simple and fast, and changes can be made along the way.

"Live" lamp

This designer lampshade is called "Photosynthesis". It was designed and implemented by an author from Tel Aviv. The frame is shown here. metal mesh, at the base of which a houseplant is placed. As it grows, the flower fills everything inner space lamps and makes the design of the room summer and fresh. Here it is not necessary to use a regular LED. Making such a pendant lamp is not too troublesome. You can add variety to its decor, given what accessories and tools will be available.

Suspended "live" lamp

When making such a lamp with your own hands, you can not use an overly heavy pot with a plant. Particular attention should be paid to the insulation of the wiring and run it along the supporting wire.

Making a lamp with your own hands from fabric is a great solution, because big choice colors and textures allows you to realize many creative ideas and create decorative lampshades for a room with any interior. First of all, you need to prepare the necessary materials:

• the cloth;
• adhesive tape or self-adhesive film;
• ruler or centimeter;
• scissors;
• simple pencil;
• metal rings for the frame;
• binders;
• tassel;
• glue;
• strip of paper.

Sequencing:

• Before you make a lamp, you need to determine its shape. For a fabric product, a cylindrical base is ideal.

When deciding on the height and width, you should take care that the base is not too close to the light bulb.

• It is necessary to cut a rectangle from the adhesive film and a flap of fabric, the edges of which are 5 cm larger. Attach the fabric to the table with the film, face down.
• Find on the fabric the most beautiful pattern, which should be on the lamp and use a ruler to draw corners and a dotted line.
• Align the fabric and stick a film on it.
• Using paper clips-binders, fix the lampshade on the surface of the frame from below and above.
• With a pencil, mark the edges and the side that will be on top. Glue the parts of the lampshade to each other, let them dry.
• Turn the structure over, apply glue to the edge and insert a wire ring. Fasten with binders, let dry. Repeat the procedure on the other end.
• Glue a strip of paper from the edges. After it dries, glue the fabric strip on top. Do the same on the seam on the side of the lamp.

DIY fabric lampshade

If you make small triangular cuts in the paper while gluing it, it will bend better.

There are other ideas on how to make a lamp with your own hands. Using various materials and accessories, you can create no less impressive decorative lampshades from threads, paper and other improvised means.

photo collage

To make such a designer lampshade-photo frame, you will need:

• frame, as in the previous example, or a finished purchased lamp with a clean white lampshade;
• several sheets of tracing paper;
• scissors;
• PVA glue;
• simple pencil;
• printer (recommended to use an inkjet).

Selecting your favorite and beautiful pictures, with the help of photo editors you need to make a collage. You can collage images by cutting them out of paper. This method leaves a lot of space for a creative idea: any decor can be applied to the lamp, not just a photo: a drawing of a child, a motivating aphorism or a map of a favorite area.

DIY table lamp photo collage

Before you make a lamp out of photographs, you should make sure that the paint dries. It is strictly not necessary to bend paper sheets of tracing paper, because the place of bending will always be evident.

Rope Sun

Creating such a pendant designer lamp is much easier than it seems. Required tools:

• threads;
• glue (for wallpaper or PVA);
• petrolatum;
• balloon.

Initially already inflated balloon smeared with vaseline. This is necessary so that threads do not stick to it. The threads are dipped in glue and wrapped around the ball. After the product dries, it is blown off and removed. Rope sun crafting completed.

What needs to be done to make the decor of the lamp as successful as possible: firstly, you should first “get your hands on it” and make a couple of small lamps for testing. Secondly, before winding the threads on the ball, you need to mark the place where there should be no threads. Through this hole, the ball will be removed, and the light bulb will be inserted.

Making a lamp

To carry out the decor of the lamp is half the battle. The main thing is a quality work done without sad consequences. Therefore, the following factors must be taken into account:

1. If a luminaire hanging from the ceiling is connected, the junction of the wires and the product itself must be covered with a protective cap.
2. If during operation, the light bulb becomes very hot, the designer lampshade surrounding it should not be too close. That's why you should use low incandescent bulbs.
3. If the product is heavy, it is strictly forbidden to hang it on wires. For this, special rods, cables or brackets are specially provided for mounting on walls or ceilings.
4. To illuminate a room with high humidity: a bathroom, sauna or bath is better not to implement your own ideas for making a lamp with your own hands, but to buy and install a special product that has moisture protection.
5. During the installation of the lamp, the wiring must be insulated to exclude the possibility of injury to the master and his relatives.

With my own hands. Video

How to create LED lamp with your own hands from improvised materials, this video will tell.

Decor made of paper, photographs, threads, fabrics and any other means has its own advantages over finished products bought in a store. With minimum cost and time, decorative lamps not only decorate housing, but also emphasize the originality of its owner. DIY modeling of lighting fixtures is an opportunity to realize your creativity, decorate the interior and bring relatives together for joint work.

The chandelier in the room is not only a lighting device, but a real decorative element that gives the room special charm and direction. It is not necessary to buy a chandelier in a store, you can do it yourself. Now things that are done by hand are very popular. Such designer gizmos are able to show good taste the owner and make the interior original, unlike others.

Of course, a chandelier made with your own hands can only be in the process of creative work, which must be approached with all seriousness and care. Today we will talk about the features self-manufacturing chandeliers various kinds, as well as visually show how to make interesting light sources.

DIY chandelier options

On the this moment there are a lot of options and ideas on how to make a chandelier. Moreover, the production is made from the most different materials, in the list of which there may be even the most unexpected ones. Consider some handmade chandelier models with a photo and an indication of technology.

Chandelier made of plastic spoons

Plastic disposable spoons are a very versatile material that is often used to make various kinds crafts and things. You can buy them in any supermarket, and the cost of such material is so low that it will not affect family budget. Products made of plastic spoons serve for a long time, and it is very easy to care for them. That is why it is very easy to make a chandelier out of them.

To create a unique chandelier from plastic spoons, you will need the following materials:

• Five liter plastic bottle.
• Plastic spoons. How many you need depends on the size of the future chandelier.
• Glue for plastic.
• Cartridge from an old chandelier.

A chandelier is created using this technology:

Advice! If you paint spoons or use different colors, the chandelier will look even more beautiful.

Chandelier from plastic bottles

If a lot of plastic bottles have accumulated and you want to find a use for them, then you can make an original chandelier with your own hands, which is decorated with decorative leaves cut from a plastic bottle. A variety of colors of containers will allow you to create an individual design and an original product.

To create a chandelier from bottles with your own hands, containers of any configuration, any color and size are suitable. Blanks are cut out of them, which resemble leaves in shape. Using a soldering iron, it is necessary to slightly fuse the edges of the leaves to give them more naturalness. Also, with the help of a soldering iron, it is necessary to create a sheet structure, but only carefully, since it is very easy to spoil the workpiece with a hot device.

A small hole must be made at the leg of each sheet with a hot needle so that it is possible to attach the workpiece. From a thin wire, build a semblance of branches, each of which is supplemented with leaves. The branches must be mounted on a thick wire frame in the order as intended. The frame is made in advance around the cartridge from the old chandelier. When making such a light source, a variety of ideas can be executed.

Advice! In this way, not only a chandelier can be made, but also table lamp or bra.

Paper butterfly chandelier

This product looks unique and very chic. It will decorate a romantic interior of a bedroom or children's room for a girl. Making a chandelier does not require much work, so you can even make it with the kids.

Creation algorithm:

fabric chandelier

The basis for making such a chandelier with your own hands from improvised materials is also a frame from an old lampshade or wire. After the frame is found, you can start cutting out the fabric. Moreover, its length can be any, but the width is equal to the diameter of the lampshade.

Important! As soon as the pattern is completed, it is necessary to try it on the frame so that there are no problems in the future.

Considerable attention is paid to the material for the lampshade. If the fabric used is light and airy, then the bottom of the lampshade must be weighted with cardboard or something else. You can also sew lace or braid on the bottom.

Plafond for a chandelier made of threads

As materials for this type of product are used:

• Thick thread, made from materials such as jute, cotton or wool.
• Cartridge from an old chandelier or bought separately in a store.
• Petrolatum
• PVA glue.
• Brushes for applying Vaseline and PVA glue.
• Balloon. You can use two, so that later you can check the finished product.

Creating a chandelier from threads with your own hands follows the following algorithm:

You can also cut off the lower part to make a wicker lampshade with your own hands.

CD Chandelier

This design is perfect for those who love non-standard solutions in the interior. Now almost no one uses CDs, and fans of movies or games, as a rule, have a lot of them at home. This unique material can be put to work and create incredibly beautiful chandeliers from it. The result and manufacturing options can be very different. Such a handmade chandelier can be placed in the living room or kitchen in a modern style.

Necessary materials:

• Two round planks made of wood, which are slightly larger in diameter than the disk.
• Metal or wooden racks.
• Luminescent type lamp.
• Magnetic switch.
• Disks.

Manufacturing technology:

1. In one of the boards, which is different thinner it is necessary to make a hole and install a magnetic type starter with a switch and connect to the lamp.
2. put on the lamp itself required amount disks so that they hide it completely, and install racks on the sides and fix their upper part.

Important! In the children's room, the installation of such a chandelier is undesirable so that the child does not harm his health.

Conclusion

With a little effort, you can create real works of art from waste material. This article confirms the possibility of making very beautiful designer chandeliers from simple components that can decorate a room of any style.

In this article we will figure out how to make a lamp with your own hands. In the initial publication of the cycle - - were considered General requirements to quality, how to form a luminous flux, as well as how to choose a light source and - safety first of all - the rules for connecting a stationary lamp to the mains. From the previous article, we learned how to make the main lighting parts of the lamp -. Now it's time to take on the solid, reliable and beautiful constructive basis of all this.

About LEDs

LEDs as lighting sources are becoming increasingly popular: they are very economical, durable, almost do not heat up, which provides ample opportunities for self-construction and design. In addition, low-voltage power makes LED light sources safe. Therefore, in this article a significant proportion of the material is devoted to how to make an LED lamp yourself.

However, the quality of light from LEDs has not yet reached the ideal: his spectrum is pretty tight. You can soften it with various lighting techniques, which was discussed in previous articles. But thanks to the low-voltage power supply, a street or garden LED lamp can be made independently without special precautions, and also be autonomous; then voluminous disappear excavation and cable laying on site. In this section, we will focus more on LED lamps.

Some examples of what can be achieved by taking on lighting equipment with your own hands are shown in the photo. A similar selection “for ideas” or “for inspiration” will be compiled by anyone who knows how to use the Internet. And here we will deal with things that are not so aesthetic: how to embody all this in the material. Cheap, reliable and practical. Preferably at home, on your knees.

Materials, tools, equipment, technologies

To make a good lamp, expensive and / or hard-to-find materials are not needed. Former technologies focused on incandescent lamps, which are very hot and consume a lot of current. The current homemade ones have housekeeper lamps and LEDs that emit little heat, which makes it possible to simplify the design.

For the manufacture of a lamp, neither in appearance nor in quality inferior to industrial designs, we need trimmings of metal tubes, steel wire with a diameter of 1.5-2.5 mm, 0.4-1 mm thick galvanized steel sheet and pieces of plastic or inexpensive plastic products, see below. And in many cases, to achieve desired result Might as well get rid of some unnecessary junk. Wood processing for a complex lamp is a special case, and we will not bypass it.

Note: good old glass also should not be discounted. Take a look at this tutorial for example: diy.ru/post/3916/. That's what can be achieved by working at home with such difficult material. Only one small "but" - what the author of the product (a man, no doubt, very skillful and quick-witted) calls cutting, in fact, edging. However, how to call it is the business of letter-eaters, and it is enough for the master to make the contraption good.

Very simple but tasteful

Examples of excellent lamps made from improvised materials, namely, scraps of wood and paper, are well-known Chinese lanterns, see fig. When using modern light sources, their fire hazard is negligible, much less than that of an electric kettle. The basis is most often a rack frame, pasted over with paper, pos. 1. For the frame of what is in pos. 2, thin fit better bamboo sticks(you can split an old rod into strips), or the ends of modern fiberglass rods; sold in fishing stores. The joints are wrapped with thread and glued. Paper (preferably rice) after pasting is lightly sprayed with water from a spray bottle. When dry, it will stretch. After that, the paper is varnished for strength.

A Chinese lantern can also be made entirely of wood: chopsticks or table skewers (wooden twigs on which barbecue and kebab are served at the table). Both are made of light, fairly well-reflecting light, wood. And its slightly rough surface effectively scatters light, which softens it.

From chopsticks, placing them with broadened heads alternately to the left, then to the right, side light-transmitting panels are gaining, pos. 3. And from table skewers you get a good ceiling lamp for the kitchen or hallway, pos. 4. The ends of the sticks (they are made of soft wood) are simply pierced with a sewing needle with a fishing line threaded into it.

Plastics

But back to the materials, they are not finished yet. Excellent details of chandeliers, table lamps and floor lamps (cups, caps, see below) are obtained from reusable plastic tableware- bowls, glasses, saucers: the rim on the bottom is carefully cut off or sanded down. Then this place is passed 2-3 times with increasingly fine sandpaper; the last pass - "velvet" - and polished with felt with GOI paste. The decorative, lighting and technological (ease of processing) qualities of such parts are very good.

The second type of plastic, which allows you to make a very original lamp (see Fig.) - polymer clay Or just plastic. In terms of lighting properties, it is not inferior to light wood, and in a thin, 2-3 mm layer, it is translucent, like milk glass, i.e. softens the light very well.

Polymer clay is available in various colors immediately-plastic in plastic bags and bars, like plasticine. The latter are quite hard at first, but soften when kneading. To speed up and facilitate softening, you need to put 3-4 drops on the bar vegetable oil, and start kneading when it is absorbed.

Lampshades are molded from soft plastic on a mandrel lubricated with petroleum jelly. Immediately, if necessary, they fill the texture with a brush, at the bottom right in fig. To obtain an openwork ceiling, the tip of the package is cut off and the mass is squeezed out with a sausage. After about a day, the product dries up, then you can, without removing it from the mandrel, cut out figures, scallops, frills. Completely the product dries up in 3-7 days.

Bar plastic is used for the manufacture of lamp stands. Having molded the workpiece, it is baked in the oven at 120-130 degrees. When a brownish crust forms on the product, the gas is covered to a minimum and “baked” for another 1-3 hours, depending on the size of the part. It should cool completely in the oven, which is undesirable to open. The baked workpiece can be cut, sawn, drilled, polished, painted. In this way, lamp cases are sometimes not only original, but also quite spicy (see the figure), or even frivolous on the verge of decency, or even beyond it.

Ceramics

Since we are talking about coasters, let's try to make a lamp out of a bottle. Ceramic vessels for drinks, worked out by company designers, deserve a better use than garbage, moonshine or recyclables for pennies.

There are 2 problems here: stability and holes for cable entry and a switch. The first is solved with sand, poured into the bottle by 2/3 or 3/4. To solve the second, it would seem that a tubular diamond drill is needed, which is expensive, wears out quickly, and requires a high-speed drilling machine. And we can do without all this:

• We will select a copper tube of a suitable diameter.
• We will securely fix the vessel that we will drill so that the drill enters along the normal (perpendicular) to its surface in this place.
• Around the place of the future hole, we will fashion a roller 4-6 mm high from plasticine.
• Let's rub a couple of pieces of fine skin against each other over some pallet to get about a teaspoon of corundum powder.
• Pour it into the hole and drip 3-5 drops of engine oil - you can drill.

For drilling, a drill clamped in a chuck copper tube it is better to put it in a bed that turns it into a desktop drilling machine. Such beds are sold in tool stores; the prices are divine, the benefit to the artisan is invaluable. Moreover, you can buy to the bed turntable with degree scale.

They drill ceramics with copper and corundum in jerks: slightly pressed - raised - pressed again - raised. Abrasive particles first eat into copper and drill, but then they break out and crumble. Pulse drilling constantly renews the corundum “plating” on copper, and the oil prevents the powder from scattering and speeds up the work. The main thing is that the tube, with each feed, falls exactly into the already selected groove.

Electrical fittings

For a novice lighting engineer, it is best, perhaps, to use cartridges for lamps for a regular E27 base with fastening with union shaped nuts (threaded flanges); its designation begins with E27H, and the drawing is shown in fig. It will not work to fasten such a cartridge, or a regular one with a skirt, with a threaded fitting in the lid: if there is an M10x1 or M12x1 die, then at home, with a manual wrench, cut the thread on a thin-walled tube without cutting it and not rolling it, very difficult, even with grease. Under mounting with flanges, you will have to make a mounting ring, as described in the article on lampshades, it is much easier.

Note: if done Wall Light, in which the lamp is located along the base, cartridges with a side bar are usually used, see Fig., But they are more expensive. In this case, you can also get by with a flange cartridge: an Ω-shaped clamp is bent from the wire and fastened to the base with self-tapping screws.

The second thing you need is a screw terminal connector, or a terminal block, or just a terminal block, to connect the lamp to the wiring. For a chandelier, it is mandatory not only for ease of installation, but also according to the requirements of safety regulations: suddenly the chandelier breaks, its thinner wires break out of the terminal block, and the ceiling wiring does not suffer, which will prevent an accident and ceiling-grooving repair work.

It is better to take a terminal block of the “comb” type, see Fig.:

Such compact, reliable, exclude accidental short circuit, and by biting the jumpers between sections, it is elementary to get a connector for the required number of wires. It is allowed to enter no more than 2 stranded wires with a copper cross section of up to 1.4 square meters into each terminal. mm in total and not more than 1 single-core, regardless of the area cross section its conductive wire.

About wooden lamps

The tree, on the one hand, is easily processed and looks solidly finished. On the other hand, to make an elegant wooden lamp, you will have to use some special technological methods. Which we will consider.

cable channels

The first problem that arises in the manufacture of a wooden lamp is how to make channels for the cable in long parts. To do this, without special equipment, “on the knee”, you can use a wood drill with a narrowed 6-sided shank, see fig. He is tightly dressed metal tube, crimp it, and bend the opposite end in a T-shape to make a manual collar; to facilitate and greater accuracy of work, it is better to take a two-band drill.

Through axial holes in long wooden parts are drilled in advance, before bending:

1. At both ends of the workpiece, blind holes of the desired diameter are drilled, with a depth of 30-40 mm, trying to ensure that they go as accurately as possible along the axis of the part;
2. They are drilled with the described manual wrench alternately from both ends, each time passing no more than 3-4 thicknesses of the part;
3. The chips from the holes after each pass are carefully removed;
4. After the jumper is broken, the hole passes through twice, from one and the other end. This is necessary to remove the step inside, which the cable can catch on when tightened.

How to bend a tree?

It is quite possible to make a lamp from bent wooden parts with your own hands: seasoned thin-layer wood softens under heating, without delamining, but when cooled down, retains the shape given to it. Bamboo, walnut and soft woods are the easiest to bend, e.g. Linden. Harder - wood of medium hardness: maple, ash, hornbeam. For bending oak, beech, mountain ash, and other hardwoods, it is better for a novice cabinetmaker not to take on. MDF also bends well.

The wood is bent either steamed in boiling water, or heated dry to more than 150 degrees. The first method is simpler, but suitable, except for bamboo, for a few species. The second is more difficult, but more accurate, because. wood does not swell and when cooled, respectively, does not shrink.

To bend wood, you need a piece of steel pipe: with a welded end for steaming or with both open for dry bending. The pipe for steaming is installed obliquely, a workpiece is placed in it, poured with water on top and boiled. Boiling water must be violent so that the workpiece is bathed in steam bubbles. The process is continued for 10-120 minutes, depending on the thickness, species and condition of the tree. You can take out the workpiece for a few seconds to check its readiness, but you only need to add boiling water instead of boiled water. Dry bending, blowing the workpiece in the pipe building hair dryer. First, on a sample of wood, you need to check what temperature it can withstand without charring and cracking.

How to tighten cables?

The cables are tightened into the tubular parts of the fixtures using a guide rod - "fishing rods" - made of copper wire with a diameter of 0.5-0.7 mm. "Fishing rod" should be completely flat; a smoothly curved wire wound from a reel can also be crumpled in a narrow channel. The wire of the “fishing rod” is straightened, stretching it through a rag tightly clenched in a fist. The best guides are made from enameled winding wire, which is smooth and slippery.

"Fishing rod" is introduced from the far end. Before that, its tip is tightly bent, see Fig., To be rounded. The thrust is pushed into the curved channels, slightly feeding and turning. When moving from channel to channel (see below), the running end is directed with thin long tweezers or a screwdriver.

When the end of the rod appears from the opposite side, it is cleaned by 20-30 mm and tinned. The cable wires are cleaned and tinned for the same amount, up to 3 per 1 "fishing rod". Then everything is twisted together and soldered. The twist is folded opposite to the direction of tightening so that it does not cling. Tighten by alternately feeding the cable and pulling the guide. When tightening, the cable in the channel must not be taut all the time! If it is hooked, they pull it back a little, turn it a little and pull it again.

Note: up to 4 2-wire double-insulated cables with a cross-section of copper wires up to 0.5 sq. M can be pulled into a straight metal tube with an inner diameter of 12 mm. mm. In a channel of the same diameter in a tree - only 1 of the same cable.

Starting from the ceiling

Suspension of the lamp to the ceiling or wall is the most critical and vulnerable node. Hanging fixtures at the 1st point is allowed only if the base is viscous durable material, eg. oak beams, pos. a) in fig. In other cases, you must either use at least 2 suspension points, or the luminaire anchor must press on the material from above, i.e. the ceiling must work in compression, pos. c) - e).

A chandelier weighing up to 5 kg is suspended using a mounting plate, see fig. on right. The distance between the centers of the mounting holes in the plank should be, for a concrete ceiling, at least 9 of their diameters. If the ceiling is plasterboard, or suspended, or stretched, then the suspension is lowered from the main ceiling to the level of the decorative one using wooden or metal crosses or plywood boards, at the top there. How to make a suspension in some other cases, see below.

The main requirement for the suspension is that the lamp should never hang on wires. It should be held either by a rigid bar, or a strong cord / rope, or a cradle made of chains or the same cords. Under the top cap of the gimbal, the power cable must lie in a loose loop, and must not be pulled, pinched or pinched anywhere.

How to make a lamp?

Now he will try to reduce the information received into a single product, at the sight of which the guests will gasp as sincerely as the master expressed himself while working. We will be guided by the following principles:

• Complex and / or technological operations requiring special skills are avoided in every possible way.
• Adhesive or solder joints are used only auxiliary, holding the parts to be joined from displacement. The product assembled without gluing and soldering should, in the absence of external influences, remain intact in its normal position for an indefinitely long time.
• From an additional tool, we will try to get by with a hand-held electric drill and a small removable bench vise with a screw clamp for attaching to the table.

Let's start with a chandelier, as the most complex type of household lamp.

Chandelier

On a cord

The simplest suspension of a chandelier weighing up to 5 kg is on a cord, pos. 1 in fig. In this case, 4 additional holes will have to be drilled in the lampshade mounting ring (see article on lampshades); marked in green in pos. 1a. Cord knots must be knitted that do not slip or unravel, for example. any fishing hooks. Cord - any non-rotting cross lay (eg linen) with a diameter in an unstretched state of 8 mm or more. Cords and ropes of spiral lay are not intended for long-term tensile load!

The most critical part is the suspension hook (red CP). It must be bent from steel wire with a diameter of 4 mm; a hook made of 6 mm wire rod can withstand weight up to 35 kg. Of course, if you buy a ready-made hook for a chandelier, it will not be worse.

Suspension rods with the same weight - from 4 mm wire; with a weight of up to 5 kg, you can get by with 1.5 mm, and with a weight of up to 12 kg - 2.5-3 mm. The ring is made of galvanized sheet 0.4 and 0.8 mm, respectively, or, for weights up to 35 kg, 1.4 mm.

Note: steel soldering technology at home is described in.

In this case, it is better to fix the upper cup from slipping with a rubber ring, because. the spring washer can crush the cable passing under it. good pallet obtained from a computer disk. Depending on whether the lamp is in the lampshade or in the ceiling, it is turned down, respectively, with the painted or mirror side. Radial cuts are made under the stretch marks of the lampshade in the pallet.

The top cup and cap are made of plastic utensils, see above. The cap lies freely on the pallet. Glue - any assembly.

Note: the bottom nut of the cartridge must enter the hole in the pan, and not press it. Otherwise, it may be difficult to repair or clean the chandelier.

On the tube

In a chandelier suspended on a rigid tubular rod (pos. 2), firstly, it is not necessary to bend the suspension rods so that it is convenient to knit a knot on their crosshairs. Secondly, the number of pulls can be anything from 3. Accordingly, the ring can also be made without an additional row of holes, such as is described in the article on lampshades.

It is preferable to fix the cap in such a chandelier with a shaped (decorative) spring washer. It can be obtained from a thick plastic button by drilling a hole in the center of it 0.5-0.7 mm narrower than the outer diameter of the tube and making an oblique cut at 45 degrees to the axis of the washer, a round link of a plastic chain with the same cut, etc. P.

An eye for a hook in the suspension bar is obtained by flattening the tube and drilling a hole in the resulting lamella (petal). After that (and not before), a hole is drilled for laying the cable, otherwise dangerous mechanical stresses may remain in the material. A bar for a lamp weight of up to 15 kg can be made from pipes of the following types:

1. Seamless steel - inner diameter from 6 mm, wall thickness from 0.5 mm. Finishing - painting or covering with a heat-shrinkable tube (HERE) of the desired color.
2. Steel with a seam - vnutr. diameter from 8 mm, wall thickness from 0.7 mm. The finish is the same.
3. Copper gas in a plastic sheath - vnutr. diameter from 8 mm, wall from 1 mm. Finishing is not necessary, and so it shines with copper for years. You can not solder, under the adhesive connection you need to remove the plastic coating in that place.
4. For air conditioning systems made of oxygen-free copper - int. diameter from 10 mm, wall from 1 mm. Very easy to solder and glue. To save copper shine, you need to cover the finished rod twice with a transparent water-based acrylic varnish, diluted twice with distilled water.
5. Simple red copper - int. diameter from 12 mm, wall from 1.5 mm. It is soldered after stripping, you need to use flux paste with borax. It darkens with time and under coating, so it is better to make lamps in retro style from such tubes.
6. Plumbing propylene - very durable, but do not stick and, of course, do not solder. It is useless to finish, the design in any case turns out to be terrifying.

many-horned

From the tubes, you can make chandeliers with brackets-horns for individual illuminators. The device for connecting the horns with the rod is shown in pos. 5. The horns, with their even number, are connected in pairs with through threaded studs M2.5-M4 with nuts and spring washers. Pairs of holes for studs are located on different levels, this must be taken into account when calculating the height of the straight part of the horn and making markings on their blanks. You can horns, incl. with an odd number of them, fasten with pairs of small self-tapping screws for metal, however, then the cables must be tightened very carefully so as not to tear the insulation on the sharp ends of the hardware protruding inward.

Note: complex / extended tube bends are formed section by section, gradually moving the manual pipe bender along the length of the future bend.

If the free ends of the horns are without squiggles (sorry - volute), etc. curls, then it is better to cover the knot of their connection with the barbell with a cap lying on the lower cup (shown by a dotted line in pos. 5). In addition, then the laying of cables will be much simpler: a terminal block will fit under the cap, in which the cables from the horns will converge, and only one 2-wire will go up in the bar.

Multi-track chandeliers are most often made with switchable light. The diagram for connecting lamps to a 2-section switch is shown in pos. 6. Do not forget - SB switches (switches) must be included in the phase wire! And yet, it is extremely important: if the house is equipped protective earth, never use a ground wire as a neutral (zero, N) regardless of the power supply scheme (grounded or isolated neutral)! The earthing switch is always in yellow insulation with a longitudinal stripe, and the neutral insulation in properly arranged wiring is black. But in any case, before starting electrical work, you need to find zero and phase with a phase indicator!

About phases, zero and earth

The safety regulations (PTB), electrical installations (PUE) and the Code of Practice (SP) for the production of electrical work for related industries (for example, construction) unambiguously regulate the color of the insulation of only ground wires - yellow with a green stripe; colors for phase conductors A, B, C and neutral are only recommended. The reason is that in countries where the only acceptable power supply system is an isolated neutral (Germany, Japan, etc.), it is customary to designate phase A in white or light gray. without a hitch" is not always possible.

The chandelier is heavy...

For ceiling lights weighing from 15 kg, fastening on the 1st rod or cord is no longer considered reliable enough. These need to be hung on a chain or rope cradle of 3-4 branches. 1 branch must hold full weight lamp with a 3-fold margin.

The cradle is fixed to the ceiling using a triangular or square carrier plate made of steel with a thickness of 5 mm or more, pos. 7 in fig. The number of attachment points is 4 or 5, respectively. An attachment point in the center is mandatory: without it, if one of the corner fixtures is excessively loosened, the mechanical load will “slam” onto the next weakest one, the suspension will break out like a domino and the chandelier will “all of a sudden” collapse.

Corner attachment points should be located on a conditional circle (red dotted line) with a diameter in centimeters of at least 0.85 of the weight of the chandelier in kilograms. In any case, the smallest distance between the centers of the holes in concrete ceiling should be from 9 of their diameters, as with a 2-point suspension on a bar, see above. Eyelets or hooks under the branches of the cradle are welded to the carrier plate. Homemade eyelets can be made from 6mm wire rod.

… and ultralight

Fans make a lot of lamps from disposable plastic tableware, PET bottles and paper. Their weight is negligible, therefore, firstly, it is permissible to mount the cartridge in the lampshade / ceiling lamp from the same kebab sticks, see fig. In this case, the cartridge is taken E17 or E10 with lugs, see fig. left. The "ears" of the cartridge with the help of a sewing needle are simply tied to the crosshairs of the sticks with threads, thin copper wire or fishing line.

Secondly, the suspension of an ultralight lamp can also be made cradle, but from a fishing line. Its branches are inserted into the ceiling cap along with the cable, as for a chandelier on a cord. Such a suspension is almost invisible. If the cable (we recall that it should not be stretched, pinched or pressed anywhere) is twisted or twisted into a spiral, then an ignorant guest may at first be dumbfounded: levitation? telekinesis? superconductor and magnets?

Floor lamp

A floor lamp based on the same design and technological principles is, in general, an inverted chandelier on a rigid rod with some differences, pos. 3 in fig. above with fixture designs. First: the bar (which is already a stand) is made of a steel pipe with an inner diameter of 10 mm and a wall thickness of 1.5 mm. Ring - galvanized from 0.7 mm. Second: all joints of steel parts are soldered.

Further, in the lower support of the floor lamp, a sufficiently heavy and extensive structure should be provided for attaching the bottom of the rack. Under the floor lamp of the usual type, a cross will go from about 450x450 mm from an oak beam 100x100 mm. A blind hole with a depth of 75-80 mm is drilled in the center of it along the outer diameter of the rack, and it is glued into the socket with mounting glue. Also glue the rack into the shelf of the floor lamp. It will be useful, both in design and strength, to apply a polished washer with a diameter of 60 mm and a thickness of 2 mm (steel) or 4 mm (aluminum) on the glue. The described design allows the amateur to do without custom-turned parts in the manufacture of a floor lamp.

Table lamp

A working table lamp based on our principles of construction is even simpler than a floor lamp, pos. 4: a sufficiently massive and durable base (wood, plastic) with a stepped through hole along the axis. A lampshade ring is laid on the step and fastened with self-tapping screws. Then at the same time it will press the whiskers of the lampshade extensions and it will not hang out.

Note: for the base of a table lamp made of ceramic or glassware, you need to make a pommel-knob with a stepped hole mounted on its neck. The most suitable material for this is plastic.

For outdoor lighting

Let's leave outdoor lamps for 220 V purchased: it is impossible to make a "forever" sealed cable gland for mains voltage and also a sealed case with glass at home. We will work with voltages up to 12 V, then the cable entry is quite simple, see fig. And if the light source is powered from a current stabilizer, then no short circuit will be scary.

However, things may not come to electricity: for temporary lighting in the garden or at a picnic and in the 21st century, an ordinary candle is often more convenient and cheaper, it is also more romantic. And you can make a candle lantern with your own hands from a coffee can in just a few minutes, see the video:

Video: do-it-yourself candle lantern from a coffee can

Such a lamp is suitable for a light bulb; then there is no need for ventilation holes and the carrying handle can be fixed on the lid, which is more reliable.

A permanent outdoor lamp should already be electric. The main problem with this is reliable sealing. Helps here again glassware with screw-on lid: Outdoor lighting fixture works well out of a can. In this case, since a more powerful light source is required, it is better to take a vessel from under conservation. The cable entry pipe is made by breaking through the cover with a round pointed rod. For complete tightness, aquarium silicone is applied once and for all to the rim of the lid from the inside before screwing.

The lamp "once and for all" involves the use of very reliable and durable light sources. Requirements for its quality and spectrum fade into the background, because. non-living or working premises are illuminated. Taking into account these conditions, it is better to make an outdoor lamp on the porch or, say, at the entrance to the garage from an LED strip: it will give quite bright lighting with a negligible consumption of electricity. An example of the manufacture of such a lamp, see:

Video: do-it-yourself garden lamp in 15 minutes

In the garden and in general on the site, high brightness of lighting is no longer needed, here, in general, if only not to get off the path and see the door to the bathhouse, cellar, barn or bathroom. On the other hand, it is very, very desirable to have a garden lamp autonomous: here the point is not the cost of electricity, but the cable, and who would like to make trenches in a well-groomed area?

Garden lights powered by solar panels (SB) and a buffer battery (battery) are commercially available, but they are either expensive or short-lived. Let's try to figure out whether it is possible to do it on our own, especially since it is quite possible:

• 4 white LEDs with a current of 20 mA each in a milky glass or frosted plastic bottle cover will more or less acceptable for garden needs illuminate a circle with a diameter of 4-5 m. With a current of 10 mA each, in the light spot you can still see where the stone is, and where is the pit. Total average 60 mA.
• The battery, taking into account the weak recharging in winter and the decrease in capacity in the cold, should give the maximum current of the illuminators for at least 30 hours. Finger batteries for 2500-3500 mAh, frost-resistant up to -20, are on sale. We take the minimum allowable battery capacity of 2500 mAh.
• Voltage drop across the luminous diode approx. 2 V. In order to stabilize the total current consumption and the battery discharge mode, on which its resource significantly depends, we give twice as much to the quenching resistors, for a total battery voltage of 6 V.
• The SB, taking into account the energy efficiency of the Ni-Cd battery of 74%, should give a current of approx. 75 mA. Based on the winter in the middle latitudes, we take a rated current of 100 mA.
• Also, taking into account the efficiency of the battery in terms of energy and voltage losses during charging, we take the SB voltage of 9 V.
• In order for the battery resource not to fall from overcharging, the recharge current through it should not be more than 5% of the hourly discharge current. With a battery capacity of 2500 mAh and a short circuit current of 100 mA, this condition is met, even more so with a 3500 mAh battery. That is, instead of an expensive and complex charge controller, you can simply put a silicon rectifier diode.

A diagram of an autonomous garden lamp, built taking into account the described conditions, is shown in the figure:

Despite its simplicity, the battery in it is never brought to degradation of the active medium due to overcharging, and only in exceptional cases can it reach a deep discharge; therefore, its resource remains normal when operating in harsh temperature conditions. "Zest" here - SB. Their internal resistance is large and non-linear, according to a power law, grows with increasing load current, as a result of which the short-circuit current of the SB is only slightly greater than the nominal one. From this point of view, it is more profitable to use less expensive polysilicon SBs in this scheme.

The CU control device closes the switch S when the SB voltage drops to the "twilight" level. VD1 will close by then and the battery will stop charging. It is connected to the battery only for power supply. Switch - diode or transistor optocoupler or electromagnetic relay; in this case, the reed switch is better, because a conventional one with a low voltage coil will take more current than all LEDs. In this case, it is impossible to use a thyristor optocoupler as an S: in order for the opened thyristor to close, the current through it must drop to a very small value, almost to zero. Since the current is constant here, the thyristor, once opened, will not “quiet” until the battery is completely planted.

About aquarium lighting

For lighting aquariums, special linear fluorescent lamps. Not like phytolamps for flower shelves: the spectrum of aquarium lamps is adapted to the optical properties of the water and the needs of life aquatic plants. Both lamps are unsuitable for general lighting of premises: the light that favors photosynthesis is by no means always useful for human vision.

What could be more beautiful than the satisfaction of creating an original craft with your own hands, which will become bright accent in gray everyday life? We offer several simple models, the manufacture of which does not require professional skills and financial costs. Go ahead, get to work!

Every day we have to throw away empty tetra packs, but meanwhile this is an excellent basis for an openwork chandelier. We cut strips 5 cm wide, fold them into the desired shape and begin to carefully glue. So that the structure does not fall apart prematurely, it is possible to assemble it on a round piece of suitable sizes.

From disposable spoons it turns out quite a decent lampshade. We take a 5 liter plastic container and cut off the bottom. We break off the cuttings and mount the remaining parts with a glue gun on the base, imitating a pineapple peel. It is better to use a low-temperature light bulb for safety reasons.

Ordinary wooden hangers are transformed with creativity. By simply cutting them in half and placing them in a circle, we get a modernist chic lamp from the 30s era. A completely surreal option is also possible - pass a strong thread through the attachment point of the suspension and simply string the shoulders, unfolding a little.

Funny Gummi Bears are the perfect solution for a nursery. The difficulty lies in the accuracy of placing individual figures, so we recommend making a template with radial holes through which we lower the white threads. Do not try to use lollipops - these are acrylic figures!

The effect of a dense forest in the bedroom is achieved by bizarre chiaroscuro. Several stylistic roots, wire, skillful hands- and the original ball under the ceiling will plunge the room into the world of the unknown. Or gather the rhizomes, peel, dry and weave as you like. The finished product is better to varnish.

Has the drum set lost its former attractiveness and is gathering dust in the garage? From the bored musical instrument an extravagant chandelier is mounted without problems - fortunately, all fasteners are initially included in the kit. Original and beautiful, and most importantly - quiet!

If you own a bicycle workshop, then you probably have a container with unusable spare parts in the corner. A little creativity and a welding machine - you get a unique product, similar to the ancient inventions of the crazy Mechanicus. Of course, you can’t hang it in the living room, but just right for a nightclub.

Leaky galabash (a bottle of African gourd) lends itself well to engraving. Intricate patterns, contrasting transitions of textures from shiny to matte, elegant perforations scatter ethnic ornaments of the Black Continent on the walls.

It's in the hat - a funny tandem of top hat and bowler hat creates a solid entourage of a cigar club for gentlemen. If you are not an English dandy, do not despair - an old Stetson, a bright sombrero or a straw bryl will also work. It is important not to be a hostage to sanctimonious dogmas.

Paper cups for cakes will become an elegant accent of your interior. It’s not difficult at all - we glue them two by two, straightening the bottom one, and we connect the resulting “flowers” ​​with a thread in a spiral. We cover the original night light with glue or varnish for strength.

Banal iron graters look very original above the bar counter. You need 4 tubes with electric cartridges and a meter length of 2-core wire. Do not forget about fire safety - metal shades are seriously heated.

Have your lace doilies done their job? Do not rush to part with them! Inflating a balloon white color, we find a brush and PVA, straighten the matter on the surface and coat it abundantly. An hour later, the elegant lampshade is ready for use.

Cutlery can decorate a meal not only with serving. The spoons collected in a bundle resemble a silver tulip. And connoisseurs of Kandinsky or Dali will appreciate the avant-garde cube, constructed from knives and forks. Bon appetit!

An interesting effect in the children's room is created by small light screens in the form of a cartoon cloud. A light bulb located behind it dimly illuminates the walls without blinding the eyes. Adding some more funny clouds, we get a romantic sunset.

Several brightly glowing globes will dynamically enliven the space above the stairs. Oceans and continents will light your way - an original and charismatic solution with deep connotations. Correctly select the proportions of the unique installation and charge yourself with positive.

Don't know where to put the miscellaneous remnants of services? Drill holes in the cup and saucer, place the cartridge in the middle and connect with a hollow tie - as in a conventional lamp. White porcelain scatters light wonderfully - hang the composition over a coffee table and enjoy a fragrant drink.

A ball of yarn can be successfully used as a chandelier. Several skeins of thread, a white balloon, electrical fittings and glue - we randomly wrap the base and generously spread it with a binder. Wait until it dries completely - and a unique masterpiece is ready. They cannot play football, but the product is quite reliable.

Can you make a table lamp out of beer cans? It turns out yes! Only a lot of them will be needed - after all, we use only valves for opening. We connect the frame of the desired shape from a rigid wire and begin to braid the base. It turns out something like a shiny chain mail. Unfortunately, the exact amount of raw materials is unknown.

Charming lamp in the shape of a cute alien animal is very easy to make. The most time-consuming process is cutting narrow paper wedges. We connect several wire rings together to get a semblance of a sphere, and with the help of adhesive tape we fasten the prepared parts in layers. Everything!

An option with pronounced charisma will appeal to hardened bachelors and lovers noisy parties. Having seen an impressive installation above the table, guests will immediately understand what awaits them in the next couple of hours. Cheap and cheerful, but with soul...

What to do with endless plastic bottles? If you are tired of fighting them, we suggest you turn their myriad to your advantage, at least partially. Cut off the bottoms, and you will have a lot of small parts in your hands. Arbitrarily connect them with threads - there are no restrictions on the form.