Plywood lamps - features, tools and materials

Almost everyone can make a lamp out of plywood. But to get a good result, you need to choose a model and understand the features of its manufacture. It is equally important to make the system in accordance with the requirements of electrical safety, all assembly recommendations should be followed.

Plywood features

This material is used for various purposes, and is also suitable for the manufacture of lamps. It has its own characteristics, it is best to start with the advantages:

1. Availability. Plywood can be bought at any hardware store, there are sheets of different thicknesses, which allows you to find material for any project. The cost is low, but they sell products in large sheets.
2. Attractive look. High grade plywood has a beautiful woody surface. And you can find an option covered with veneer of valuable species.
   Plywood chandelier looks original.
3. Wood is a safe and environmentally friendly material that does not emit any harmful substances when heated.
4. Plywood is easy to work with. You can cut it with a hand saw or electric jigsaw, drill with a screwdriver. Manually using sandpaper, it is easy to sand the details to perfect smoothness.
5. The surface is easy to cover with decorative compositions to emphasize the texture of the tree. Or paint the product in any color. In the future, you can repaint the lamp.

By the way! Now you can cut perfectly even parts with a laser, if there is a company in the city that provides such services.

Plywood has disadvantages that must be considered:

1. Wood does not tolerate heat well, so it is better not to use incandescent lamps in lamps. Fluorescent or LED options are suitable.
2. The material catches fire when exposed to open flame and high temperatures.
3. With changes in humidity in the room, plywood can deform over time.

What materials and tools will be required

The exact list depends on the option chosen, but there are basic elements that are almost always used. As for the tool, the following is most commonly used:

1. Electric or manual jigsaw. The first is much more convenient, the second costs little, but the work will take longer.
   An electric jigsaw can cut parts of any shape.
2. Manual frezer. With it, you can ennoble the contours and make figured chamfers. They also often use an engraver or give blanks for laser processing.
3. Screwdriver or drill with a set of drill bits for wood and crowns of different sizes. You can use at least one element with which a hole is made for the cartridge.
4. Sander or several pieces of sandpaper for grinding the surface and ends.
5. Tape measure, ruler, building square and pencil for measuring and marking material.
6. To connect the wiring, use a screwdriver and wire cutters.

If you order finished parts according to your drawing, then you only need a tool for assembly.

The list of materials most often consists of several main items:

1. Plywood of the chosen thickness. Two or more different options may be used.
2. Glue for wood. Also, small self-tapping screws or thin carnations are often used for connection.
3. Paint or impregnation for product processing. The composition is selected individually depending on the desired effect.
4. Light bulb holder, wires, cord of suitable length, switch and power plug.

Sometimes, in order to assemble a plywood lamp with your own hands, ropes or metal plates are required. It is better to make a detailed list after choosing a specific option.

Interesting ideas - examples of popular models with drawings

Since there are a lot of varieties, it makes sense to determine in advance lamp type. To make it easier to understand the features, several views are presented with a description and a drawing.

Desk lamp

This option most often has a small size and is designed to perform work or serves as a decorative decoration and an additional source of light. Table lamp "Bouquet of Flowers" looks stylish and at the same time provides soft diffused lighting.

Most of the parts have the same configuration, which simplifies manufacturing.

The design is made of 20 elements, which are located around the circumference. They are fixed on the upper and lower platforms.A cartridge with a small diffuser canopy is also installed on the supporting part. But you can use an LED lamp of a suitable size, it gives diffused light and almost does not heat up, which is important for a wooden product.

Artificial flowers are placed in the finished product for decoration.

If you need to make a night light for a nursery or collect a New Year's craft, you can use the idea from the photo below. Such a table lamp made of plywood looks modern and is made simply: the base is cut out, holes for diodes are drilled in it, which are connected and connected to the power supply. A frame is cut out of several layers of plywood - the more there are, the deeper the diodes are located.

The product can have any shape, the star is good because it stands securely on the table.

Master class: Making a table lamp in the form of a dog from scraps of plywood.

Wall Light

Here, a ceiling of a suitable configuration is more often used, which is hung on a wooden or metal mount. It is not difficult to make a plywood sconce using the option shown in the photo.

This option looks beautiful and is easy to manufacture.

It makes no sense to indicate the dimensions, since it all depends on the required dimensions and the power of the lamp used. For the upper and lower parts, two octagonal blanks are used. Small holes are made at the top for ventilation, at the bottom there is one large one, it can be covered with a ceiling, or you can leave it if the lamp is diffusing.

All blanks are easy to make if you have a jigsaw and a manual milling cutter at hand.

8 identical strips are cut out on the sides, in which cutouts are made for lighting. There are no requirements, the more cutouts, the better the light.The main thing is to make all the details the same and evenly fix them with glue. If you make a support, you get a stylish floor lamp.

Video lesson: Making a plywood LED lamp in one day.

Chandelier

When choosing a specific option for a plywood chandelier, it is worth considering room decoration. There can be many options, most often they use products from a large number of parts that are made from thin plywood.

Such a balloon will attract attention in any situation.

Since the product is hung on the ceiling, the load most often falls on the power cable. It is worth choosing options in durable thick insulation, they can withstand the weight of the plywood structure without any problems. In manufacturing, the main focus is on the accuracy of the fit of the parts, as they must fit well with each other.

Read also

Homemade table lamp - detailed instructions

 

The dimensions of the elements are selected individually, as the dimensions of the chandelier may vary. If this option is too complicated, you can find a simpler solution. An example is shown in the photo below.

In this version, the elements are simply hung into cutouts on the carrier base.

Step by step video instruction.

Video master class: We cut out a plywood lampshade with a jigsaw.

Preparation of a sketch, manufacturing of parts and assembly of the product

The process is described using the example of a table lamp, the drawing of which is above. To assemble it, you need plywood with a thickness of 3 to 5 mm. The material of the first grade from hardwood is best suited. The work is done like this:

1. From paper patterns are made exactly to size. Then their contours are transferred to plywood, it is easier to do this through an ordinary carbon paper. Before starting work, the sheet should be glued with tape so that it does not move.
2. Details are cut with a jigsaw. This is the main working tool, so you need to purchase thin blades with fine teeth in advance to ensure the best cutting quality. In addition, the narrow width options are best for cutting curves and small features.
3. All cutouts for connecting on the platforms and side elements are well done with a router. Then they will be the same size, which will simplify assembly.
4. The ends and the surface are polished manually or by machine. Details must be smooth.
5. The surface is cleaned of dust and treated with varnish or impregnation. Work continues after drying.
6. During assembly, glue is applied to the joints, after the parts are connected and fixed. When about half of the lamp is assembled, a cartridge is placed inside and the wiring is pulled. Then the product is glued to the end and left to dry the glue.

It is better to apply impregnation in several layers so that the coating is resistant.

It is not difficult to make an unusual plywood lamp if you have an accurate drawing and the tools necessary for the job. To ensure safety, wiring connections must be covered with heat shrink or pads should be used. It is advisable to install LED lamps, as they almost do not heat up.