Part 7 Constructing Light Fixtures: Workbench Fixture

Creating a Shop Light to hang over the workbench has not been easy.

This is quite a process. I initially thought to make a fixture that would curve over half circle ends and, using a heavy piece of paper with a metalic coating, I made a prototype. I glued the pieces together and they fit nicely, but as soon as I let go of the structure, the curved part of the shade was so strong in its need to pop back into a flat position, that it tore itself from the glued ends.

New design:

I began on PhotoShop making a pattern for the long light that would have flat planes folded so they would gradually slant. This worked great when I made up a prototype in printer paper.(see above) 

Next, I made a shade from a piece of scrap-booking card stock. The same card stock I had used before with one shiny metallic side and one plain paper side.

I chose to have the shiny side on the inside of the fixture as I wanted to reflect as much light as possible down on my workbench.

  

The pattern is a bit over 3” long by 2 – 3/4” high. The ends look like uneven half hexagons.

The dark line across the center of the rectangle is the top center of the lamp.

The plan was to gently fold on each horizontal line to create a shape that would fit the ends (bottom two   pattern pieces).

I made the card stock fixture and it seemed to work pretty well.

So I transferred the pattern to some very thin metal. Now, I began to have problems. The aluminum was not rigid enough. As I would put a bend in one section, the next part of the shade would warp. Hummm... I really needed a bit heavier material, but before ordering that, I really had to see if I could make the entire fixture.

I took up the card stock fixture and installed three 3v LEDs. Then I built a housing for the wires where they come out of the top of the lamp. It looks more or less like the fixture itself.

This is really crude and was difficult to glue. 

I then slid the 3 sets of wires through a piece of shrink wrap, but did not heat it. This is meant to look like a cord that will plug into a wall. I'll need to make something to look like that.

Next, I turned the fixture over and covered the wiring inside, not that anyone will see the inside once the light fixture is hung in place. This also looks very crude, but this is a trial fixture.

My current job is to figure out how to hang this fixture. I am picturing it hung from chains attached to something like shelf supports above. 

When I am really sure how I want it all to go together, I intend to order some thicker aluminum and make a ‘real’ fixture.