Introduction: Glass Cement Lamp

By Blog

Hi All,

In this instructable, I will share how to recycle milk bottle into a beautiful lamp.

This project does not need any power tools, so anyone should be able to replicate.

Step 1: What Do We Need ?

  • Milk bottle ( I used from Drunken Monkey, India)
  • PVC Pipe based on outer radius of the bottle(2.25")
  • PVC pipe based on bottles neck (1.5")
  • White cement
  • Copper LED string light (2 mtrs)
  • 1w 100 Ohms resister (2 no)
  • White foam sheet 1 mm thick
  • Thin Acrylic sheet
  • Hot Glue gun
  • PVA glue or Fevicol
  • 3" Long screw
  • Soldering iron

Step 2: Mould

We want to place the bottle inverted on a cement base..

  • The inner diameter of 2.25" PVC pipe = outer diameter of the bottle
  • Outer Diameter of 1.5" PVC pipe ~= outer diameter of the neck
  • Cut 1.25" of 1.5" PVC pipe and
  • Hotglue this on a 3"x3" acrylic sheet
  • Add a small piece of acrylic sheet to close the pipe, This is where all electronic will be housed
  • Now hotglue the 2.25" pvc pipe as shown
  • Let the hot glue cool down

Tips :

  • Donot use cardboard for mould, as it losses it's shape and position with wet cement

Step 3: Cast

  • In a bowl make a medium thick paste of Cement + water ( 2:1 ratio )
  • Pour gentling into the mould
  • Leave the mold for 30 minutes
  • Insert a long screw into the mold as shown, this will be used for inserting wire later
  • Remove the nail after 1 or 2 hours and make a small grove as shown
  • Let the cement dry overnight

Tips :

  • Vibrate / shake the mould to remove big air bubbles
  • Do not over do, as smaller air bubbles gives nice texture to the base
  • Cement takes time to dry, do not get impatient

Step 4: Demould

  • To demould, we could cut the pvc pipe with a hand saw or dremel, but that without leave cut marks on the cement base
  • To avoid this, I used a soldering iron to melt the pvc pipe, in a straight line
  • For Inner pvc pipe, I had to make 4 cuts using soldering iron
  • Remove all pvc pipe and acrylic sheet
  • Test if the bottle fits in the base, I had to sand the cement base a bit for the bottle to fit
  • Sand the base where needed

Step 5: Electric Connection

  • I have used 2 mtrs on LED copper wire string, connected to a USB 5v adaptor
  • I have added a 2 - 100 ohms resister in parallel for protection
  • Test all connection
  • Fix the bottle on the base with hotglue

Once all is done, place the lamp at the corner, plug it in and admire

Tips :

  • Use electric tape on joints and secure it via hotglue
  • Add a white foam sheet below the cement base to avoid scratches
  • Used voltage drop across the LEDs to prevent heating and buring
  • The lamp should not get hot due to LEDs

Please share your comments, suggestions and recommendation