Introduction: Skull Lamp!
It's been a while since my last(and first) Instructable, but I am back and this time I am bringing you exactly what the title suggests. A SKULL LAMP!! The actual skull is from an old toy that me and my brother used to have. They would basically sell all the pieces you need to actually build a skeleton! So let's dive into some more details..
Materials and Tools required:
- You will need the actual skull
- A lamp(I chose mine to be quite big so as to look like a brain)
- A cable with a plug to actually power the lamp
- A dimmer(I haven't actually put one in my project yet, but I totally recommend it to you cause the light will be to bright and by dimming it will make a more relaxing atmosphere)
- A hinge
- Some screws(for the hinge)
- A screw driver
- Something like sandpaper to modify the skull a little(I used my dremel for that)
- Protective glasses(You do not want any plastic to go into your eyes...Been there...)
Soo...If tou are still reading let's move to a step where we actually build sth!
Step 1: Attaching the Hinge!
The first thing we have to do is to attach the hinge to the skull.
Quite straight forward this step, you just have to note where exactly does the hinge fits the skull.Grab your screw driver and screw the hinge in the skull. Then do the same for the upper part of the skull to create this door(?)like effect like in the photos.
That was it. Pretty easy right? Ok let's move to the next step ------------>
Step 2: Creating the Hole for the Lamp Socket!
The skull(at least mine) had a socket-like hole for the neck and the spine to be attached. Fortunately the size was almost perfect for the lamp I had. Take your Drill or Dremel and bit by bit create a hole there. In this step you are a little bit on your own as the hole you will have to make varies:
- From the skull you may have(a different model etc)
- The lamp you are planning to use
So just experiment a little bit with how big the hole must be.Be careful and patient and try widening the hole just a little every time. You want the lamp socket to be stuck in the hole and not just fitting in it. So bit by bit, widen the hole and try each time if the socket fits. It will take some time to do it right but eventually you will end up with something like the photos :)
Step 3: Assemble the Cable
We are almost done building our own Skull Lamp. We just have to make some more adjustments to the socket and attach the wire. The original idea was to also have a dimmer so I would be able to adjust the brightness the lamp produces (because it can be quite bright and it is not that nice as a more smooth lighting would be), but I did not find the time to by one so it is something I will have to add later on...
The socket adjustments are plain simple.The socket was too big and it prevented the skull "lid" to close completely (actually although I did trimmed the socket I did not manage to make the "lid" to fully close).So I trimmed a little bit the top of it so it could fit better.
After that, the only thing you have to do is unscrew the two tiny screws and put there the two cables of your wire. Note: It does not matter which cable goes where since the power outlet has alternating current and not direct current (more info here:Learn about AC/DC) Scew the screws back on (be sure that before you insert the cable, that you have already inserted the wire to the down half of the socket as shown) and assemble the socket to the skull. OK??? AAAlmooost done......
Step 4: Plug In!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This step is all about....JUST PLUG IT ALREADY !!!
Did you??? Perfect!! Enjoy your Skull lamp :)
Future Improvements and more:
- Have a dimmer to adjust the brightness
- Draw the lamp so as it looks more like a brain
- Drill holes to the skull eyes to make them emit light too
Thanks for spending time and reading my Instructable:) If you decided to make it I would truly love to see your work so make a comment and upload a photo with your creation!!!!
If you liked my instructable , please vote for me in the Trash to Treasure Contest !!