Ok so I like to play around with LEDs and I also love to work with wood. Why not use both and create something unique.

There was a need for some nice pleasant light source above my computer desk and I did not like the light fixture that was already in place.

I needed to change this for something more pleasing on the eyes and with a unique look!

Here is an inscructable of my wooden led wall lamp.

Step 1: Wood

Here I start with two rough plank of wood.

I made two of those so I can try different stains and different type of LEDs. This will also give me another lamp I can use somewhere else later on.

I first plane the rough part of it with a hand planner. There was a lot of wood to remove at this step since it was very uneven

Then I put it through a planner for a nice smooth surface.

Next I find the middle and split it in half using the table saw. You can see that I kept the bark on the wood and this is the main idea behind the project. I wanted a very natural look and I believe the bark would look great.

Step 2: Stain and Shellac Finish

Next I stain the wood.

At this step I used two different colors of stain on each lamp.

I used Minwax oil stain and Shellac laquer for a nice finish and to protect the wood.

Step 3: LED Strips

Next is the electronics.

I used some LED strips for the light source. I wanted a nice but not too bright light so I think this is perfect. I may use brighter 1w or even 3w LEDs for the next lamp I will decide when I know where it will be used...

First I cut three grooves in the inside using a router then glue the led strips. I used heat glue because I don't thrust the adhesive that comes with led strips, especially on wood.

I then solder the wiring. I used cat5 wire since it is small and easy to route through the small grooves I made. Testing with a 12Vdc power supply and here is my shiny thing coming alive!

I finally assemble everything together with wood glue and a stapler gun.

*** If you notice I used RGB leds on the pictures but once the project was completed I did not like the white it was giving and all the colors were too weak. I had to remove all the wiring and replace with white led strips only. Sorry I did not retake the pictures of that part.***

Step 4: Light Switch

Next I need a switch.

I found an old receptacle with a string on it to activate the light so I thought it was perfect. I removed it and screw it on the side of my wooden lamp. The string would not stay in the mechanism so I had to hot glue a piece of aluminum can on the side of it. That seems to work fine.