That didn’t take long at all! We covered a pretty cool lamp with a novel magnetic switch mechanism, and [msraynsford] has his version laser cut, veneered, a video posted on YouTube (embedded below), and an Instructable written up before we’d even caught our breath.
For those who missed it, the original Heng lamp is a beautiful design with a unique take on a magnetic switch. As with the original, the secret sauce is a switch inside that’s physically held closed by the two magnets. It’s a pretty clever mechanism that looks magical to boot.
[msraynsford]’s version replaces the floating spheres with floating cylinders, which are easier to fabricate in layers on a laser cutter, but otherwise the copy is fairly true to the aesthetics of the original. Pretty sweet!
Thanks [Adrian] for the great tip!
Remind me again why this is better then a simple on/off switch? OK – granted it’s different, and maybe you can even claim it’s a “work of art, not just a lamp” – fine I get that. But there is strong vibe of 1989 “Sharper Image” catalog I-don’t-need-it-I-just-want-other-people-to-know-I-have-it vibe. Cudos to the [msraynsford] – it does look well executed!
Because it’s more fun to fiddle with?
it is NOT, its just nice looking
I think you answered your own question really :)
My wife likes it because the magnets move around as she works at her desk so it’s kinetic art too really.
Benefit is that you can turn it off from across the room by throwing things at it.
Now there’s an idea, a whole row of them as nerf blaster targets.
Yes! +1
“Remind me again why this is better then a simple on/off switch? OK – granted it’s different, and maybe you can even claim it’s a “work of art, not just a lamp” – fine I get that. But there is strong vibe of 1989 “Sharper Image” catalog I-don’t-need-it-I-just-want-other-people-to-know-I-have-it vibe.”
Translation:
I wish I’d thought of it but I didn’t so I’m just going to behave like a spoilt teenager.
Ahahahahah.
Cool project, but I don’t like that string on the bottom bit. Would it be possible to instead use a magnet and put something in the top cylinder to turn it into a reverse levitating magnet? So that way you just lift it into the general vicinity and it just floats there until you move it away?
The top bit could be an electromagnet hanging by its wire.
http://hackaday.com/2016/11/05/ultra-simple-magnetic-levitator/
You would need to sense when the magnet is placed/removed.
IR trip wire? move levitating magnet into place and it blocks the beam.
… And then remove the magnetic puck gimmick on a string….
…. Instead:
Poke your finger thru the open frame to toggle the lamp on and off.
Bonus: Move your finger up and down to change intensity.
Bonus, bonus: Slide finger left and right to change color.
Etc
This. I like this.
Nice. Note what to try next time, take that big ugly power converter and try to hide it in the lamp base.
Doing it this way means not having to fuss with mains voltage, though.
That way you’re just one short away from this lamp being even brighter!
Love the fact that it is admittedly a ripoff design that the copier has now shown everyone else how to do it. to make one for yourself is one thing, but i would imagine that the designer might be sort of pissed off now that someone else has made it so that everyone can do it without having to do the legwork themselves…
I disagree, but will give you a +1 for that loose-leaf tea steeper thing that I now want to purchase.
I figure if someone sees that homemade one and want it, most people are going to just buy the original version.
The design of the switch is trivial. Actually building the lamp is most of the work.