Lamp made of epoxy resin, manufacturing features

The lamp made of epoxy resin is a modern and original interior decoration. Such products look very impressive, perform not only the main role, but also a decorative function. The most important thing is that a lamp made of epoxy and wood can be made with your own skillful hands.

Features

Epoxy resin is one of the most popular polymer materials for creativity. External advantages, the ability to adhere well to almost any surface, endurance allow it to be used for a wide variety of products.

Resin and wood night light:

• emits soft diffused light;
• made of environmentally friendly materials;
• suitable for any interior.

In the frozen state, the resin resembles glass, but does not break, weighs twice as much and withstands mechanical influences better.

Varieties

The lamp made of epoxy resin can have absolutely any kind. This is another of the advantages of this magical material. Rectangular lamps, where wood serves as the basis, are the most popular. A round or cylindrical version will look spectacular.

The easiest way is to make a table lamp, but the possibilities are not limited to this. Floor lamps and even hanging chandeliers are made of epoxy.

How to decorate

The simplest version of the lamp includes only wood and resin. But the product can be made even more unusual with the help of various decorative elements. The list is limited only by the master’s imagination.

Possible options:

• wood chips;
• dried flowers, berries, buds and other plant elements;
• sequins;
• beads;
• pebbles.

A natural decoration will be an uneven surface of wood bordering on epoxy, or bubbles appearing when mixing the solution. An interesting option is the use of luminophore pigments. Such a lamp will work not only from the mains, but also in the off state due to its composition. The intensity of its own glow depends on the amount of pigment in the epoxy.

What you will need

If you are excited about the idea of creating a night light made of epoxy resin, carefully read the technology of its manufacture. For those who are working with such a material for the first time, it is recommended to practice mixing epoxy with a hardener and a dye. Only after creating different forms. It will be useful to watch several master classes, they are easy to find on the Internet.

If you are ready to get to work, then stock up:

• a wooden bar of the right size, depends on the dimensions of the future lamp;
• epoxy resin and hardener;
• pigments and coloring pastes will be needed if you want to make the resin part colored, not just transparent;
• polyester varnish, impregnation or other composition for wood processing;
• milling machine;
• chisel;
• a grinding machine with belts of different grain sizes;
• drill with drills of various diameters;
• acrylic for formwork;
• sealant;
• cartridge, low-power LED lamp, cable;
• plastic cups, mixing sticks and other small things.

In the course of work, additional items may be needed: a ruler, pencil, brushes, tape, and so on. To prevent the wooden base from scratching the surface of the furniture, use special fabric or foam legs. You can buy them or make them yourself. To secure the cord inside the lamp, use special clamps or clamps.

Precautions

When working with resin, several important rules must be observed:

1. Tinkering on a flat surface in a well-ventilated room.
2. Use protective equipment: gloves, glasses, mask.
3. Grinding must be carried out in a respirator so that small particles do not get into the respiratory organs.

Before buying epoxy resin, carefully read the instructions, recommendations for use and precautions. You can not buy compounds that, when heated, can emit toxic substances.

To work, you should purchase a furniture composition that is environmentally friendly and safe in all conditions.

Stages of work

When everything is prepared, you can proceed directly to the manufacture of a homemade lamp. First, sketch out a sketch to clearly imagine what should happen in the end.

Next, start production:

• Process the bar. The piece of wood needs to be given the correct shape (rectangular, rounded), the surface should be sanded. It is better to leave this part a little less epoxy. The base can be made smooth by simply cutting. But it is much more interesting to give it an asymmetric shape. To do this, drill several holes in different places of the bar, and then break it with a chisel.
• Drill a hole for the LED. Its diameter will be slightly larger than the diameter of the lamp and the cartridge. The hole must pass through so that the light reaches the epoxy part.
• Close the hole on the resin side. Cut out a circle from plastic, plexiglass or other transparent material, equal in size to the top hole. This is necessary in order to protect the lighting element and the lower part of the lamp from resin.
• Make the formwork. It is necessary to pour directly on the base. Therefore, cut out four sides of the acrylic that exceed the overall dimensions of the lamp in length. Fasten the parts with adhesive tape or masking tape. Seal all joints, especially with wood, with sealant.
• Fill in the form. Pre-mix the resin first with the dye, then with the hardener in the proportions indicated on the package. If you want to make several different layers, work gradually. First, fill the first one, give it a few hours or a day to grab, fill the second one, and so on. If you want to add decorative elements, then you should do it immediately, until the composition has thickened. It will take at least 24 hours to completely solidify. After that, remove the formwork and the remaining sealant.
• Sand the lamp. You need to start with a coarse-grained tape (60, 80, 100), gradually increasing the indicator. The final grinding can be done with a nozzle with fine grain (1000, 1500, 2000). After such treatment, the surface of the product will be matte, and you can stop there if you are satisfied with the result. If you want to achieve gloss, use a felt disk and a special polishing paste.
• Treat the tree. Cover the base with varnish or other composition. For safety, it is worth using flame retardants.
• Installation of electrics. Insert the cartridge and the lamp into the lower hole. Skip the cable. You can fix it inside with a clamp or clamp. For the convenience of holding the cord, drill another hole.
• Close the lower part. To do this, you can make a special lid and put it on glue.

If necessary, cut the legs out of fabric or foam rubber and glue them to the base of the lamp. Now the product is completely ready.

Connect the cord to the outlet and check its operability. If everything is done correctly, the night light lights up with a soft and pleasant light.

Useful tips

Finally, we offer some useful tips that will be very useful in the manufacture of an epoxy lamp.

• To prevent heating of the base, put the bottom hole under the bulb with ordinary food foil. It will become a kind of reflector.
• A drill can be used to mix the resin. However, even in this case, a small part of the unpainted resin will remain on the walls. To avoid this, pour the composition from glass to glass several times. When mixing, bubbles inevitably appear. If they should not become a decoration of the lamp, place the container with resin in a water bath: gradually the air will come out by itself. Puncture the remaining bubbles with a toothpick.
• If you plan to make a lamp, the resin part of which will consist of several parts, it is not necessary to wait for the complete solidification of the previous layers. It is enough to wait 1.5-2 hours, and then pour a new portion. Thanks to this, transitions between parts will be smoother and more interesting.

When the lamp made of wood and epoxy is ready, you can enjoy your handiwork. Now this original interior decoration, independently created at a minimum cost, will delight the eye with its original appearance for a long time.