Dodecahedral shade

thingiverse

This is the first iteration of a dodecahedral lampshade designed to cast fascinating star and wedge-shaped shadows. Assembly is swift and effortless, as no fasteners or other materials are required. All pieces slide together seamlessly, held in place by friction and tension. The prototype was laser-cut from mid-to-heavy card stock sheets, each containing four pentagonal faces. Print three sheets to obtain twelve faces. The assembled dodecahedron measures approximately 7.5 inches in diameter. Ensure that the slots on each face are cut all the way through by the laser; if not, use a knife to tidy up the cuts. To assemble, begin with two faces and line up their slots. Gently slide them together. Next, take a third face and slide two of its edges onto the first two faces. If the edges don't align properly, gently wiggle or pull the material until the slots line up. It may be necessary to carefully bend the outer tabs slightly to get the slots to align: do it slowly and carefully to avoid tearing or permanently bending the material. Repeat assembly by adding one face at a time. If the slots won't line up, flip the piece over: all slots on the faces will either face clockwise or counter-clockwise, depending on how you oriented the first two pieces. Add the faces as if building a bowl, rather than stringing them out. The last two faces can be a bit tricky to slide into place. Work slowly to position the face roughly in place, with the tabs over and under, and gently line up all the slots. A base to hold a lighting fixture is not included with this prototype. It's made of card stock, so use only low-wattage LED lighting. The design is too small for a regular E26 lamp, but an E12 candelabra lamp or small flashlight should fit.