Dual-LED Desk Lamp (with Anti-Shadow Feature!)

thingiverse

I was on the hunt for a sleek and efficient LED desk lamp, but most options came with just a single-strip LED. Anything more advanced would typically break the bank. I wanted a simple yet bright lamp that eliminates shadows when writing, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. To test my idea, I set up two LED torchlights at a 30° angle apart and it seemed to work like a charm - no shadow of my fingers in sight! However, I designed a joint on the lamp head that's adjustable, just in case I'm wrong. Please note that this design hasn't been thoroughly tested yet, but once I get the chance, I'll make sure to update you with any improvements or tweaks. How I Designed This I designed this lamp to be easy to assemble and use. Here's a step-by-step guide: Step 1 - Gathering Parts You'll need to get some parts from your local stores. These include: A rocker power switch or something similar, which can be found on Farnell's website (http://www.farnell.com/cad/1599968.pdf?_ga=1.2425648.1600602482.1474813043) Two LED strips with a length of not more than 94mm each and a width less than 10mm A power adapter that can handle your LED strips An AWG 16 to 18 wire for the connection Four pairs of M3 bolts and nuts, along with two washers per pair. If possible, get hand knobs instead of nuts. Some soldering will be needed. Step 2 - 3D Printing You'll need to print all the STL parts using your 3D printer. Make sure to reposition the workpiece in your software to minimize support. I've designed these parts to be 3D printer-friendly, but some areas are unavoidable. [Newly Added] Please note that you should adjust the infill for the following parts: Base.stl - Increase the infill as high as possible. For MakerBot, set it to 80%. If you have a heated bed, you can go for 100% infill, but be aware of potential warping issues. For the rest of the parts, use lesser infill. On MakerBot, adjust infill to 10%. Step 3 - Assembly Follow these instructions to assemble your LED lamp: Connect the LED strips according to their manufacturer's guidelines. For this design, you'll need to connect them in parallel (red wire from one strip connects to red wire of the other strip, and same for black wires). Connect the red wire from the LED strips to one end of the rocker switch's terminal. Then, connect the other terminal to the power adapter. Most adapters come with a 2.1" male socket, so you can either cut it off or get a female 2.1" socket to wire in your LED lamp. Be sure not to connect to the wall socket while doing these electrical activities! If unsure or not confident, get an experienced person to help you out. Once you've connected and tested that the LED strips light up when switched on, proceed with assembly. Paste the LED strips onto the Arms and insert the wires through the end so they're exposed. Almost tighten all the joints until it looks like the picture. There are grooves along the Arms and Base to tuck in the wires neatly. The rocker switch should be inserted from the top before connecting the wires. With these steps, you'll have a nice-looking anti-shadow LED lamp!