Blooming Lotus Lamp Shade

G'day Everyone!

Thank you for having a look at my submission for the ‘Let there be light’ Makerworld design contest.

I would like to introduce the Blooming Lotus Lamp Shade. Inspired by my love for geometric patterns, this lampshade had the fundamentals of the mathematical pattern ‘Seed of Life’ or ‘Vesica Piscis’ equation with some tweaks. The result is a symmetrical and eye-catching design with strongly shaped shadows to throw flavor into your room.

Update 08/02/2024: Changed existing printing profile to 'Mode 1'. Added 'Mode 2' with different mounting options.

This print is a large one. Here are some quick-fire facts

• Two printing plates with nine prints in total
• 45 Hours of printing
• Over 1.2KG of filament
• Push-fit joins - No glue, bolts or magnets

The result is a 46.5cm squared wide lamp shade that is something to behold and admire.

Before continuing and especially before printing, I am going to identify a few hazards for your personal health and safety.

1. Falling - The installation of this lamp shade was designed for lighting bulbs either hanging or secured to the roof. Please only use a ladder on a stable surface with appropriate footwear to avoid any slips or falls from heights.
2. Electrical - The lamp shade installation process will involve disconnecting the light bulb from the socket. Please ensure the light switch is turned off before attempting the installation process. If you are not confident please do not attempt to install this yourself.
3. Heat - Domestic lightbulbs can range from low to high wattage, the higher the wattage the more heat (usually). Please consider what type of plastic you wish to print along with what light bulb you will be using in conjunction with this lamp shade. Please monitor the heat of the lampshade post installation to minimize the risk of melting and possible fires.

These disclaimers are not designed to stop you from printing. They are here to identify the possible risks in unlikely events and to better protect you and I from harm. With all that out of the way, on to the fun!

Step One: How does it work?

As seen in the quick GIFs above, the lampshade comes with two mounting options

Mode 1: The circle mount sits snugly on the light bulb socket housing. When the light bulb is reinserted and secured the mount can sit on top of the light. 

Mode 2: The mount sits between the plastic housing of the fixture and is secured by the plastic screw cap

MODE ONE RECOMMENDATION: I strongly recommend you measure your bulb housing and resize the mount object to the correct fit of your fixture. It is safer to have the weight rest on the bulb housing than on the bulb itself. A Fusion360 file has been uploaded to the raw files and is downloadable for all possible mount modifications.

At the time of upload, the mount diameter is 37.4mm which is large enough to fit all bulb housings in my space. If you print my uploaded profile without making any modifications, your lamp shade will most likely be resting against the light bulb rather than the bulb housing. Temperature-resistant adhesives are another possibility for securing the mounting bracket to the bulb housing without making STL modifications.

Step Two: Printing My Design:

Pick your desired mounting option.
Both Mode 1 and Mode 2 prints have models for PLA and PTEG options to start printing straight away. 

Plate 1 and Plate 2: PLA

Plate 3 & Plate 4: PTEG

TLDR: 
PLA Printing Plate
Mount: 40% Gyroid Infill, 2 Walls, 0.2 Layer with 0.4 nozzle 
Arms: 0% Infill, 2 Walls, 0.2 Layer with 0.4 nozzle

Following my uploaded design this print includes:

• Mounting Bracket Print Plate - 3.1 hrs with 64.5g used. Print once.
• Circle Arms Print Plate - 5.1 hrs with 142g used. Print eight… (yes), EIGHT times combining a total of 41 hours of printing with 1.14kg of filament used.

Note From Designer:

Unfortunately due to my stock and the timeframe of this contest, I was unable to make this model in PTEG like I would have wanted. This model has been tested and printed in PLA. If someone prints this in PTEG before I get my re-supply please let me know any findings or issues that I can update this model with.

Infill Options:

Printing with my settings will result in the pictures found above showcasing the model. I knew I was a fan of the transparency and the crisp wall shadows, but you can let your design run wild. Here is an example of infill being used with the lampshade.

Generating an infill will produce visual patterns on the lampshade. I am unsure if these patterns will show up on the surrounding walls of your room but feel free to let your favourite pattern run wild. From my experience, this test piece with 5% infill added an hour of print time so make sure it's what you want.

I opted for the 0% infill for a few reasons; primarily the transparency and with wanting the lightest weight possible to reduce forces applied to the light bulb and bulb housing.

When printing at 0% infill one thing becomes apparent fast. They are fragile! With only 2 wall loops selected 95% of this print is held together at a total length of 1.6mm!

When all is done, this is what to expect. More fun ahead!

Step Three: Removing supports.

This part is pretty self-explanatory. Feel free to follow along with the GIF.

If printing 'Mode 2': The supports on the inside of the mount need to be removed.  I suggest a flathead screwdriver and prying it apart like a crowbar

Step Four: Construction

Follow along with the GIF or step-by-step instructions. Keep in mind that the arms are printed upside down. Please confirm the orientation of all pieces before combining them as the joins are extremely tight for a secure fit. Remember these parts are fragile, an error in construction may be hard to undo without damages!

1. Place the mount into the middle of your working surface with the join sockets facing up. Take a single arm and carefully insert only the tip of the T-shape join into any hole, leaving most of the join outside the mounting bracket.
2. Grab a second arm and position it to the right of the first arm. Feed 25% of the end (opposite of the join) into the first arm cutout. Once in place, insert only the tip of the T-shape join next on the right to the first join.
3. Repeat steps for the next four arms in a clockwork fashion. Continue to the next step when you have six arms assembled and two arms remaining.
4. Take the seventh arm and feed the 25% end into the sixth arm cutout as you have done in the last few steps. DO NOT insert this arm into the mounting bracket.
5. Take the eighth arm and feed 25% of the end into the seventh arm cutout. DO NOT insert this arm into the mounting bracket.
6. With the utmost care - slowly lift the eighth arm up and over the first arm. Guide the first arm into the eighth-arm cutout. Once aligned, insert arms seven and eight tips into the mount.

At this point, all eight arms should be evenly aligned with their T-shape tips inserted partially into the mount. If you are having difficulty aligning the arms, it may be the angle or depth of the arms inserted into each other. Please refer to the model pictures for reference.

To finish construction:

1. To avoid uneven pressure and breaks - Flip the whole model upside down onto a level surface
2. Using your hand, slowly apply even pressure onto the mount pushing down feeding all arm joins into the model. Do not use the arms as areas to apply pressure

Thats it! 
If you are having difficulty making the arms sit flush, feel free to switch to a sturdy cylinder to apply pressure with two hands. I did the same with a steel bottle seen in the GIF above.

What if a part broke during the construction phase?

I'm sorry that happened. Again, these parts are not only fragile but such a tight fit to avoid accidents. A break-even happened to me during my testing phase. My solution was to get an elastic band around the unit to keep pressure and apply a slim film of superglue. Not only does the superglue dry clear but with the lampshade being far away and towards a ceiling, the imperfections are not visible.

Step Five: Installation

As explained at the beginning, this process will involve removing your desired light bulb and sliding the whole constructed unit onto the bulb housing. If the mount is not a snug fit, I again suggest downloading the Fusion360 file and making necessary adjustments to its size. Avoid making scale changes in slicer programs which will change the size of the joint guides.

Final Notes:

Congratulations!!
I really do hope you enjoy this lampshade and the beauty it holds. I will be actively checking comments and profile ratings and awaiting feedback for improvements. I am quite new to the 3D printing world only receiving my A1 printer in January so if any model improvements are suggested I will investigate.

Contest Notes:

As said before with my re-supply stock of PTEG coming, I also have some PTEG Translucent filament on order. It would have been my goal to print this in PTEG however due to the A1 callback, the announcement of all A1 users to stop printing makes me feel like I may not get the chance. If someone prints this in PTEG Translucent I would love to host your pictures in the model showcase with your username for credits.

Thank you for reading and printing. I hope my prints can make your life a little bit more awesome

Cheers,

- Jackalolz