Concrete Lamp With Wood Grain Texture

Hello you! This Instructable is about how to make a concrete lamp with a wood grain texture. Have fun watching & reading aaand let's go!

First it's about cutting the right wood pieces. This can be made with handsaw or a other one. I used a borrowed mitre saw for convinience reasons ;)

First you need one piece with the size 8x8cm. This is the base of the mold. Then you need two pieces 8cm+(wood thickness)cm x 8cm and another two pieces of 8+(wood thickness)cm x 8+(two times wood thickness). These are for the sides. Make sure the cuts are 90° so the box will fit nicely.

All the outside pieces are overlapping the base piece. Put them together and look where you need to drill holes for the connection. I made two holes on every connection. Also pre-drill the holes into the base so you'll avoid the mistake I made in the video.

You could also use glue or tape to connect the pieces if you like. I thought screws are reusable and also easy to remove after the concrete cured, so this is why I went with screwing the pieces together.

This step is for optical reasons only. If you prefer smooth sides just leave out this step.

First decide on which pieces there should be a wood grain texture. I went for the top and two sides. Fix the piece for example with a double-sided tape so it can't slip away. Then take a chisel and hold it at an angle. Remove material by following the natural grown wood grain on the piece. Use some sanding paper to clean off wood fibers. For the base (It'll be the top after.) leave out a circle for the lamp socket. I used the ring that'll hold the lamp shade to mark the space. Also remove the wood fibers here when done with the chisel work.

Take the base piece and use some hot glue to fix the ring that normally holds the lamp shade. Only use glue on the inside of the ring. Take a cardboard roll and surround it with waterproof tape. Then fix it to the previously glued ring.

I'll suggest you not to use the lamp socket for giving the cardboard roll stability. I guess it's better to add some sand or other filling material. I had some struggle getting it out again. Also if you find a plastic tube where the socket fits inside better use this instead of a cardboard roll.

After fixing use screws to fix the sides to the base wood piece.

Cut off a little piece of a straw and fix it between the cardboard roll and the top of the mold. This will create a little space for the cable to sit in.

Then use some ordinary household oil or mold release and spread it everywhere on the inside of the mold. Here you can also see if there will be gaps that should be additionally be sealed. I used hot glue for that.

Mix the concrete mix with water. For this project I used a fiber reinforced ready to use concrete. Other concrete will do the job too here since there aren't any special stability conditions.

Put the concrete mix into the mold in little pieces and use scraper to spread it everywhere. Also vibrate the concrete for the air bubbles come up. Flatten the surface when it's all filled.

Let the concrete cure for about 24h. Place it at a shady place and cover it with a plastic foil when curing.

Safety notice: Please note the manufacturers safety instructions when working with concrete. This normally includes wearing gloves/ dust masks.

Unscrew all the side pieces and carefully remove the sides especially the ones with the texture. It'll help to remove it in the same directions the wood grain is grown. Remove the cardboard roll from the inside. Leave the ring inside the concrete.

Now connect the cable and the socket of your lamp and screw in the lamp socket. If you lamp socket don't has that ring use glue to fix the socket to the concrete. Note that a lamp socket can get warm/hot so hot glue isn't the right choice here.

Use some felt pieces to glue it on the bottom. This way your furniture won't get scratches. Also fix the cable to the little space created by the straw.

Safety notice: Please see your countries regulations and safety rules for working with electrical devices.

Chose a beautiful LED bulb for your new designer lamp. I went with a vintage one with a small number of lumen (brightness). This way the lamp doesn't dazzle when looking at it.

I hope I could inspire you to make something! For more videos and inspiration have a look at my YouTube Channel. I hope to see you soon!

Julian from 'Julian Do It'