Giraffe Lamp

A while ago, I saw this giraffe-shaped lamp on Pinterest that I really liked, so I decided to make one for my godson. Obviously, I made some tweaks in order to fit the hardware I had access to. There’s a comparison shot at the end of this article for those that are interested.

I started by making a dome-shaped piece that will be the connection between the shade and the post itself. It had been a while since I did a relatively complex 3D job (double-sided with multiple tool changes) on the router, so it was a welcome change of pace.

I made 3 pieces at once (just because I can), and fortunately enough it went down pretty uneventful. Then, I cut 6 aluminium brackets from some scrap material. I finished them by hand and gave then the brushed look with some Scotch-Brite.

The lamp shade itself is made from a flower pot. I just made a hole on the lathe (again: just because I can) so it accepts the bulb socket.

I did a testfit between the whole shade assembly, and everything lined up exactly as I planned. So I sanded away the tabs, and even put it on the lathe just to do the final touches/sanding. After that, I glued the whole assembly together with 2-part epoxy.

On to the actual stand! I did a first test in some leftover pine, but found that the wood was too light. It felt really flimsy, and when test-fitting the lamp shade assembly, It became clear the center of gravity was too much to the front so the lamp had a tendency to tip over easily. I modified the geometry here and there in order move the center of gravity inward, and decided on bamboo for the final product as it is much heavier, better looking and I had lots of it in stock.

The space between the aluminium mounting brackets was a few millimeters wider than the wooden stand, So I glued a piece of leather on both sides. This will close up that gap, and improves the friction between the two parts.

After that, It was just a matter of doing the final assembly. Just to be thorough, I put some rare-earth magnets in both the leg pieces and body, so they stay together when you pick up the lamp. On the feet I added felt pads.