Remix.run Logo
Show HN: Lamp Carousel – DIY kinetic sculpture powered by lamp heat (2024)(evan.widloski.com)
77 points by Evidlo a day ago | 13 comments

I wanted to share this fun craft activity for the holidays that I've been doing with my family over the last few years. I came up with these while cutting up some cans trying to make an aluminum version of paper spinners.

There are a variety of shapes that work, but generally bigger+lighter spinners are better. Also incandescent bulbs are the best, but LEDs work too.

They remind me of candle carousels I would see at my grandparents' house during Christmas. Let me know what you think!

yial 12 hours ago | parent | next [-]

This is such a charming project! I’ve been quite taken for years by the “Christmas” decorations that spin using a candle.

I quite like these more - mainly because they could be added onto a lamp that puts off heat, and be kind of a perpetual decoration with subtle motion.

I love your “dad turbine” design, and the flying wing has some magical quality to it.

Thank you so much for sharing!

lgvld 9 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

So cool, thanks for sharing.

We used to do that as children as well: a spiral cutted out of paper on top of a long skewer stuck into a potato. Felt like perpetual motion somehow.

It works if you put it on top of a radiator btw.

dpflug 8 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

This feels like the delightful oddities one would stumble across on the Old Internet. Thank you for sharing!

danielbln 12 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

These look fun, I'm partial to the dad turbine. Too bad (for something like this) that basically none of my lamps produce much heat these days.

anonymousiam 11 hours ago | parent | next [-]

You're in luck:

https://inside.lighting/news/25-06/new-bill-pushes-end-incan...

mohaba 11 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Why would they be in luck? Did you read the article? Just because the efficiency floor is eliminated doesn’t mean production would or even could restart.

thayne 8 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Wow. That is disappointing, but not terribly surprising given the current government.

Evidlo 9 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I've not found any LED bulbs that didn't put out enough heat to work.

andai 11 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Delightful, thank you for sharing. You have added a little bit of whimsy to the world :)

chews 7 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

It's like an on demand do-nothing machine - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv6YvKPXQzk&list=RDkv6YvKPXQ...

IshKebab 10 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Do people still use incandescent bulbs in America?

rconti 10 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Looks like they were only (generally) outlawed for sale in 2023. Though some states were ahead of that.

They last a long time, though, and I imagine a lot of people are still using their existing bulbs. I can't imagine doing that in CA, where our electricity is expensive, but if you're paying 6c/kWh, I suppose, may as well?

brcmthrowaway 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I hope so.

Some lampshades call for a point source which LEDs struggle to replicate.