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Show HN: Lamp Carousel – DIY kinetic sculpture powered by lamp heat (2024)

101 points by Evidlo ago | 21 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 |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!

blacksmith_tb |next |previous [-]

It wouldn't (just) be convection, but it would be easy to have a spinner over the top case fan on a PC... though going the other direction, convection off a fanless PC (I have a little Zotac) might be enough to spin a very light spinner (mylar might work, though to get a pivot without friction won't be easy).

chews |next |previous [-]

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

lgvld |next |previous [-]

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.

danielbln |next |previous [-]

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 |root |parent |next [-]

You're in luck:

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

mohaba |root |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 |root |parent |previous [-]

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

Evidlo |root |parent |previous [-]

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

darubedarob |next |previous [-]

How can i make on that creates water light ripples on my roof?

Evidlo |root |parent [-]

Just make a big spinner and put it above a lamp with multiple bulbs. The interference pattern will make a ripple effect.

darubedarob |root |parent [-]

Thanks

dpflug |next |previous [-]

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

andai |next |previous [-]

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

IshKebab |next |previous [-]

Do people still use incandescent bulbs in America?

rconti |root |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?

whitehexagon |root |parent |next |previous [-]

A generation of under investment in energy production will create all kinds of government backed environmental propaganda. Incandescent bulbs = bad. Fossil fueled AI data centers = economy.

If there was a true environmental motivation for reducing our electricity usage, our bills wouldn't be 60% network charges, they would be 100% usage based charges.

IshKebab |root |parent [-]

Wait are you saying that you think incandescent bulbs aren't bad? Wtf?

brcmthrowaway |root |parent |previous [-]

I hope so.

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

IshKebab |root |parent [-]

Wow imagine caring so little about the environment...

gridphp |next |previous [-]

I thought it's something about LAMP Stack! lol

abstractspoon |next |previous [-]

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LilyMed |previous [-]

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