This isn't about music.

In my original models, I never got around to finishing the lamp base. I knew what it had to do, but the deadlines for the show were looming and I had more to do than just my project- I was managing, curating, and I had to build a number of custom objects (including a desk prototype which I will feature soon in the Furniture tab). All of that is not a reason not to build something. In this case, I didn't know how to build it and I didn't have time to learn. Ultimately, it wasn't necessary since it wasn't a product so much as a concept. I am going to leave that essay for another day (product vs. concept vs. model) and instead talk about the base. 

I got asked a few questions about the placement of the upright rod and the battery pole. If you looked closely at the images, you can see they are offset from one another by 22.5 degrees. That is not an accident or a mistake. What I am doing is thinking ahead to when this task lamp is sitting on your desk. While there is a huge amount of adjustment in the lamp, I offset the components to allow you to use the lamp without adjusting your setup. Let me explain.

The lamp is activated by moving the "pole" from the base to the ball. Also, there is a cord coming out of the base which supplies power to the pole charger (inside the base). The cord creates a situation where there is a front and back to the base. It would be great if there wasn't, but I am guessing that most people don't want the cord laying across their work.  If the components are in line, there is a good chance you could interfere with your lamp by trying to remove or replace the pole. I would hate for a user to have to set their lamp every time when I could prevent it with a simple layout change. 

Now, the degree I used isn't made up. I know most of you are wondering why I would use 22.5, and I will tell you. The offset dimension, it turns out, isn't that important. What matters is that the pole doesn't end up (or ends up as little as possible) beneath the horizontal arm.  Since the number wasn't specific, I chose one of my favorite angles. [I have favorite angles and favorite fractions, and I am not alone. Designers who build their own prototypes tend to love certain elements which seem arbitrary.] This angle is two things: half of a 45 degree, and the angle of a #11 x-acto blade.  The #11 is a classic, and ubiquitous in almost every design shop and studio. 

The materials here are stainless steel and some brass. The base is almost all stainless (the cord and inner parts are not). I am in love with the manufacture of that cylinder and forever in the debt of my classmate Sophie for finding them for me. I will write more about that in the general bog section, but the long and short of it is that I had a huge amount of help in getting this done, and that base is all Sophie. I will include her website and actual name when I get her permission. Until then, she knows who she is and how grateful I am. 

Next essay will be about the internal parts and how I got there. 

Stay tuned.

-Bates