Inspiration
The relumine series (2010) by Katharina Mischer and Thomas Traxler (mischer’traxler) in Vienna. They write,
“Each Relumine uses two discarded lamps, which are disassembled, sanded, newly lacquered and adapted with newer technology, before they are connected by a glass tube which holds a fluorescent tube.
By introducing a different mean of light source to the old lamps, their look and feel changes completely. They become one new unit, each with its own character.”
For your conveince, here are pictures stolen from their website:
The lamp
I made my replica Relumine around April 2012. It showcases an 18-inch Philips T8 fluorescent tube connected between two articulated desk lamps. Electricity from a Sylvania trigger-start magnetic ballast flows through each lamp’s original wiring to tube holders crammed in the lamp heads.
Detail
Black lamp
I think I got this lamp at Office Depot.
I liked the screw socket that came with this lamp because it sturdily to the back of the lamp head. I cut a piece out and hot glued the tube holder, then connected the leads to the existing wiring.
It would’ve been cool to paint inside of the lampshade to match the dark gray lamp body.
White lamp
I got this lamp for $5 on craigslist.
I cut the original socket in half, glued the tube holder and contacts in, then glued it back together. This setup wasn’t very good—the only way to adjust the position of the contacts was to unglue the entire thing.
Issues & future work
My replica Relumine lamp is not a practical light source. Poor electrical connection between the fluorescent tube and the tube holders mean you have to tap the lamp to get it to turn on. Furthermore, the wiring (shown below) is totally exposed and there is no power switch.
In a second version, I would do some things differently:
- Use epoxy instead of hot glue so it doesn’t fall apart
- Get the spacing of the contacts in the tube holders right so the lamp will turn on reliably
- Potentially use LEDs instead of fluorescent, so I don’t need to deal with tube holders a don’t need a ballast
Last updated November 2021