How to Make a Crystal Desk Lamp
- 1). Gently rinse and dry your rock salt crystal. The crystal should weigh 4 to 6 pounds for a large lamp that emits a lot of light. Larger crystals are also easier to work with because they don't crack or split as easily.
- 2). Choose an end to be the top of your lamp. Draw a line about 3 inches above the bottom of your crystal on the other end, keeping the line as straight as possible. Put on goggles and a face mask and gently push the crystal into your circular saw blade. Push slowly and let the blade do the work for the smoothest cut. This creates a flat base for your lamp.
- 3). Secure your crystal upside-down under your drill press. Line your 1 ½-inch coring drum up as close to the center of your crystal as you can. Still wearing your safety gear, push the corer slowly down into the bottom of the crystal. Push slowly; this will take some time, so have patience.
- 4). Line your wooden lamp base up with the flat bottom of your crystal. The hole in the center of the lamp base should line up almost perfectly with the hole in your crystal. Once they are lined up, slowly drive stainless steel screws through the screw holes in the lamp base and into the crystal. Again, work slowly so you don't snap a screw.
- 5). Screw a chandelier bulb into the lamp's socket piece and slip the bulb through the hole in the lamp base so it sits inside the hollow center of your crystal. Narrow, pointed chandelier light bulbs work best for this because they fit easily inside the crystal's narrow center channel. Set the lamp on your desk, plug it in and enjoy.
Source...