Forging a ceiling chandelier: material, types of products, manufacturing technologies

Chandeliers can be found in almost every private house and apartment. Sometimes hanging structures are replaced by individual small lighting points, but for many interior styles they are indispensable. In order not to spend money on buying finished products, you can forge a ceiling chandelier with your own hands. Before making a lighting device yourself, you need to study the specifics of the work.

Metal chandeliers

Varieties

Metal chandeliers are classified depending on different indicators. By form:

rectangular;
square;
triangular; diamond-shaped;
polygonal;
spherical;
oval;
cylindrical.

To size:

Single-tier. Small lighting fixtures that are suitable for narrow corridors, bedrooms, kitchens, and children's rooms.
Multi-tiered. Suitable only for spacious rooms - halls, living rooms.

Small lamps are equipped with 1–3 light bulbs. Multi-tiered chandeliers can have dozens of lamps.

There are 3 types of light bulbs that are suitable for ceiling lamps - fluorescent, incandescent, LED. The first ones heat up slightly and are economical, the second ones are the simplest, give soft light, get very hot, and consume a large amount of electricity. LEDs are suitable for different types of lamps, are economical, and provide a normal amount of light.

Multi-tiered forged chandelier (Photo: Instagram / novosvet74)

Night light on the wall

Sconces are not always used for reading; sometimes this lamp plays the role of a night light in a children's room or bedroom. In this case, the light from it should be diffused and not directed. In this case, instead of a lampshade, you need a screen to block the light source.

It can be made from any sheet material: fiberboard, plywood, acrylic glass and even thick cardboard. The most interesting thing in making such lamps is the choice of screen shape. It can be any geometric figure, a flower, the sun, a cloud, or even the figure of a cat or other animal.

You can make your own drawing or find a picture you like on the Internet, enlarge it and print it. And then trace along the contour on the selected material. For example, let's take a simple cloud shape that will fit perfectly into a nursery.

Sconce in the form of clouds

Advice. This design can be slightly changed by drilling through holes in the screen, and hiding the mount and the light bulb behind the walls glued along the perimeter. Instead of a regular light bulb, you can use a rechargeable LED lamp, a garland or an LED strip.

Wooden sconce with LED lighting

Material

Forged chandeliers are made from different types of metal - low-carbon steel, pure iron, stainless steel. Forged structures combine well with different materials:

Tree. Natural material will add warmth to the structure and set off the metallic cold. Large chandeliers made of metal and wood can be installed in hallways, banquet halls, restaurants, etc.
Crystal. The combination of steel with this material adds elegance and nobility to the lighting fixture.
Glass. Can have any shade.

Metal frames go well with stained glass inserts.

The difference between a homemade chandelier is its uniqueness

A chandelier is the most expensive lamp that is used in the house. Made with your own hands, it will not only be unusual, but can also have a number of advantages. Relying on this, arm yourself with everything you need and get started:

has no analogues;
fully meets your requirements.

A DIY chandelier made from scrap materials is already a unique design, but there are still some subtleties in this matter! There are two ways to transform the queen of today's theme:

Come up with a new version of the lampshade.
Completely create a new design from scrap materials.

It's up to you to decide which one is best, we'll look at all the options.

Useful video: Making a paper chandelier.

Selection principles

When purchasing a finished forged chandelier, you need to consider:

interior style;
availability of additional functions;
possibility of remote control;
ceiling height;
intensity of natural light in the room.

The choice of design depends on the interior style:

Baroque. For this style you need to choose a lamp with decorative elements. These can be branches, petals, bends, rings.
Provence. You should buy lighting fixtures that are decorated in an antique style. The designs can be supplemented with wooden parts and fabric. Multi-tiered chandeliers are more suitable.
Modern. This style is characterized by beautiful massive lamps. They should attract attention and delight.

For the loft style, it is better to choose simple, rough chandeliers that are similar to lighting fixtures installed inside industrial premises. Surface colors should be natural - gray, white, black.

Forged chandeliers in the interior (Photo: Instagram / domhome.kg)

Advantages and disadvantages

Positive sides:

Attractive view. Forged structures can be equated to works of art.
Reliability, wear resistance, high strength, durability.
Versatility. Forged elements combine well with different materials.

Negative sides:

Large weight of the structure. It is necessary to make more fasteners.
Without an anti-corrosion coating, the metal will begin to deteriorate from rust.

Forged chandeliers cannot be mounted on a ceiling made of plasterboard or plastic panels.

Manufacturers and cost

Manufacturers:

F-Promo;
FREYA;
MW-Light;
Velante;
Crystal-LUX.

Price - from 20,000 rubles.

Brutal lamp made of reinforcement

The manufacturing process is as follows:

To begin with, you should cut the reinforcement with a cross-section of 0.8 cm into pieces with a length of 12 cm, use an angle grinder for this.
You will need 15 of these blanks, and the more accurately you cut them, the fewer problems there will be when welding the parts.
Next, you should make a simple jig and weld several triangles, after which you can continue assembling the body in volume and weld all the elements together.
Afterwards, a piece should be cut off from the shock absorber body along the length of the cartridge and welded to the main body.
Now it turns out that the length of the reinforcement segments is not 12, but 10 cm.
All connections should be thoroughly welded and cleaned with an angle grinder on which the flap disk is installed.
Next, you can paint everything with spray black paint (preferably matte).
Moreover, you need to add a washer to which the cartridge will be attached and weld the loop.
Insert the cartridge into the desired location and screw it on. Please note that ceramic sockets are quite fragile, so you should be very careful when installing them.
When the last link of the chain is straightened, you can install the LED lamp.

After the design is ready, you can experiment with different lamps - warm, cold light, etc.

DIY making

Anyone who knows how to work with hand and power tools can make a lighting fixture.

Preparing and drawing up a diagram

To make a simple lamp, it is not necessary to draw up a drawing of the product. If the design has a complex shape with decorative elements, it is recommended to draw up a diagram.

It's better to make two drawings. One will show the structure from below, the other from the side. The dimensions should be indicated on the diagram.

Tools and materials

To make it you need to prepare:

grinder with discs;
welding machine;
file, metal brush;
fittings, metal strips;
brushes, anti-corrosion compound;
lampshades, light bulb sockets;
wires for connecting the lamp.

To decorate lighting fixtures, you can use decorative inserts from other materials.

Files (Photo: Instagram / magazin_tokarnyy_instrument)

Manufacturing

Two forging technologies can be used in manufacturing:

Cold. Metal blanks are deformed using manual machines.
Hot. Metal blanks are first heated in a forge and then processed with hand tools. This technology requires practical experience.

Build process:

Using a grinder, cut the metal to the required dimensions.
Give the workpiece the required shape using hot or cold forging technology.
Connect individual elements into a solid structure using a welding machine.
Clean the seams and coat them with an anti-corrosion compound.

After manufacturing the metal structure, you can begin attaching light bulb sockets, lampshades, and decorative inserts.

Decoration

Using special metal paint, you can change the appearance of the structure and protect metal surfaces from rust. Features of decorating the lamp:

The cartridges should be unscrewed or covered with masking tape.
The lighting fixture must be painted before hanging it from the ceiling.
Before painting, it is necessary to clean the surfaces from dirt. To do this, you can use sandpaper or a damp cloth with a cleaning solution.
After cleaning, you need to apply a coat of primer.
A hard brush can be used to apply a patina effect.

The paint must be applied in two layers. After painting, you need to wait for the enamel to dry. For mounting to the ceiling, you can use special hooks, brackets or hangers. Having hung the structure, you need to connect the wires and screw the light bulbs into the sockets.

If you have no experience with wiring, it is better to call an electrician. Otherwise, poor-quality twists may ignite during a power surge.

Painted decorative elements (Photo: Instagram / market.kuzneca)

Interesting ideas

If you don’t want to come up with something unusual, you can take a ready-made idea for making a metal lamp.

Gothic sconce

An interesting option for rooms in a classic style. It is important to make unraveling patterns with sharp edges around the lamp itself. Metal elements should be presented in dark shades.

Hanging metal products

Extensive group of lighting devices. It is better to use an aged chain as a suspension. The shape of the frame can be in the form of a triangle, square, rectangle, three-dimensional polygon. Inside, you can attach one large lamp or several small lamps at each corner of the figure.

Chandelier made of bottles and wire

To make such a chandelier you will need a two-liter bottle, thin wire, thick cord, a light bulb, a wire, and a socket. The body of the chandelier will be represented by the top part of the bottle. It is braided in a circle with wire.

Products made from skewers

Old skewers can be hung around a metal plate, which will act as a base for attaching a light bulb. This chandelier is suitable for placement in a gazebo or outbuilding.

From brass tubes

You can also make a lighting fixture from brass tubes. Through corner fittings and tees, you can assemble a three-dimensional polygon from them and hang it from the ceiling using a chain.

From metal plumbing pipes

From plumbing pipes you can assemble both a pendant and a table lamp. In this case, one of the pipe outlets can be used to secure a light bulb, and the other pipes can be used as a stand.

Pipes (Photo: pixabay.com)

From a metal tap

An interesting wall lamp can be made from an old metal tap. It is enough to lead the wire through the tube and connect a light bulb with a screw filament.

Product care

Features of care:

Once a month you should check the security of the fastening.
To add shine, metal can be rubbed with wax. If it is brass, it is better to treat the surfaces with ammonia. After treatment, the product must be washed off.
Metal can be cleaned from dust and dirt with a damp cloth.

Any remaining moisture should be wiped off with a dry cloth. Anti-corrosion coating and paint are recommended to be renewed once a year.

Forged ceiling chandeliers can be seen in large private houses, theaters, and museums. They look massive and noble. Many people collect them themselves. To do this, you need to master the technology of cold or hot forging, prepare individual parts, and assemble them into a single structure using a welding machine.

Advantages and disadvantages

Forged lamps have the following advantages:

exquisite and original design ;
spectacular appearance;
respectability;
variety of types, shapes, styles, sizes;
durability;
resistance to wear, mechanical stress, weather influences;
demonstration of the status of the owners of the house;
resistance to significant loads.

There are also some disadvantages :

metal susceptibility to corrosion ;
Compared to other materials, metal is heavy ;
Welding joints , through which individual parts of the product are assembled, are recommended to be closed.

How to Install a Lamp Post

The method of installing a lamp post depends on its design and can be done in two ways:

If the lamp post has an installation platform at its base, then the work is performed as follows:
the pit is filled with rubble concrete with the installation of reinforcing layers;
in the upper part of the poured foundation, an embedded metal plate is mounted, equal in size to the base of the lantern;
The lantern is installed on a mounting plate, after which its base is welded to it.

For your information! Attaching a lamp post to the foundation can be done in another way - using anchor bolts mounted in the foundation and drilling holes in the base of the post, onto which the entire structure is attached.

Installation of a street lamp using anchor bolts

Directly into the ground.

This option is used when the base of the lamp post is a pipe. To install it, a hole is drilled in the ground with a diameter larger than the pipe used. After this, the lamppost is placed in a dug pit, and the voids on the sides are filled with rubble concrete.

Installation of a street lamp in the ground

Average expenses

They can be zero, since to create them you can use improvised materials that are at the disposal of the home craftsman. In this case, the main costs may be for underground cable laying and hiring electrical installation personnel.

Average costs for creating a 4-arm landscape lantern “grater”, with laying an underground two-core copper cable 1.5 mm2 10 m long:

The cost of a 10 m cable is 75x10=750 rubles.
Corrugated pipe 10 m – 14x10=140 rub.
Cable laying 10 m (without excavation work) – 120x10=1200 rub.
Connection to a house panel with a protection system – 1,500 rubles.
LED lamps E27 4 pcs. - 4x96=384 rub.
Lamp sockets 4 pcs. – 4x62=248 rub.
Wooden base (waste) – 0 rub.
Graters 4 pcs. – 130 rub. x 4 = 520 rub.
Fasteners – 50 rub.
Household electric circuit breaker – 480 rubles.
Total: 5272 rubles, including underground installation and in-house power supply circuit - 4120 rubles, lamp - 1152 rubles.