Building a lamp from a flute

Alright, no in-depth tutorial this time, in part because I'm tired and didn't take any pictures along the way, and in part because turning a cheap / defunct flute/clarinet/piccolo/soprano sax/recorder/Celtic tin whistle is a piece of cake.



This build didn't require anything but a flute, a basic lamp, a lampshade, and (optional), some sheet music.  The flute was easily found on Craigslist, the lamp in a thrift store, and the sheet music was pinched from my girlfriend, who may or may not already have figured out that I was building this for her.

The best assembly and disassembly method depends on the specific lamp that you choose to deconstruct for this; in this case, the shaft of the lamp fit perfectly (with a little duct tape, for spacing) in the bottom half of the lamp.  To get the bulb assembly back on, I had to cut the wires, and re-solder and insulate them; depending on the lamp you're using, you may be able to work around even this.

The lampshade was even easier - simply tear up some sheet music of your choosing (Lieberman Sonata Op 23, in this case) and papier-mache it over the existing shade.  I've found the best papier-mache glue is made by mixing some flour into water (roughly 1:3) with a little salt as a preservative, and slowly bringing up the temperature to a bit below boiling, constantly stirring for 5-10 minutes until thick enough.  Then just slather it over a shred of music and tack it right on.

That's all there is to it - I might go ahead and clear coat the shade as well, but if you decide to try a project of this sort, the creative decisions are the fun part, and you can and should go about it any way you see fit.