Adhocism

Adhocism slide show, over at Treehugger here. Some great examples of Upcycling and Ad-Hoc structures.

Communism & Being Green

Over at TreeHugger there is an artice entitled "6 Green Lessons We Can Learn Form Communism", an interesting read, particularly for the comments at the end which highlight the fact that although Communism has proven unsuccessful in practice on many levels a little understanding of the priciples would go a long way for many people. The comments highlight that the sentiments of the McCarthy 'witch hunts' still prevail in the US where any socialist ideals are blindly rejected before any intelligent assessment can be made, leaving an entire country with fewer options because of general prejudice and ignorance.

Site Graphics

Today begins the trialling of the new site graphics intended to reflect the intent of this blog. Black and red have been chosen as the principal colours as they reflect the left-wing sentiments of the blog but more importantly, by using black as the main colour your screen will be using less energy to display the site!

How to make the Hanger Lamp

Step 1. Find your materials:

1. Drinks can (500ml is best as it long and has a large diameter)
2. Wire coat hanger
   
3. Length of 2-core wire (2 metres is a good length)
4. Standard Plug
5. Pendant Bulb holder (the type used on ceiling lights)
6. Small energy efficient bulb
   

Step 2. Gather your tools:

1. Permanent marker
   
2. Scissors
3. Wet & Dry abrasive paper (320 grade)
4. 2mm drill bit
5. 30mm hole cutter
6. Hacksaw, Band saw or Stanley knife
7. Mole grips
8. Pliers
   

Step 3. Drink the contents of the can (if your can is full) and rinse it, this will stop you getting your work surface sticky when you begin to cut the can.

Step 4. Print the can template and cut around the bold outer lines.

Step 5. Take your template and affix it to the can, then draw around the edge of the template to mark the can. (I usually just wet the paper and dry off the areas of the can immediately surrounding the template, this saves glue and you don't have to wait for it to set!)

Step 6. Remove the template and drill a small hole in the centre of the can's base. For this you will need either a pillar drill or a friend that trusts you enough to hold the can whilst you drill. Once the small pilot hole is drilled it is safe to drill the larger hole to fit the bulb holder. Following the pilot hole use the hole cutter to SLOWLY cut the larger hole.

Step 7. Cut the top of the can off using a hacksaw, Stanley knife or, if you have one, band saw.

Step 8. Using the scissors, cut around the line marked earlier with the template. The corners can be tricky so avoid them in the first cut and remove the bulk first.

Step 9. Clean up the cut edges of the can using the Wet & Dry paper, you will get a better result if the paper is wet but not soggy. Ensure you remove any burrs (sharp, spiky bits), the best method is to sand parallel to the edge of the metal then lightly sand round each side of the edge at a 45 degree angle. Let the can dry fully before attempting step 14.

Step 10. Bend the hanger into shape, for best results follow this order:

1. Bend the hook into a smaller circle around the bulb holder. This is easiest using the mole grips and pliers
2. Bend the base of the hanger in the middle to about 90 degrees, the end result will be less than 90 as it will spring back but this is desired
   
3. Bend the base of the hook (just below the twist) away from the apex of the bend made before

Step 11. Connect the wire to the bulb holder and plug.

Step 12. Remove the top of the bulb holder (domed part) and push the thread through the hanger's hook and replace the top. Form a loop in the wire behind the holder and press into the slot in the hanger beneath the twist. Attach the bulb, place the lamp on the table and adjust the bend below the twist until it stands on its own.

Step 13. Remove the bulb, unscrew the bottom of the bulb holder (cone shaped part) and push the exposed thread through the hole in the base of the can, replace the bottom of the bulb holder and bulb.

Step 14. Turn on the power and VOILA!! You have made your hanger lamp!

The Upcycler's Manifesto

Upcycled design has been hijacked by the Bourgeoisie! In its nature Upcycling is the art to turning waste into something of greater use and value and so it should be cheap, abundant and most importantly accessible to all.
As part of a more sustainable approach to design Upcycling must not be reactionary, it must strike forth, proudly and with the cry REVOLUTION! Most Designers using Upcycling now are reactionary, they seeks to create products that make less, little or no further impact on the environment but they must still satisfy the whims of their Bourgeois masters, they must turn massive profit, they must create exclusive clubs of style and they must be celebrities, basking in the glory of fame whilst crippling progress with their copyrights and high price tags.

Upcyclers must go boldly forth with these thoughts in their minds and in their hearts:

• We are not the tools of the Bourgeoisie
• Industry should serve the people, people should not serve them, they should not be made to feel ashamed for using incandescent bulbs, industry should be ashamed of creating energy from such polluting methods.
• Waste = Food
• Design is about helping people, not excluding them
• Upcyclers must strive to save every working product or useful material from landfill
• We do not believe in Copyright, ideas are cheap and it stalls progress. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
• We must empower the people to decide for themselves what functions their products need and how they want them to look and feel. They should not be force fed some aesthetic conjured up in a studio and produced en masse regardless of culture, taste and need.
• Everybody is a designer! Do we not design our own habitats? Choose our own style? Create our own recipes?
• Share your ideas, you have nothing to lose but pride and everything to gain in the wealth of the ideas others will share with you!

So go forth designers, create, customise, upgrade and prolong the life of your products. Do not settle for someone else’s idea of ‘cool’, use what you find to create what you want, when you want.

Save the planet, save money, save your identity and save your creativity!

Hanger Lamp Template

Download the template for cutting the can for the hanger lamp here.

Upcycled Table Lamp

Table Lamp "A Light Vacuum" by Sam Dempsey. Constructed from the filter housing form a broken vacuum cleaner with optional Citroen 2CV Hub-Cap top.

Upcycled Desk Lamp

Desk Lamp "A Question of Balance" by Sam Dempsey. Constructed from bicycle forks, a headlamp from a Citroen 2CV, bicycle wheel hub and the base, electrical parts and poles from a broken lamp.

Guerrilla Campaign

Look out for the Guerrilla advertisements for this blog around London!

Hanger Light

This lamp has been made from a wire coat hanger, beer can and pendant bulb holder. Easy to make, cheap and it can be used as a desk or wall lamp. Instructions for construction coming soon. Designed by Sam Dempsey

Bulbs

Is the banning of incandescent bulbs another western style reaction to an illness where the symptoms and not the cause are treated? Fluorescent bulbs may use less energy but they need more to be created and are much harder to dispose of. The focus on energy should be on it's generation, not it's use.

Hello World!

This is the first post for the Design Democracy blog. I have set this blog up to initiate an international conversation on sharing design.
The concept is that products made from Upcycled materials, that is waste materials that are converted into something of greater use and value, are rapidly becoming the preserve of the rich with designers selling their upcycled designs for obscene amounts, and that due to the nature of these products this should not be the case. This blog aims to help reverse this trend by empowering everybody to be able to create their own products from these abundant and cheap materials through the sharing of designs and knowledge using the power of the internet.
This blog is the starting point for a final year product design degree at Middlesex University, London and with the help of the global online community this will blossom into a wiki where design conversations can be held and information and designs freely exchanged.