SquirrelswithHammers - showroom of unique products for sale on Ponoko

The big zen lamp

SquirrelswithHammers — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:53:56 GMT

A big floor or desk lamp made from bamboo and Japanese rice paper. If you are ordering for Australia, I can supply the light fitting. For orders outside of Australia, please contact me for shipping and lighting options. If you are willing to wield the glue and scissors yourself, this item could be ordered as a flat-pack. It will save a considerable amount on shipping costs and give you a fun weekend challenge. Please contact me if this option appeals.

zen table lamp

SquirrelswithHammers — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:53:06 GMT

A 3d asterisk-shaped table lamp made from stained MDF and japanese rice paper. Multiple designs feature on the 30 seperate faces of the lamp, yet the design on each face connects seamlessly with its adjoining sides. The finished piece stands at around 34cm in height. I'll construct the object for you: staining the MDF, applying the rice paper screens to the inside and conducting the tricky step of glueing the whole thing together (tricky because it involves glue, rubber bands and elbows). In order to comply with local laws and power systems, you'll need to provide your own light source. I recommend a low wattage compact flourescent bulb (7 watts or less). If you'd like to have a go at constructing the lamp yourself, I can provide detailed instructions and a reduced price due to flat-pack shipping and your (fun) efforts in construction.

zen - the infinite puzzle

SquirrelswithHammers — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 23:58:06 GMT

I love puzzles, so solving them is usually bitter-sweet. Part of me wants the solution, and the other part never wants the challenge to end. Zen is different. It's designed to be a continuing challenge that doesn't end. A hexagonal game board provides a recessed surface in which to place 48 diamond-shaped tiles (there's over 140 tiles in the set). Each tile has one of six different patterns etched into its surface. No matter how you lay the tiles, the patterns and sides align, so unlike a traditional jigsaw puzzle, there's no 'wrong' move. There are a number of challenges with zen: 1. Work out how to get 48 tiles onto the board without leaving any triangular 'holes'. (fairly EASY for adults, though young kids may find this harder, and there's more than one solution) 2. Use the patterns on the tiles to make a larger symmetrical pattern filling the board. (a bit TRICKY, even for adults, though once your mind gets around some of the basic shapes, you'll soon be making stars, snowflakes, flowers, mazes and fields of cubes.) 3. Try and make one of the patterns in the zen design guide in under 5 minutes (TOUGH). 4. Make new patterns with differing types of symmetry. Because of the unique shapes in zen, the more you play with it, the more intriguing it becomes. You start to imagine new ways of laying and combining the tiles in order to create ever more complex patterns. The glossy nature of the black acrylic pieces makes zen a great coffee-table design piece you can actually interact with - or find an arty friend and challenge one another to see who can make the most beautifully complex pattern. A puzzle that gets more complex and fun the more you play.