58 replies to this topic

[Cebus Capucinis]

Monkey Labs has been bustling with work for approximately the past three to five weeks. Finally, after a lot of work and a ton of experimentation, I am proud to announce: ATARI LAMP V3.0!

Atari Lamp 3.0 features a custom, handmade lamp shade with box scans from AtariAge. A dead Atari 2600 6-switch is used as the base in this model. This model features an in-line "hidden" light switch in the back of the Atari for easy switching on and off and a nice stack of cartridges up the middle with an improved pipe core to keep the stack complete. The wiring for the lamp itself runs out the RF hole from the Atari so it looks just like an actual Atari would.

This took at least three weeks of constant work on my part to get done. This model is Monkey Labs Production Model #1 and its owner is none other than Albert, who was my test marketing group! Al says this lamp will be a part of the AtariAge booth at CGE and I am very, very proud to have it displayed there.

This was an incredibly labor-intensive project and took a lot of experimentation and getting 90% done, only to tear it completely apart and start over. The lampshade alone is a very daunting task and requires intense concentration and complete silence to get done properly. In wiring the lamp up, I tried to light my house on fire no more than 5 times while experimenting.

If I may say so:

THIS IS ONE KICK ASS LAMP!



and a video of that bad boy in action!



I currently have 5 dead 2600s on order and am more than willing to make additional lamps. If you are interested in purchasing this swank bit of Atari furniture you can send me a PM or take a peek in the Marketplace where I will soon have the thread posted. Cheers!

EDIT: Here is the link for the Marketplace posting with prices and everything. http://www.atariage....on-atari-lamps/

[candle]

a tip

why not use original on/off switch? i know its underrated for AC, but You could add relay to do actual job

[Cebus Capucinis]

 candle, on Fri Apr 23, 2010 5:07 AM, said:

a tip

why not use original on/off switch? i know its underrated for AC, but You could add relay to do actual job

...that's actually how I tried to burn my house down 5 times.

I've asked a couple people about it and I might be experimenting with it on a later iteration of it, but I need to take the time to sit down and figure it out more. Space is sort of a constraint as well, so with a relay or transformer I wouldn't be able to put it inside the case, which is another issue potentially.

[candle]

then lightswitch is superfine
small toroidal transformer for halogen lamps should fit potentially
i never had 2600 myself - not an original thing at least

[Lucky Man]

It's a major award!

Sorry.  I guess that joke is getting old.

Very nice job Cebus!

Edited by Lucky Man, Fri Apr 23, 2010 10:11 AM.

[Cebus Capucinis]

My arm is pretty damn hairy.

[yuppicide]

No way, not at all!

 Lucky Man, on Fri Apr 23, 2010 10:04 AM, said:

It's a major award!

Sorry. I guess that joke is getting old.

Very nice job Cebus!

[DickNixonArisen]

That was my first thought also. You.. USE.. uP ALl the Glue.. in the house ON PURPOSE!

Could you maybe just have a physical object that tripped the light switch when the power switch was flipped?

Edited by DickNixonArisen, Fri Apr 23, 2010 11:20 AM.

[DickNixonArisen]

P.S. You so crazy.

Watch it though, this is actually a nice enough design to maybe catch the wrong pair of eyes somewhere in the company involved I think... I wouldn't blink more than a few times if I saw this in store.

[iwan-iwanowitsch-goratschin]

WOW!   

[Cebus Capucinis]

 DickNixonArisen, on Fri Apr 23, 2010 11:18 AM, said:

P.S. You so crazy.
Watch it though, this is actually a nice enough design to maybe catch the wrong pair of eyes somewhere in the company involved I think... I wouldn't blink more than a few times if I saw this in store.

I'm pretty sure Martha Stewart wants nothing to do with the Atari 2600. Or is that not who you were talking about?

[Pioneer4x4]

What it needs is a latching relay to turn it on from the joystick button, then use the wireless controllers as a remote!

[rpgfaker]

I like the lampshade.

[Cebus Capucinis]

 Pioneer4x4, on Sat Apr 24, 2010 6:59 AM, said:

What it needs is a latching relay to turn it on from the joystick button, then use the wireless controllers as a remote!

Now that would be AMAZING!

[wood_jl]

Incredible lampshade.  Can you retell how it came about, or is it "ancient Chinese secret?"  (remember the laundry detergent commercials?)

[Cebus Capucinis]

Anicent Chinese Secret!

Basically I got those 484 scrub crap carts from Al from the 'eBay blows' thread and wanted to make a lamp and table from them. You can see v1.0 somewhere around that time frame, I made a post. Just sort of grew from there and from PMs with Al, I corroborated an idea for the lamp. Each time I tried something a light bulb went off in my head (pun intended) and I thought of another idea. v2.0 ended up pretty close to this but wasn't perfect so I tweaked everything to get v3.0.

It's not a very interesting story, I know!

[zylon]

Now, if you could rig the select switch to make it change colors or brightness level...
As for marketing, you could just have people send you a system and the amount of games you need and do these as a "custom service".

Edited by zylon, Sat Apr 24, 2010 3:25 PM.

[Cebus Capucinis]

Actually that's a great idea! If anyone is interested in providing ALL the materials and just having me make one, I can work out a pretty good deal for that!

[JohnBuell]

Hmm, and just what is the cat doing with the wires in that little video clip? Are you sure that's not the REAL reason the house almost burned down 5x?

Seriously, this is very cool. I just wonder if it would implode if you tried to use a CF lightbulb instead of an incandescent....

[yuppicide]

I think I know a place to get a plastic shell made of the whole 2600 and the cartridges.. all you'd do is insert a lamp inside.. You'd just need to paint the sucker and then we wouldn't waste 2600's.

[seanhq]

This is awesome! Nicely done.

Small request for the next one you build... it would be cool to see some "work in progress" photos of how you put it all together and wire it up. I'm really curious about how you drill the hole in the carts (1 at a time or through them all at once) and mount the light fixture through the carts and on the 2600.

[Cebus Capucinis]

I can't give away my secrets! We might have Hozer Lamps if I did that!

I've got some WIP photos that I can post, sure! I actually took pretty meticulous records of how I made it, I just didn't post the pics.

[seanhq]

 Cebus Capucinis, on Mon Apr 26, 2010 9:38 AM, said:

I can't give away my secrets! We might have Hozer Lamps if I did that!

Hehe...

 Cebus Capucinis said:

I've got some WIP photos that I can post, sure! I actually took pretty meticulous records of how I made it, I just didn't post the pics.

Looking forward to seeing your pictures.

[SoundGammon]

How about a Sears version of the sixer with all the Sears games on the lampshade? Gotta have one for each end-table!

[Cebus Capucinis]

Sears is being built as we speak.

I also made a legal decision not to post any WIP pictures, sorry folks that wanted them. I don't think anyone else will be making these but since I am currently making a couple on order, I want to keep the details as secret as possible for the time being. Perhaps when I am done with the project and don't want to make more.