Antique Style Bracket For My Decorative Lantern Design

A few weeks back I designed an ornamental lantern body to house the electronics from a broken garden light: https://www.printables.com/model/673705-lantern-body-for-broken-garden-light

I was very happy with the design, and was keen to have it on display. But I had one slight problem…

…Just where could I put the blinkin' thing?!! (Excuse the pun)

The obvious place for a lantern is high up on a wall - just like the real thing. So I quickly created an antique-effect bracket and platform that allows the lantern to be easily taken down for battery changes. I loosely based the design on several wrought iron brackets I'd seen, and (after resisting the temptation to add unnecessary edge fillets and other superfluous embellishments) the finished product came out rather well - even if I do say so myself!

It uses four small screws to hold it together (see pictures). This avoids any complicated support structures when printing. I even created an option for the lamp to sit diagonally on the wall bracket by printing an alternative platform plate with the fixing holes at 45 degrees.

Because I can print multi colours (stop bragging!), I printed the decorative shield emblem in a metal-effect filament. But you could just as easily leave it black, or even paint it using those paint-based metallic marker pens they sell in gift or craft shops. 

So far, so good. But my problem hadn't REALLY gone away: You see, my flat's pretty small (make that “tiny”!). All of my walls were already occupied by pictures and other ornaments, and I just couldn't find a single spot where it would fit without some major moving around - not to mention having to drill lots of new holes (while filling and painting over all the old ones). I really didn't fancy all that. So I just stuck the bracket away in a drawer, hoping I'd eventually think of a solution. Meanwhile I just plonked the lantern on a vacant radiator cover.

Thankfully my muse visited me yesterday morning: Just WHO said it had to be mounted on a flat wall? What about all that spare space over there in the corner? It would fit there a treat!

I soon created a simple filler piece that sits just behind the bracket, and allows it to go into the corner at a perfect 45 degree angle. So I quickly printed it out, grabbed the bracket from the drawer, and (Bob's yer uncle) I stuck 'er up there this morning. She fills the spot perfectly.

So for the handful of people (if any!) who've printed my lantern, you now have a number of extra options to display your handywork.

And remember, nobody puts lampy in a corner… except me!

Happy Printing folks