Raw materials

Starting off, I gather the necessary items: lamp with signed dedication, 100′ extension cord, CFL bulb OMG DO NOT USE A INCANDESCENT BULB (the instructions clarified that no fewer than three times), and a beer. My suggested pairing for assembling Coil: Goose Island Summertime. The crisp finish accentuates the sharp, precise laser cut of the clear acrylic form of Coil, and they’re both made here in Chicago.

Instruction manual

The instructions are detailed and nicely illustrated.

The raw form of Coil

Unravelled cord

My only mistake was not taking enough time to straighten out the coiled cord, which was pretty gnarled up, which caused me to have a bit of trouble getting a really smooth, even “coil” on the form.

First step

First few spins

Flipped per instructions

Notice as the beer is slowly drained, the sign of real progress on any project.

Ta-da! Completed Coil

In situ

There you have it, an assembled Coil Lamp. At this moment, it is sitting in the window, casting a cool, fluorescent glow on the streets of Pilsen. More photos of the experience are online over at Flickr.