Top 5 Constraints: Rotary Candle Holder

For my main project, I would like to make a Rotary Candle Holder. I want to make my product as unique as possible. And I would like to gift it to my mom at the end of the semester. Thus, I decided I will make my tea light candle skating-themed. My mom is a figure skater, figure skating coach, and currently works at U.S. Figure Skating so I think she would love the aesthetic. I am currently thinking about using a figure skater silhouette as the main piece above the fan to spin around when the candle is lit.

The Top 5 Constraints to building a Rotary Candle Holder inspired by the featured image above are…

  1. The Aesthetic: I’m going for a winter aesthetic. More specifically, I want the candle holder to instill feelings of skating on a frozen pond in the snow. I imagine this candle holder will be more of a winter/Christmas decoration than a year-round piece.
  2. Physical Constraint of Rotation: The fan above the candle must rotate from just the fluid flow of the heated air. Since I want to place a figure skater on the top and possibly stained glass snowflakes hanging down, the fan must be as friction-free as possible.
  3. Availability of Parts: Going off of constraint #2, likely the best way to create the rotational fan on top is to use a bearing. The size of that bearing must be precise, which is why this will be one of the main constraints of this project.
  4. Materials: Since there is fire involved, the materials cannot be flammable. This means I cannot use wood or paper in any part of the design, just to be safe. It would also be a good idea not to use plastic as it might melt. Instead, I plan to use light metals for the frame and structure and possibly some stained glass on the hanging pieces.
  5. Skills and Ability: I do not have any glass blowing or welding skills. If I want to make snowflakes out of stained glass, I will likely have to smelt them together with aluminum or something. I haven’t really figured this part out yet. Hence, it is my final constraint.
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1 Comment. Leave new

  • I like the winter aesthetic and the dynamic element of your design, it will be a very cool Christmas decoration. Safety is important, you might wanna also look into fire prevention mechanisms for example make it very stable so it doesn’t get knocked over easily by wind or pets.

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