I saw a lamp I liked on Pinterest, and decided to make it for myself! The post did not list instructions or parts, and the pictures were limited and not at very good angles. Looking around at other posts and exploring a few hardware stores, I found enough information to build a variation of the lamp myself.
Home automation is the future, and so eventually I will post a mod to this that includes a WIFI switch (maybe the WeMo?). But for now, here are the parts you will need if you would like to follow along:
- Lamp Socket (or a switchless model if doing the WeMo mod)
- Utility Box (or something like this for the WeMo mod)
- 3 Pronged Extension Cord (Right angle if you are plugging it in behind a table or bed)
- 1/8 IPS 2 inch in length
- Lamp Shade
- Lamp Harp (depending on the lamp shade, as some sit direct on the lamp socket)
- 1/2F to 3/4F Coupler
- Washer and nut that fit over the 1/8 IPS (Note that the linked washer is not the exact one to use, go into Home Depot with the 1/8 IPS)
- 1/2 Floor Flange
- 1/2 Locknut
- 1/2 Bushing
- Light Bulb (or LED bulb)
- USB Duplex Outlet
- Outlet Faceplate (or Double if doing the WeMo mod)
If you use the above amazon links, it will help support this blog. I have found that Amazon.ca has significantly improved in the last few years, so try it out! Some of the parts were cheaper at Home Depot or Home Hardware though, so I linked to those instead.
Lets get started! Take the utility box and punch out the bottom and top hole.
If you are doing the WeMo mod, only punch out the holes on one side, not both sides.
Next, thread the IPS pipe into the Lamp Socket and tighten the screw, as such:
Put the large end of the coupler over the IPS pipe onto the Lamp Socket. If you are using a Lamp Harp for your shade, add it to the stack of things on the pipe too.
Take this stack on the IPS pipe, and attach it to the utility box using the washer and nut. You will need to use pliers to tighten this up good.
On the other side of the utility box, push the bushing through the hole in the box. The hex side of the bushing should be inside the box, and the threads out the bottom. Then, take the locknut and use it to tighten the bushing in place/
Then, attach the floor flange, as it will be our base.
Now, take the lamp shade and place if on your table. Place it where you want the lamp to sit, and mark the centre of it on the table. This will be where we drill a hole for our power cable.
Drill out a hole big enough for your power cable (the cable, not the whole plug… unless you plan on moving this often). Drill a hole in the back of your night stand as well. Take the floor flange off of the assembled lamp, screw it into the table with some short wood screws, and feed the cable through the whole thing.
As you can see, I have already cut the end off the extension cord. The side that plugs into the wall is still intact. Sorry, I forgot to take a pic!
Back to the assembled lamp… unscrew/remove the top of the lamp socket and locate the hot and neutral terminals of the socket. The hot is usually gold/brass, and neutral is usually silver. Feed some extra wire through the nut/washer/IPS up to the lamp socket. I cut 6-8 inches off the extension cord for this. Attach it to the terminals of the lamp socket.
Feed the cable through your table into the utility box after reattaching the box to the screwed-down floor flange. Attach the hot from the lamp socket and the hot from the extension cord to the hot on the USB Outlet. On a standard North American outlet, the hot is the little prong, the neutral is the big prong, and the ground is the round prong/green cable. Attach the neutral from the lamp socket and from the extension cord to the neutral on the USB outlet. Lastly, take the ground from the extension cord and attach it to the ground on the USB Outlet.
Screw the outlet into the utility box…
Throw the face-plate on, attach the lamp shade, put a nice LED bulb in the socket, and plug it all in! Warning: if you are unsure of your skill or don’t know how to properly wire a lamp or outlet, do not plug this in until a professional has checked it all over.
Wonderful! You have now made yourself a neat industrial lamp!
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