How can i make lamps

Continue Reading. July 07, Comments. June 15, Comments. Cart 0 Checkout. The Makely Blog. Old Rotary Phones. Vintage Fans. Phonograph Horns. You really can turn anything into a lamp! Sold out. Blow Torches. Sewing Machines. Wind Turbines. In the next lesson, I'll talk about how to pick the perfect lamp shade for your lamp. If you're like me, I like to keep objects around me that either remind me of positive memories from my past or represent things I love to do in the present.

This vintage thermos table lamp manages to do both for me! I grew up going to a summer cabin and camping and have wonderful memories from those times AND I also still love to camp and be outdoors, so this lamp does a perfect job of representing my past and present.

Of the 3 lamp options in this lesson, this one is my personal favorite and also the most challenging. I'll confess that I didn't think it would be, until I went to drill a hole in the side towards the bottom -- for the lamp cord to come out of -- and discovered that Stanley insulates their thermoses with powdered charcoal!

Once I figured out what was going on, as little clouds of grey puffed out while I drilled, I was able to solve the problem pretty easily, but it did add an extra couple steps and some time, so just fair warning, this one has a twist! If you choose a different brand of thermos, it may not have the same surprise aka no insulation, just air, which is what I was expecting on mine or it might have its own, in the form of a glass interior that you need to break and remove in order to get the cord through.

But I think the result is worth invoking the spirit of MacGyver and trouble shooting what comes, because thermoses are so good as lamp bases! If you love this lamp, but don't want to deal with the wee mess, you can always use a socket cap with a side out hole like the Bottle Lamp. The rest of the hardware and assembly would be exactly the same. You'd just skip the hole drilling and adding a bushing part. If you choose to take on the fun challenge and proceed with this one, here's the parts you'll need:.

I chose to use the screw cap and not the lid, but the lid would also work and would require the same parts. The first thing we need to do is prep the thermos' screw cap so that it's ready to have all the hardware attached to it.

The screw cap serves the same purpose as the rubber adapter did for the Bottle Lamp -- it's securing the lamp hardware to the lamp base. That's why thermoses are ideal, because they come with their own built in adapters!! A nice strong bottom that can handle the hardware tightening force. This is important to do so that the check ring can sit flat and the neck will be able to be perfectly straight up and down. L to R: knurl nut, lock washer, harp saddle, neck, check ring, cap, washer, lock washer, nut, bushing rod behind.

This is a little pictorial overview of the parts we'll be using and how they'll be added in relation to each other. Next, we need to drill a hole through the bottom of the thermos cap that is big enough for the nipple to go through. If you have a tiny bump like I do on the center point this will make keeping the drill in place hard , use the small wire cutters to trim it off.

Then mark the center with a gentle tap from the center punch. From the other end, slide on a lock washer and then the harp saddle - with the prongs facing the knurl nut. Take the bigger Channellock pliers and grab hold of the bottom side nut using your non-dominant hand. With the smaller Channellock pliers and your dominant hand, grab ahold of the top side knurl nut and hold the bottom pliers steady while twisting the knurl nut clockwise. Do this until it's as tight as it will go without hulking out and breaking the cap.

Give the saddle a little twist to make sure everything is secure. Next, place the interior rod bushing into the end of the rod. If it isn't a snug fit this can happen sometimes , you can use a dab of Elmer's glue to keep it in place. Finally, screw the socket cap onto the top of your new construction and tighten the side screw, if there is one. Slide one end of the cord up into the bottom of the nipple and out through the cap. Pull the cord out about 4". Tie an Underwriter's knot.

To learn the steps, visit Lesson 3 of my Lamps Class. Fan and twist the wires in preparation for bending the 'U' shapes and wiring up the socket. Aaaand, wire up the socket — like I demonstrate in Lesson 3 of my Lamps Class!

Make sure the wires are tidy and not willy nilly. Pull the cord so that the socket nestles into the cap and slide on the shell, snapping it in place.

In this section, we're going to drill a hole into the side of the thermos, through the inner and outer metal walls. The inner wall is the stainless steel container that holds the liquid. In order to achieve this, we will have to deal with the powdered charcoal that fills the space between the two metal walls. So we will first drill a hole in the outer metal, and wash out the charcoal.

Once we've rinsed out as much as possible, we'll then drill the hole through the inner metal wall. I recommend putting cardboard or newsprint down underneath the grip mat and clamp system to keep your surface safe from the charcoal. I'd also put on some work clothes that you don't mind getting dirty.

First we're going to measure how far down the inner metal container that holds the liquid goes down into the thermos, so we know where we have to drill to go through both walls. Insert a ruler or measuring tape and find out how deep the interior container goes. Mine was 11" deep. Lay the grip mat down on top of a tarp or newsprint not pictured, because I didn't discover the charcoal until later Clamp two pieces of wood to your work surface so that they hug the thermos.

This will keep the thermos from moving around too much while you drill. On the outside of the thermos, measure and mark 11" or whatever measurement your thermos has down from the top of the thermos. Place the bushing top side down so that the mark lines up with the outer edge of the bushing. Then scootch the bushing up just a bit to ensure that when we drill, we'll go through both the inner and outer wall and not just skirt the bottom of the inner container.

Mark the center of the bushing with a pencil or pen. This is our drill mark. Use a few whack of the hammer to make a center punch mark on your pencil mark. And get ready to drill by putting on your safety glasses and mask. Secure the step bit in the chuck of your hand drill and carefully drill a hole in the outer metal wall. The charcoal will come out a bit in a small cloud making it hard to see where you're drilling, but stop when you feel the drill come up against the inner metal wall.

It doesn't have to be perfectly clear, just no longer black. Hold the thermos up and drain as much water out of it as possible. Then leave the thermos sitting upright in the sink for a few minutes for good measure.

NOTE: If you did get any charcoal on your work surface, a good, soft eraser will remove it. Finish drilling through the second inner metal wall and use the small wire cutters to clip off any sharp metal bits that are still attached.

Now that we've created a way for the cord to exit the thermos, we have to add a bushing to the hole to protect the cord from the sharpness of the metal. I made the hole a little bigger than I wanted to, so I'm adding a washer behind the bushing in order to cover the hole for aesthetics and also so that I can glue the bushing in place.

Use 5 minute epoxy two small equal parts mixed together on a disposable surface and a nail or craft stick to glue the washer to the back side of the bushing.

Let dry. Lay the thermos down and place the bushing into the drilled hole, taking care to center it so that the washer is covering the hole. Let it dry for 5 minutes. Because of the unexpected moisture that's now inside the thermos, it's a good idea to seal the bottom hole of the nipple with some silicone. This will keep any evaporating moisture from making its way up to the socket.

Use a craft stick or small piece of cardboard to wipe off the excess silicone. Now that we've prepped the necessary parts, it's time to put them together. We're almost done!! Gently insert the ball chain into the hole we made at the bottom of the thermos - making sure it goes through the inner wall hole as well. Turn the thermos upside down so that the chain runs through the inside and out the top. We're going to use the chain to pull the cord into the thermos and out the hole.

Something that would be VERY challenging to do otherwise. Cut, separate, and strip the wire ends about 1". DO NOT fan and twist the ends. Just leave them as is, wild and free.

Wrap one side of wire around the end of the ball chain, and then repeat for the other side, like pictured.

Wrap the connection in a piece of electrical tape, being careful to keep the tape thin, by not directly overlapping it on itself, and as flat as possible. Pull on the bottom of the ball chain with one hand and guide the lamp cord into the top of the thermos with the other.

Keep pulling and feeding until the cord is almost all the way through and the nipple reaches the opening of the thermos. Slide the end of the nipple and the fixture down into the thermos and set the thermos upright onto the table. Then, thread the lamp cord through the rod and put it into the hole. Check that the cords are fully threaded, screw the lock nut onto the rod, and attach the harp bottom and socket cap. To learn how to strip your wires and attach them to the bulb socket, scroll down!

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Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Find a base. The base for your lamp should be sturdy enough to stand on its own, even after you add lamp apparatus and a shade on top. If you have a hollow base that you need to stabilize, consider partially filling it with something like marbles or sand. Some ideas for lamp bases that you could use: [1] X Research source Wine bottles Log or timber Wooden pails or buckets Toys or figurines Hollowed-out books.

Buy a lamp kit. These can be found at most hardware stores. Note that it's possible to purchase the pieces separately, but buying them together will ensure a better fit. If you do buy the cord separately, choose a 18 size cord. Prepare the base for the rod. The rod is a hollow tube that will run the cord up through the bottom of your base to the lightbulb at the top.

Depending on your base, you may have to drill or cut holes wide enough for the rod at the top and bottom of the lamp. Sawing your rod down to size is not ideal. Stabilize the bottom of the base. Your lamp kit might come with a piece meant to stabilize the bottom of your base. If it doesn't, simply purchase rubber stoppers. Affix these at intervals around the base to prevent sliding and lift the base slightly off the table, allowing room for the cord. Part 2. Thread the cord through the rod.

The cord should consist of two covered wires stuck together. Thread it through the rod from bottom to top, leaving 3 or 4 inches 7 to 10 cm of cord about the base. When doing this, make sure that the bottom of the plug doesn't rub against the rod's sharp edge. Screw the lock nut onto the end of the lamp rod.