Posted by Erin, Staff Writer
The overhead lights in my place are so garish that I prefer never, ever to switch them on. I’ve got a pretty good assortment of low-watt mood lighting that keeps my garden apartment (affectionately nicknamed 'the hobbit hole') in a perpetual state of cozy. It's the sort of light in which everyone looks good, but no one can read, and this is the opposite of my priorities. When attempts to score a cool lamp on eBay proved futile, I decided to call up my friend John Babcock. John is a collector at heart: He can't let anything -- especially something that can be made functional -- go to waste. He and his girlfriend, Kirsten, have transformed their apartment with stuff they've found digging through estate sales in Pennsylvania and on the city streets, which they then fix up.
John has a huge stockpile of parts pulled from old lamps, as well as an incredible eye for what has lamp potential; He's made stunning lamps out of a 1970s acrylic
ice bucket, and an old crock pot. Next up is an industrial
space heater.
John's 'ice cube' lamp, fashioned from a '70s ice bucket
When I came over for my lamp-making lesson, John pulled out a bunch of bases for me to choose from. He also showed me a metal canister -- purchased for $1 -- that he thought might make a nice shade. Kirsten suggested lining some leftover radiator sheeting with rice paper as an alternative. I promptly became overwhelmed. Fortunately, John did most of the work, Kirsten played style consultant, and I took notes. Here are the basic steps:
1. Choose a base. It must be heavy enough to support the weight of the neck and shade. When my lamp started toppling over, we nixed the idea of a heavier base which looked too clunky. Instead, we loaded up the bolt on the inside of the base with heavy washers to weigh it down. John strongly suggests using purchased or found lamp parts to make things easier, especially if you're a first-time lamper.
John's collection of old bases
2. Choose a neck. This connects the base to the shade, and you run the wire through it, so it should be hollow. We chose an awesome old metal neck that was flexible -- important in a reading lamp.
3. Connect the base to the neck with a series of interlocking nuts. This is where using old lamp parts really helps, since they can generally screw together. John recommends taking the neck to a hardware store to size it correctly for nuts and washers.
We screwed the neck to the base and used a domed metal piece to hide any unsightly construction
4. Make a shade. Because the canister had a pattern that could be read in only one direction, we couldn't just turn it upside-down and use the top as the opening for the light to shine through. To cut out the bottom of the can, we (okay: John) drilled a hole through the center. (Be sure to use a drill bit that can go through metal.) Then, using tin snips, John cut the remaining metal out of the bottom and, using a very coarse sandpaper, I sanded down the edge so that we could install the wiring and light bulb without shredding our hands on a ragged metal edge. The shade is where you get to be the most creative, so take your time with it. There are some very creative ideas -- along with instructions -- on instructables.com.
The $1 canister
Snipping the bottom out of the can
5. Wire the shade. Because John is a genius, he wired the lamp himself. He already had all of the separate components on hand -- wire, a socket, a plug, and a (very cool) switch. Wiring is perhaps too involved to explain here, so I would recommend buying a socket (the thing you screw the light bulb into) that is already wired, or has a kit with instructions. You can get them from most hardware and craft stores; check out Lowe's for parts, instructions, and expertise. {Please be very careful and keep in mind that wiring electrical circuits carries some risk if done incorrectly. If you are not entirely confident, take it to an expert!} From there you'll need to run the wire from the shade through to the neck and base. Connect the plug after running the wire through the neck, unless your neck is wide enough to accommodate the plug. (By the way, we drilled a hole through the side of the canister to screw it to the neck and run the wire through.)
The socket wired to the switch (on top of the lid)
6. Screw in a light bulb, plug it in, and let there be light!
My reading nook, illuminated
Not only does my lamp look really cool, but it allows me to sit on my couch and read into the wee hours. Thanks, John!
If you have a question for John, please contact him directly.
Posted by Katie
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