Mad Science! Table Lamp of DOOM!
Intro: Mad Science! Table Lamp of DOOM!
I have a really serious problem. I have a hard time throwing some things away. No, I am NOT a hoarder... My wife would kill me. But my workspaces do sometimes get a bit... cluttered. I was recently looking through my file piles, hoping for inspiration. It rather suddenly struck!
I love Neovictorianist design (often called Steampunk). I love the idea of the future that never was. I am actually considering writing a treatise on how Steampunk and Neovictorian dress would change the world for better... But I digress.
This lamp just kinda came together of it's own, really. This jar was placed in my shop by one of my kids. They left it on the shelf, turned upside down...It called to me, and it said, in a voice reminiscent of a Thomas Dolby song... "SCIENCE!" It looked like an old electric lamp, the kind with a handmade bulb...
For the base, I took a piece of scrap wood, cut to 4" square, and drilled a 1 1/8" hole in the center. I also drilled 1/8" holes in the corners, for the bolts that would hold the feet. I countersunk the holes so the heads could be covered. I ran the bolts in, and covered the holes with wood putty. When the putty cured, I sanded it level. I then painted the base with three coats of hammered bronze paint. The lid of the jar was then drilled with a 1 1/8" hole, painted with the same paint, and screwed down to the base, lining up the holes. The actual lighting fitting was then threaded through this hole and secured with small machine screws. I then screwed the brass knob feet onto the base. Now we need the globe!
For the globe of the lamp, I took my handy dandy dremel and put in a diamond grinding bit (Harbor Freight tools is GREAT). I then banded the globe with duct tape for a clear line, and randomly etched swirls and lines in the glass to "frost" it, to obscure some mold marks from the jar's previous life. Before I screwed the globe down, I put in a chandelier size (e12) flicker type candle bulb. That, or an old school style filament bulb (like an Edison bulb) look the best, but any will work. I then plugged it in...
And I suddenly found myself wearing a lab coat, holding up the lamp in a heroic pose, and exclaiming.... "SCIENCE"!
I love Neovictorianist design (often called Steampunk). I love the idea of the future that never was. I am actually considering writing a treatise on how Steampunk and Neovictorian dress would change the world for better... But I digress.
This lamp just kinda came together of it's own, really. This jar was placed in my shop by one of my kids. They left it on the shelf, turned upside down...It called to me, and it said, in a voice reminiscent of a Thomas Dolby song... "SCIENCE!" It looked like an old electric lamp, the kind with a handmade bulb...
For the base, I took a piece of scrap wood, cut to 4" square, and drilled a 1 1/8" hole in the center. I also drilled 1/8" holes in the corners, for the bolts that would hold the feet. I countersunk the holes so the heads could be covered. I ran the bolts in, and covered the holes with wood putty. When the putty cured, I sanded it level. I then painted the base with three coats of hammered bronze paint. The lid of the jar was then drilled with a 1 1/8" hole, painted with the same paint, and screwed down to the base, lining up the holes. The actual lighting fitting was then threaded through this hole and secured with small machine screws. I then screwed the brass knob feet onto the base. Now we need the globe!
For the globe of the lamp, I took my handy dandy dremel and put in a diamond grinding bit (Harbor Freight tools is GREAT). I then banded the globe with duct tape for a clear line, and randomly etched swirls and lines in the glass to "frost" it, to obscure some mold marks from the jar's previous life. Before I screwed the globe down, I put in a chandelier size (e12) flicker type candle bulb. That, or an old school style filament bulb (like an Edison bulb) look the best, but any will work. I then plugged it in...
And I suddenly found myself wearing a lab coat, holding up the lamp in a heroic pose, and exclaiming.... "SCIENCE"!
5 Comments
mjarends 10 years ago
Master Beorn 10 years ago
mjarends 10 years ago
Thanks in advance.
Master Beorn 11 years ago
Quinnamon 11 years ago