RePurposing

Save to IdeabookEmail Photo Pull the cord firmly from underneath the base so the socket sits snugly in the socket cap, and then place first the cardboard and then the brass socket shell over the socket and snap it into place in the cap. (This can take a little jiggling.)

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Now you’re going to connect the wires to the socket. Note that there are two screws on the side of the socket. Bend each copper wire into a fish hook shape, hook one over each screw and tighten the screws securely

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Thread the harp over the wire onto the threaded rod, and then thread the socket cap over the wire and screw it tightly onto the threaded rod. This will secure the harp and provide a solid base for the socket. I’ve also tied a little knot — called an underwriter’s knot — in the wires, to help keep tension off the wires where they’re connected to the socket.

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These are the parts of your socket. They include, from left to right, the socket cap, the socket itself, the cardboard sleeve and the brass socket sleeve.

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Notice that I’ve carefully split the two wires in the cord about 2 inches down, removed about ½ inch of the insulation from each end and twisted the copper wire tightly so it stays together and doesn’t fray.

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Thread the electrical cord through the rod from under the base, up through the neck.

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Place the cap over the threaded rod (adjusting the nut underneath, if necessary) and screw down the neck. This will secure the cap to the vase. Make sure to tighten things very carefully — you don’t want to crack the vase. Notice that you’ve got about ⅜ inch of threaded rod protruding through the neck. Perfect! This is just what you need to secure the socket cap. We’ll get to that in a minute

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Save to IdeabookEmail Photo Place the end of the threaded rod with the rubber washer through the hole in the vase and the base, and secure it with another metal washer and nut from underneath the base. Now the base is securely fastened to the vase. Progress!

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So now that we have all our things gathered, let’s get started. My lamp measures 11 inches from the top of the neck to the bottom of the vase. Add 1 inch and cut the threaded rod to that length with a hacksaw. That will leave just enough to protrude through the base and the neck to attach washers and nuts on the bottom, and the socket cap on top. The threaded rod is a standard size for most lamps: approximately ⅜ inch in diameter. On one end of the rod, place one nut, one metal washer and one rubber washer, about 1¼ inches from the end. On the other end, place a nut about the same distance from the end. These can be adjusted as necessary.

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The finial is what tightens the shade to the harp. You can use just a simple brass knob, but I always like to find something interesting. Either of these two would work great with my lamp.

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My lamp base is 7 inches in diameter, because that’s what fits my vase. Bases come in many sizes, shapes and styles. This carved Chinese one seemed right for my little project. You want to get as close as you can to the right size — but if it’s a smidge too big, that’s OK. Many will already be drilled to accommodate the threaded pipe, but mine wasn’t, so I did it myself.

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This is the socket. They are almost always brass, and the heaver gauge metal you can find, the better — it just gives the lamp a more substantial feel. I also like to use a three-way socket, because most lamps need different levels of brightness for different occasions.

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The size of the harp will depend upon the size of the shade you pick. As a rule of thumb, the bottom of the shade should just cover the top of the neck when viewed at eye level. So buy a harp that puts the shade at that height. The harp fits onto the threaded pipe that goes up through the middle of the lamp. It fits on just after the neck and before the socket.

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Pictured here is a 4-inch-diameter cap that just fits over the top lip of the vase. To its left is the neck. The neck gives a finished look to the transition area between the cap and the light socket.

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Most lamp stores, some hardware stores, and places like Lowe’s and The Home Depot will usually have the rest of the items you’ll need to complete your lamp. Your list will include a cap, a neck, a socket, a harp, a base, a length of threaded pipe, three washers, four nuts that fit the threaded pipe and an electrical cord with a plug at one end. (My cord is about 9 feet long.)

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It’s an antique, but it’s not precious. It already had this chip on the edge when we bought it, which never bothered me, since I’m not fussy about those kinds of things. And it meant that I wouldn’t have any problem drilling a hole in the bottom, because it’s not valuable enough to worry about.

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