The Bigfoot Reading Lamp – A commissioned piece
This piece was commissioned and completed in January 2015 and was quite a simple piece to construct. The basis of this build was an old wall-mounted down-lighter with most of the bracket and 12mm gooseneck tubing removed, I then fitted two brass connecting nuts to accept the flexible brass gas-pipe used as a replacement goose neck. The main stem for the lamp itself was made using parts from a couple of old desk lamps, A 15mm wheel valve and lengths of 15mm copper pipe and fittings.
This piece was commissioned and completed in January 2015 and was quite a simple piece to construct. The basis of this build was an old wall-mounted down-lighter with most of the bracket and 12mm gooseneck tubing removed, I then fitted two brass connecting nuts to accept the flexible brass gas-pipe used as a replacement goose neck. The main stem for the lamp itself was made using parts from a couple of old desk lamps, A 15mm wheel valve and lengths of 15mm copper pipe and fittings.
The copper pipe was cut to length and soldered to form a supporting frame for the lamp shade section. 15mm brass nuts were soldered to each end of the shade to receive the copper pipe framework. Once all the upright and frame was in-place the wiring could be fed through the brass flexible hose and the upright support and into the base. The internals of the wheel valve were adjusted in order that the electrical supply was not damaged if the wheel was tightened fully.
The sight glass sub assembly started life as a gas regulator from oxy-acetylene welding equipment and part of a domestic garden hose end. The body was cut to size and tooled to receive the additional fittings and base connections. The sight ‘glass’ is 28mm acrylic tube capped with a light fitting into which I soldered a brass tapered ring to act as a tight-fitting stopper. This is then topped with a drawer pull for the valve wheel. The 1/8” brass tubing is soldered into the hole left by removal of the earth wire connector. All joints were sealed before adding the luminescent green fluid.
A ‘Piston-Broke’ pressure gauge made from a 50mm brass female connector and, was soldered to 8mm copper pipe work to complete this assembly.
A ‘Piston-Broke’ pressure gauge made from a 50mm brass female connector and, was soldered to 8mm copper pipe work to complete this assembly.
Added to these assemblies are the vintage brass and ceramic light switch and the insulator pole (made from a bathroom light-pull) and coiled wiring. Then all were fixed to the custom-shaped and chamfered oak base. The base was routed out underneath to accommodate the wiring, stained and waxed to a dark oak finish.
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