Almost anything can be turned into a lamp base: if you can drill a hole through it and it's heavy enough not to tip over, it can become a lamp. Beverly DeJulio, host of HGTV's Homewise With Beverly DeJulio, explains how to make a nifty baseball lamp that's just right for your little slugger's bedroom. Materials:
Three baseballs
Drill and 3/8" drill bit
Block of wood
Four wooden beads for lamp base
Wood glue
Threaded lamp rod
Washer and nut to fit lamp rod
Lamp kit (includes socket components, lamp cord and lamp harp)
Hacksaw
File
Masking tape
Sharp utility knife
Clip-on lampshade
- Drill a hole through the center of each baseball (figure A). A 3/8" drill bit is used so the holes will match the 3/8" diameter of the lamp rod.
- Drill a hole through the block of wood that will serve as the base for the balls. Glue a wooden bead on each bottom corner of the wood base to raise it up to accommodate the lamp cord.
- If the lamp rod is too long, cut it to the correct size with a hacksaw, and file the rough edges smooth.
- Slide the baseballs onto the lamp rod, and insert the bottom end of the lamp rod through the top of wooden lamp base. Add a washer and nut to the end of the lamp rod that protrudes from the bottom of the lamp base, and tighten the nut.
Note: - A lamp kit includes lamp cord, the socket components (shell, cap and insulation) and a lamp harp (figure B). Because this project uses a clip-on lampshade, the lamp harp wasn't needed.
- Put masking tape on the end of the lamp cord to make it easier to thread through the rod. Thread the cord through the lamp rod from the bottom of the lamp, allowing about 5" of cord to extend out of the top of the rod. Fit the socket cap over the cord, and tighten it down to the rod.
- Lamp cord is made of dual wires joined by brown insulation. Pull the two wires of the lamp cord apart about 2" down from the end. Use a sharp knife to strip off 1/2" of the insulation from each wire. Be careful not to cut into the wire.
- Tie an underwriter's knot in the two wires to keep them in place in the socket, preventing them from being pulled back through the lamp rod (figure C). To tie an underwriter's knot, hold the lamp cord so it forms a Y shape, with the joined lamp cord in the middle and the two ends forming the arms of the Y. Following the shape of the Y, make a loop of each piece of wire. Slip the end of each loop through the loop formed by the opposing wire, and tighten the knot. Tug lightly on the plug end of the lamp cord at the base of the lamp to pull the knot snugly against the socket cap.
- Attach the wires to the socket. Twist the strands of each exposed wire clockwise so there are no frayed ends. Use a screwdriver to hook each wire around a terminal screw. The neutral wire of the cord, which is ridged or marked, connects to the silver socket terminal. The hot wire, which is smooth and unmarked, connects to the brass socket terminal. Twist each wire around the appropriate terminal screw, and tighten each screw with a screwdriver (figure D), making sure there are no stray wires.
- Fit the socket cap and insulation into the socket cap, covering the wiring (figure E).
- Remove the protective plastic coating from the baseballs, and put the clip-top shade in place (figure F).
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