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  • Stone Lamp With Painted Shade
  • From "Crafters Coast to Coast"
    episode HCC2C-134F


    PHOTO
    PHOTO
    Project by Sue Donsker of St. Paul, Minn.

    Sue could never find the style of lighting fixture she liked, so decided to quit looking and start making her own. Here she makes a stone and hand-painted lamp that is certainly not of the usual lamp store variety.

    Materials:

    slate tile
    gauze
    plain paper shade
    4 rubber feet
    threaded pipe cut to the height of the lamp *
    nuts
    lock nuts
    gas caps
    copper pipe **
    check ring
    electrical socket
    bushing
    cord and plug
    harp saddle and harp
    finial
    spray water bottle
    light bulb
    wet saw/tile cutter
    drill press or hand-held drill with a masonry bit
    chop saw or pipe-cutting tool
    electrician's pliers/wire stripper
    screwdriver
    watercolors or acrylic inks
    gesso
    gold spray paint
    UV-protective spray

    * from bottom of base to the socket
    ** cut to measure from top of slate base to just 1/2-inch short of the top of the threaded pipe

    Steps:


    1. For the shade: Starting with a plain paper shade, tear gauze and lay over the shade. Spray the whole thing down with water.


    2. Drip watercolor or acrylic ink over the wet gauze and shade. Let it dry for a while so the shade paper is dry but the gauze still damp. Re-spray with water and drip another color. Repeat this process three more times or until enough color is added.


    3. Re-spray one last time and drip watered-down gesso over gauze. Spray with water one more time and let this completely dry.


    4. Lightly spray with a little gold spray paint. Let dry.


    5. Spray with a UV-protectant coating to finish. Drying process can be accelerated using a hair dryer.


    6. For the base: Cut slate into three rectangles of varying sizes. Experiment with the arrangement of rectangles for the base part of the lamp.


    7. Drill a hole through all three pieces of slate for the inner pipe. Make sure to squirt water on the drill bit during the drilling process to keep the bit cool.


    8. Glue rubber feet on the bottom piece of slate. The bottom third of the threaded pipe will hold the slate. The slate will be mechanically held into position with nuts, lock nuts and threaded gas caps for spacers.


    9. After the slate is screwed and tightly into position on the threaded pipe, measure and cut a piece of copper plumber's pipe for the stem. Make sure the copper is 1/2 inch shorter than the top of the threaded pipe.


    10. The copper is then placed over the threaded pipe, resting on top of the slate. Place a check ring over the top of the copper pipe and secure with a nut.


    11. With the remaining 1/2 inch on top of the threaded pipe, slip on the harp saddle, another nut, and then screw on the bottom shell of the electrical socket. Turn the lamp upside down and place a bushing into the bottom of the inner pipe.


    12. Run the electrical cord up the pipe and up through the socket shell. Separate the two coated wires of the cord down about 6 inches. Tie an underwriter's knot with the two coated wires. Attach wires to the screws on the inner part of the socket (identified wire to the silver screw, unidentified to the gold screw).


    13. Gently pull out cord a few inches from bottom of lamp to cinch up knot in socket. Snap on outer shell of socket.


    14. Attach harp and screw in light bulb. The shade rests on the harp and the finial secures the shade.


    We apologize no guest contact information is available.

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