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At times we have to choose between the path that is conventional and the path that is not. In today's world that once worn path that our great grandparents traveled is so overgrown and forgotten that it barely exists. Our goal is to reforge that forgotten path and make it new again.

The Family Eggers

The Family Eggers

Sunday, March 8, 2015

The bottle lamp

More recycled / upcycled gear that we are making.   The latest is a lamp to be given to Mother-in Law for a birthday present.  We had already given her a Jameson tumbler for her er uh....medicine a couple of x-masses ago.  This lamp should compliment her collection.    I have wanted to try making bottle lamps for a while after getting the idea from a co-worker (Thanks Tony).    The trick is using a diamond bit designed specifically for glass to drill a hole at the bottom of the bottle.   I purchased a set of diamond bits on Amazon.com, and so far they are working well.   I used the Neiko Heavy Duty 5-Piece Diamond Dust Hole Saw with pretty good initial success.

Process: (Wear protective eyeware;  I wore a face shield).

1.  Fill bottle with water.  This helps prevent any chip-outs when the bit nears coming through to the inside of the bottle.

2.  Drill slow and steady at point on bottom of bottle where cord will enter.  I did this in the kitchen sink with a very small trickle of water flowing onto the cutting point of the glass. 
*  The first bottle I tried I broke because I applied far to much pressure on the bit.  But by letting the drill bit do the work, my next two bottles were successful.

3.  String wire /cord though the drilled hole to the top/neck of the bottle.

4.  Drill hole through bottle lid or cork.  I used regular multipurpose drill bits for this part.    Ultimately the hole diameter was 3/8", but to keep the cork/lid from being destroyed I used a series of progressively larger bits and worked up to the 3/8".  This was large enough for the lamp "pipe" to fit through the lid.

5.  Wiring and tightening the socket to (or through) the lid is fairly self-explanatory and intuitive.  

6.  I filled the hole at the bottom with a dab of silicone to hold the cord in place.  This is probably not necessary and the hole is smooth (no sharp edges), but it adds a little extra professional feel to the lamp.

I made two lamps.  The first lamp was made with a Westinghouse lamp kit purchased from Home Depot.  The second lamp I used the "guts" from a lamp Mackenson has broke some time ago.  Both with equally good results.  

Now to find some decent lampshades, and I think they will look pretty nice.

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