With the plethora of "extreme" garage-oriented television shows that feature welding in raw, unbridled fashion, it's easy to forget that welding skills can be used to create artistic yet functional items for the home. This floor lamp, for example, provides a stylish accent for almost any room, and it is an ideal project for practicing basic welding techniques. Layout and assembly are simple and straightforward. Except for the paint's drying time and creating the base, the entire lamp can be completed in about four hours. All you'll need are a few lamp parts, some sand mix and about 13 lineal ft. of 1/2-in.-sq. hollow tube.
Milling the parts
Cut all of the 1/2-in.-sq. tube parts to length (photo 1, p. 64) as indicated in the parts list. I used an abrasive cutoff saw — a good tool for cutting tube to length — but you could also use a metal-cutting saw, a pneumatic cutoff tool, an angle grinder or even a jigsaw outfitted with a metal-cutting blade. Make all cuts at 90 degrees except for the tops of the uprights (A) and the ends of the top crosspiece (B) — make those cuts at 45 degrees as shown in the illustration.
Drill two 1/4-in-dia. holes for the base mounting bolts through the bottom crosspiece (D), with the center of each hole located 3/4 in. from the ends. To allow the top crosspiece to accept the lamp components, you'll need to create a threaded hole centered on its top face. Because most lamp sockets require a 3/8-in. threaded hollow nipple, use a 21/64-in. drill bit to bore a hole through only the top face of the top crosspiece. Slightly counterbore the top of the hole; then use a 3/8-24 tap to cut threads in the hole (photo 2).
Welding the frame
Start the welding process by laying the two uprights along with the top and bottom crosspieces in place on a smooth, level surface such as a concrete floor. Use a square to check alignment; then weld the pieces together at the joints (photo 3). Flip the framework over and weld the opposing joint faces.
To build the infield design, first position according to the illustration and then weld into place the three infield crosspieces (C) and the three infield uprights (E). Use short scraps of 1/2-in.-sq. tube as spacers to determine the proper placement of the uprights (photo 4). Don't worry if you have trouble reaching into or creating smooth welds on any of the inside corners — you can use auto body filler to smooth those joint lines.
Once everything has cooled, use an angle grinder outfitted with a metal-cutting/grinding wheel to smooth all of the welds flush (photo 5). Remember to wear a face shield in addition to safety glasses during this process, as hot sparks can cause serious eye damage. Finally, spray the framework with paint — I used Rust-Oleum's hammered-gold finish.
Casting the base
Most floor lamps tend to be top-heavy, and this one is no exception. To compensate, you'll need to create a heavy, stable base. Though there are a variety of materials you could use, I chose concrete for two important reasons. First, by using concrete, I was able to create a specific shape that worked with both the design of the lamp framework and the shape of the shade. Second, because of its weight, a concrete base can have a smaller footprint than one made of a lighter material. (Such a base would need to be substantially wider to compensate for its lack of mass.)
To cast a concrete base, you'll need sand mix, latex fortifier and a mold — I used a 14-in. drywall-compound trough, though countless items can serve as molds. Mix a small batch of sand mix, following both its directions and those of the fortifier. (Remember to always wear a NIOSH-approved disposable respirator as well as hand and eye protection when working with concrete.)
Keep the consistency of the mix fluid enough that it will readily conform to the mold but not so wet that it resembles soup. Spray the inside of the mold with nonstick cooking spray; then pour the mix into the mold (photo 6). Gently shake the mold to help the mixture fill all of the corners; then set it in a warm, dry place to cure (a process that usually takes two to three days).
Once the base has cured, remove it from the mold and drill three 1/4-in-dia. holes as indicated in the illustration: two for the mounting bolts that will secure the lamp framework to the base and one for the power cord (photo 7). Because I chose to use 1/4-20 x 2-in. hex-head bolts and bolt caps (a type of quick-connect hardware commonly found on knock-down furniture) as mounting hardware, I needed to slightly counterbore the underside of the two bolt holes to accept the recessed bolt caps (photo 8). If you opt for different mounting hardware such as carriage bolts, you'll need to counterbore the underside of the holes enough to recess the bolt nuts. Finally, adhere rubber bumpers at each corner to allow space for the lamp cord to travel beneath the base once the lamp is placed upright on the floor.
Final assembly
Although the welding for this lamp is pretty straightforward, feeding the power cord through the hollow framework can be a challenge, depending on how stiff the wire in your power cord is. If you have any trouble snaking the cord past the 90-degree bend at the top of the framework, tie a length of strong fishing line to a small lead fishing weight. Drop the weight through the threaded lamp-socket hole; then turn the framework so that the weight and its attached string continue to travel past the 90-degree bend and down the upright. Once it exits the bottom of the upright, untie the weight, fasten the fishing line to the lamp cord and pull it back up through the lamp framework and out the threaded opening where you started.
Assemble the lamp-socket hardware according to its instructions, which may vary depending on the specific hardware you purchase (see illustration).
To assemble my hardware, I first fed the 3/8-in. threaded hollow lamp-socket nipple over the lamp cord and screwed it into the threaded opening in the top crosspiece. Then I attached the power cord to the socket and screwed the socket onto the threaded nipple. (If the shade you choose requires a harp for support, you'll need to attach the harp to the threaded nipple before screwing on the lamp socket.) Feed the other end of the lamp cord through the base, bolt the base to the framework and attach a plug to the end of the lamp cord. All that's left is to attach the shade, set the lamp in place and plug it in. It's OK if you glow with pride as you savor your brilliant creation.