Nightstand Reading Lamp

It would have been so much easier if out bed had a proper headboard to attach a reading lamp. But being an old style steel tube frame, it didn't. So I needed to create an old style reading lamp that would set on a night stand and not look modern and out of place.

Below is the list of components needed.

Supplies

Old style Picture light (from Ebay)

Brass Base (from Ebay)

Micro push button switch (from Amazon)

Brass screw and nut

Fender washer

3 - mini Blue wire nuts (2x22ga)

Drillbit set

Drill

Some kind of glue. (I used Hot Glue)

Step 1: Choose Your Lamp

I searched Ebay for various lights and found this one. All metal, definitely vintage and it looked like an old style Picture lamp. And the price was right!

Step 2: Choose Your Base

Another Ebay search found this base as well as many other styles. I liked this style because it was large enough to not tip over, having enough mass in the base. There was enough room under the base to install a switch yet not so large as to overpower the size of the lamp

Step 3: Attach Base to Lamp

I cut off that long mounting tail on the lamp back to the last hole and using a brass Pan Head screw, nut and fender washer, put the two pieces together and tightened the nut.

Step 4: Installing the ON/OFF Switch

Depending on the size of switch you choose, pick the appropriate drill bit and drill a switch hole in the base as shown. Then install the switch.

Note this switch was chosen because it has a very soft ON/OFF, that would not push this lite weight lamp across the night stand.

Step 5: Get the Lamp Wires to the Switch

Another hole must be drilled on the back side of the lamp stalk to feed the wires to the switch.

Step 6: Wiring

The wiring is simple.

You have two wires coming from the lamp. Connect one to one wire of the switch with a mini Blue wire nut.
The other wire from the lamp goes to one of the power wires, connected with a mini Blue wire nut.
The other switch wire connects to the remaining power wire with a mini Blue wire nut.

That's it!

To retain all the wires, under the base in place, I used Hot Glue as shown.

Step 7: Choosing Your Light Bulb

The original light bulb that came with the Picture Lamp was a 25W incandescent.
We can surely do better than that!
I finally came up with a FEIT BP20T61/2/LED/HDRP. It is a 3000K 2W = 20 W equivalent.

However this bulb has an Intermediate base, and the lamp has a medium base, so a reducing adapter, Medium to Intermediate Base was needed.

Step 8: Final Testing

Being 3000K, the light is not harsh with a yellowish glow and it does everything I hoped it would. Enough light to read by, look very period and be very energy efficient with the latest technology in light bulbs.