Intro: 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.

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.