- Joined
- Oct 27, 2013
- Messages
- 124
Hello folks.
I am building an art deco "steampunk" bar/table top light. If you can't picture one just search eBay, you'll get the concept. I'm using 3 of those new vintage style "Edison" L.E.D. bulbs at some point I'll fab up cages to both protect them and defuse the light. The structure itself will be made from a hundred bucks or so worth of 3/4" steel grey pipe, nipples, fittings and caps. I just completed a trick conversion to a brass gate valve, that I've bored out and used to house a rotary on/off. Topping the whole project off will be some cool vintage 8" steam railroad gauges, a few geared machinery parts welded together for a base and maybe even a hidden 12v transformer that will light up some old vacuum tubes to add to the useless conversation piece's oddity.
To hold the light bulb sockets, I've bored out one reducer fitting and will J.B. weld the socket in one end and screw attach the other. For the other two bulbs, I want to use a 90 degree street fitting that are 3/4 on one end and 1" on the other, but when I went to bore the 1" threads out of it to fit the socket, like I did with the straight fitting, I realized I have no way to clamp the part (due to it's sweep) in the lathe. I don't own a 4 jaw, maybe this is my reason to order one. My other option it to clamp it in the mill vise, but I don't own a bit the 1-3/8 size I need to make the bore big enough to receive the socket either.
I could spend a few bucks and just buy a bi-metal holesaw to run in the mill, or I can keep trying to get the odd shaped part to stop wiggling loose in the 3 jaw chuck. I'd really like to do this will tools that I already own since all of the specialty parts for this project are starting to add up and I've kinda blown my budget for the month.
Thanks for your thoughts.
I am building an art deco "steampunk" bar/table top light. If you can't picture one just search eBay, you'll get the concept. I'm using 3 of those new vintage style "Edison" L.E.D. bulbs at some point I'll fab up cages to both protect them and defuse the light. The structure itself will be made from a hundred bucks or so worth of 3/4" steel grey pipe, nipples, fittings and caps. I just completed a trick conversion to a brass gate valve, that I've bored out and used to house a rotary on/off. Topping the whole project off will be some cool vintage 8" steam railroad gauges, a few geared machinery parts welded together for a base and maybe even a hidden 12v transformer that will light up some old vacuum tubes to add to the useless conversation piece's oddity.
To hold the light bulb sockets, I've bored out one reducer fitting and will J.B. weld the socket in one end and screw attach the other. For the other two bulbs, I want to use a 90 degree street fitting that are 3/4 on one end and 1" on the other, but when I went to bore the 1" threads out of it to fit the socket, like I did with the straight fitting, I realized I have no way to clamp the part (due to it's sweep) in the lathe. I don't own a 4 jaw, maybe this is my reason to order one. My other option it to clamp it in the mill vise, but I don't own a bit the 1-3/8 size I need to make the bore big enough to receive the socket either.
I could spend a few bucks and just buy a bi-metal holesaw to run in the mill, or I can keep trying to get the odd shaped part to stop wiggling loose in the 3 jaw chuck. I'd really like to do this will tools that I already own since all of the specialty parts for this project are starting to add up and I've kinda blown my budget for the month.
Thanks for your thoughts.