This lamp may be used for gas, oil, or electricity. The difference
between this and the preceding lamps lies in the construction of the
base. The full page illustration shows lamp described here.
[Illustration]
_Base:_ Soft steel 1/8 × 5 × 24 ins.
Mark off the design shown by the full lines on the 1/8 × 5 × 24 in.
piece. This is for one leg of the lamp. Cut with a sharp cold chisel
along the outline about two thirds of the way through the thickness.
Place the cut line in the jaws of the vise. With a pair of tongs grasp
the waste material, then with a prying motion break off these pieces.
File up the rough edge left by the cutting. With this piece as a
pattern cut in like manner three more pieces, making four in all. This
makes the stock for the four legs. Place the foot end of one piece into
the fire and bend about 1 in. of this end into a small circle having a
radius of not more than 3/4 in. About 5 ins. back from this heat the
metal to a length of 5 ins. Place it on the anvil as shown and with
the hand hammer drive it into a circle.
[Illustration]
While bending this into shape keep the circle a little larger than the
drawing calls for. The circle is very easily reduced, while if it was
made too small in the beginning one would have to straighten the whole
piece out to increase the size. Therefore, it is best to work it large
until finished. Wide stock like this is easily twisted out of shape, so
that it is very difficult to bend it up in a circle of this kind. It is
hard, too, to change any twist that may be worked in.
[Illustration]
Bend the other three legs in the same way, as nearly like the first
one as you can. Be sure to make the four legs the same height when
finished. Drill three holes for 3/8-in. bolts, as shown in the sketch.
Seven inches below the top drill one hole in each leg for a rosette or
some form of decorative treatment. These four legs are held in place by
means of a tapered square plug 4 ins. long. The small end should fit
the smallest width on the lamp legs and the taper 4 ins. below this
width. Drill a hole through the centre of this plug for a 1/8-in. gas
pipe, if to be used for gas. The same opening can be made for electric
wires, etc., and a lamp well, placed at the end for a lamp.
_To put the lamp together:_ Place one leg on the square plug and mark
through the holes on the plug. Centre-punch these holes and drill for
a 3/8-in. top. The hole should be drilled through the plug. Tap out
the holes and bolt the two legs, one on either side. While drilling
these holes be sure they are at right angles to the centre axis of the
plug. This means a little blocking up on the tapered end. Bolt the two
legs to the plug by using any short 3/8-in. bolts for this purpose.
If all work so far has been carefully done these two legs will stand
vertically to the plane of the table. If not they can be made to do so
by taking out a little of the curve in the legs, thereby lengthening
the side that might be a little short. Place one leg up on the third
side and with a scratch awl mark the holes through on to the plug and
drill these three holes through the plug. Tap out as you did before
and put the other two feet on. Square up all the work done. Bolts are
used for this purpose. Take 3/8-in. square bolts, 1/2 in. long. Reduce
the thickness of the head to 1/8 in., flattening and rounding the top
slightly. Put these in place of the temporary bolts. They will hold the
sides of the lamp in place.
A decorative piece can be made out of a bolt head by placing it in the
heading tool and forming a pyramid shaped head. This is pushed through
the hole and riveted on the other side. Cut off a piece of gas pipe
short enough to extend about 1 in. above the top of the lamp and to
come within 2 ins. from the base. This is now forced through the hole
in the plug. If any of the bolts should have screwed into this hole,
preventing this pipe from going through, they should be filed off. To
fill up the interval caused by the four scrolls bending outward on the
top of the lamp, forge a round ball on the end of a square bar to fit
this opening. Cut off the ball and drill a hole in through the ball to
slip over the pipe. The thread on the end of the pipe should fall below
the top of the ball. Make a tripod as explained in the description of
the preceding lamp. Screw it in the end of this pipe tight against the
ball. The end of the pipe is used for the fixtures needed.
[Illustration: Forge ball 1-2-3 Drill hole 4]