So I know I’m a guy, and I also love pinterest…but I’m not telling any of the firefighters I work with about this love I have. About a year ago and I found something very (p)interesting…”steam punk” lamps…I fell in love…but I’m not paying $200-$300 for them on etsy…so why not make them?

So that’s what I did. Sometimes I sit at home and just come up with designs…and then, I make them. Easy, right? Wrong…putting the pipe together is, yes, the easy part. However, unless you know how to wire something, it’s a little difficult…

Let me be clear, I know enough about electricity to electrocute myself, and unless you know how to wire something, properly I would NOT try this without checking your wired mess with a professional, or someone who knows exactly what they are doing.

Now, when I start any project, I like to have everything laid out in front of me, this way when I need it, it’s right there in front of me…

Now after this I usually try to follow a set of (crudely drawn) plans I have made for myself. I hook up all the lighting and wiring hardware and bring it to a junction box…

After all the parts are hooked up, its working, I break it all down. Some parts I use myself don’t match the black pipe I use. So, how do I make a brand new piece look close to the black pipe, or at least old? I drop it into a vat of agin solution. Now I’m lucky, my workshop is down the road from an “antique” hardware store who stock this aging solution. But I’m sure you can buy it online. But this is an example of what it will do for you if you’re looking for new shiny metal, to look old…(make sure you wire wheel it first)

I use that solution like it’s going out of style. The best thing about it…you can use it over and over again! Make sure you’re wearing gloves…it is technically an acid on the pH scale. Anyway, to make a long story short, I’ve made several of these lamps…here are a few…

This one was for a friend of mine, it has a turn knob for the on/off and a usb plug-in for a charging station.

This one was the first I built, with a flip switch and a usb port.

Anyway, leave a comment below, share or give it a thumbs up…Have BRIGHT day!