Post #427219 by jpmartdog on Mon, Jan 5, 2009 5:26 AM

Hey C & A. Great step by step post, but I have to say - I would love to see it be taken a step further. I have made a few of these lamps for my personal use. My problem has always been securing the fixture inside the fish, especially in the larger varieties. My 12 inch lamp is equipped with a conventional lite socket with 40 watt lamp. I have attempted to form a clamp/bracket out of a heavy gauge semi flexible wire. A gauge that allows bending but stays firmly in place and form. The problem is getting the socket to SAFELY stay inside the opening that has to be cut large enough to accomodate a conventional size light bulb.

I started with an approximate 18" piece of wire, working from the middle of the wire, attempted to wrap the socket base tightly once around it. It's not easy to make it tight with the heavy gauge wire, but able to tighten it enough to catch the ridge on the base of the socket.

I bring the two long ends of the wire to opposite sides of the socket and bend them to create a sort of a figure 8 looking assembly.

I then bend the heavy gauge loops down towards the light bulb. The difficulty is in inserting the wire/bulb/socket assembly into the nearly 2 1/2" opening in the fish. Holding the wires tight to the bulb with both hands - I work the socket into the opening. Once past the opening with the assembly - simply let it go and the heavy gauge wire slightly opens back up. The fish body/shade then rests on the wire assembly. BUT not very securely. I am not happy with this arrangement, and am sure it would not be UL rated for safety.

Anyone have a method for fabricating a safe and secureable collar, that will firmly hold the socket and bulb to the fish?

one of my lamps!

[ Edited by: jpmartdog 2009-01-05 05:37 ]