Posted by Gary Dodge on October 02, 2002 at 00:17:31:
In Reply to: Worden Lamp mold posted by Adele on September 27, 2002 at 15:46:06:
Hi Adele,
I'm not sure what you mean about the lip, but for the edges at the bottom of the lamp you have a few options. The first is to run a wire around the bottom of the lamp and solder it to the bottom of the glass all the way around.
Another possibility is to solder ball chain, the same kind of chain used in lamp sockets with a pull chain, all the way around the bottom of the lamp.
Another option is to bend a ring of brass rod to fit the bottom of the lamp and solder it all the way around. You can bend 1/8" rod by hand, but for the heavy 1/4" rod you'd need a roller type bender.
Lastly you can simply build up a strong solder bead all the way around the bottom. This requires some practice. The bead has to stand up high and round on the edge of the glass. I should look like somebody slit a tiny hose down one side and snapped it over the edge of the lamp. You need to hold the lamp upside down and apply solder one dab at a time.
The lamp pinning thing, well about the best suggestion would be to try some Tacky Wax. It is a sticky wax formulation containing bees wax that can be used in tiny dabs behind the glass pieces to hold them in place. Later on you have to heat the lamp up with a hair dryer or put the whole thing into the oven to soften the wax so the lamp can be removed from the form. The down side is that the wax can be a bear to clean from the inside of the lamp later, although hot water and a cleaner containing TSP (tri-sodium phosphate) will help.
Gary Dodge
: I'm building my first Worden Lamp and the mold is curved at the bottom (the lamp will have plat panels then a "lip" all the way around the bottom).
: My question is, what's the best technique to solder the lip around the bottom?
: I'm also having a hard time "pinning" the glass sections to the mold in the manner that they are supposed to lay, any ideas?
: I hope I'm making myself clear :)
: Thanks!