How to rebuild a lamp

Description

A quick overview showing how to replace the switch in a shop lamp.

Transcript

Hi Makers, Builders and Hackers. Harley here.

I've got this nifty little shop lamp that I picked up a number of years ago. I think I got it when I got either my band saw or my drill press. And it's really handy. I think I got it a Woodcraft for like $20 or something like that. And it's got a magnetic base so you can stick it on the metal table of the tool or on the side of the tool itself. And it's got multiple points of articulation so you can move the light where ever you want it. Extend it out or crimp it in. It's got a couple points where it pivots on the base and on the lamp itself so you can move the lamp where ever you really want it. It's just a really handy little lamp and inexpensive. Last time I went to use it however the switch just would not switch. It was completely frozen up for some reason. So I'm going to take it apart and see if I can see what's going on with it and see if I can fix it.

In taking everything apart, I can not see from visual inspection what's going on. It's just... It doesn't really come apart any further than this. There's a couple rivets in here and if I really wanted to get ambitious I could drill it out, but then I'd never be able to put it back together. I did notice in taking it apart that there's some plastic melted looking bits right here where it looks like it got really hot and melted the plastic a little bit. I'm guessing... As I was taking it apart I noticed I have a 100 watt bulb in here and I also noticed that the... inside here it says "use 60 watt type... or smaller bulbs." I think I may have just overheated it and melted the thing. So, the moral of the story here is... use... don't put a larger bulb in here than it was designed for.

I did go to Home Depot, or Lowe's I guess it was, and picked up another switch. I'm going to take it apart and see if it will work. It's the same type of switch. It looks on the surface like it's a good match. In fact, as I look at it now, it looks like an exact match. So, I'll take it apart and see if it fits in the fitting and hopefully it'll be working here in a minute.

Yay! It works. It was an absolutely perfect fit. This piece I got at Home Depot looks like it was exactly the same part and it fit without any problems whatsoever. And so, I'm glad. Got my little lamp back and I can start doing some band sawing now. Awesome.

Until next time, keep on hacking. It doesn't have to be perfect, just have fun.