Safety mods to an electric lamp bought overseas?

[Lobster]

Just back from a family trip to Egypt learning to scuba dive. Boy, it was fantastic - best holiday *evah*, etc etc

Anyway, while we were out there SWMBO and Offspring #1 managed to find the time to go out for some retail therapy - no surprises there - and came back brandishing an electric lamp they'd procured following protracted negotations with the shop owner. Needless to say it isn't exactly kite-marked, and now we're home it has been banished to the workshop while I decide what's needed to make it a little less lethal - upon which subject I'd welcome the group's feedback.

It's basically a small mosaic glass egg with a light bulb inside; to be fair, I suppose it's quite attractive:

But. There's no ventilation whatsoever; it came with a 40W ES incandescent bulb, though matey advised SWMBO that it would be "perfectly OK with a 100W bulb as it's made of fireproof glass" So, I'm thinking of fitting a small CFL lamp (8W? ie "40W equiv") instead - will that likely be OK, in terms of longevity?

Next up; the flex has been shoved through a tiny hole in the glass with really sharp edges; as you can see it's already shredded the outer sheath of the flex and unless I drill it out larger and smoother, it would be down to bare copper before we know it. Let's hope I don't smash the 'egg' while doing that or I'll really be flavour of the month...

Finally, the lamp is currently wired with 2-core flex. Looking at the metal base and how it's wired, is this OK? Or do I need to connect the base to earth somehow? That's my major query TBH.

Oh, and as you can see there's a lump missing off the ceramic bulb holder, although that doesn't bother me unduly. (Looks like all the components, right down to the grubby old flex, are "recycled")

[ARW]

3 core flex is a must.

[tim......]

why, it's a lamp.

none of my lamps have three core flex, even those bought here

tim

[Tim Watts]

On Sunday 21 April 2013 09:18 Lobster wrote in uk.d-i-y:

Earth the base.

It's accessible to touch and only has basic insulation (one layer) between it and the live cores (where the wires sans sheath go up into the bulb holder).

I would also use a heat resistant flex.

[charles]

with a metal base!

[Tim Watts]

On Sunday 21 April 2013 09:43 tim...... wrote in uk.d-i-y:

See my post as to why.

[polygonum]

Or use a low voltage lamp - e.g. an LED and an external transformer/PSU.

[ARW]

Brilliant

[Steve Firth]

Lobster wrote: [snip]

I'd use LED, and consider using 12V and an external transformer.

[Tim Watts]

On Sunday 21 April 2013 10:08 ARW wrote in uk.d-i-y:

I like that - lateral thinking!

[ARW]

And a bit of clear glue/resin where the cable passes through the glass should save trying to make the hole bigger. A length of two core gold cloured flex would do the trick.

[meow2222]

Hole can be enlarged with die grinder and abrasive bit. Aldi still have som e left for £13, and bit sets for £5.

NT

[Owain]

It looks as though the egg just sits on the lampholder?

I think I'd be inclined to ditch the lampholder and base entirely and make up a new one with a turned piece of wood, nicely stained, to act as a base for the egg, with the lampholder (of whatever variety) affixed thereto and the flex exiting from the base. Then sit the egg on top of it.

Depending on diameter, a luminaire like this

might be usable, turn it upside down, grommet and clamp a flex through the side, and swap the supplied globe with the egg

Using a 'christmas tree' type of white LED chain on flicker controller would allow the egg to slowly change appearance. Extra terrestrial?

Owain

[geoff]

In message , Lobster writes

You should have said

I was in Sharm a month ago

[Brian Gaff]

I do know one thing, most totally enclosed holders with filament bulbs have short life bulbs, and soon after fossilised holders. Not to mention burning yourself on the egg. Leds are the way to go here I'd say. There are a number of task lights for VIPs around and increasingly to stop burnt ear syndrome they are going led.

Brian

[geoff]

In message , Tim Watts writes

Nothing short of Pyro will do here

Why not just replace the bulbholder etc

[Dave Liquorice]

Yeah sort of, if you like that sort of thing.

TBH the electric side is a right bodge together, like you say a collection of recycled parts. Think I'd be looking at replacing everything but the shade with something less bodged.

How big is the hole in the shade? Will it fit over a batten lamp holder? Or take a look at what is on offer at:

Particularly the side entry stuff. The thumbnails take you to different selections of bits, Don't know anything about that Company.

Not sure an LED bulb would look good unless you can get one with a very even light distribution pattern, like that frosted gold ball. A spiral type CFL might be OK.

Any "exposed conductive part" must be earthed.

Flex exit, tricky I might look at a thicker base(*) for the shade to rest on and bring the flex out through that rather than trying to make the hole bigger. The current holes is a where a lot of different bits of glass meet and presumably the black infill is much softer than the glass. Drilling with a bullet tipped drill I'd say is out, grinding with a Dremmel or similar might be OK.

(*) A squat top hat from a bit of 1" thick timber with the exposed edge of the "brim" 1/2" thick or so.

[D.M.Chapman]

Yep, I know someone who had similar - stuffed with a chain of 30 odd white LEDs (as you xmas tree lights) on a sort of slow-fade setting gave it a rather pleasing "moving light" look.

Was suprisingly effective, and all low voltage to somewhat less scary.

Darren

[Lobster]

Sounds like a plan - thanks.

Though, don't LED lamps tend to be of the spot-light or down-light variety; ie, directional? This beast definitely needs something which works like a conventional incandescent 'light bulb'; anyone know of somewhere those are those available (plus holders which would suit my lamp)?

[Lobster]

We were in Dahab, about 90k to the North. Were you diving too?