Cornering the Stained Glass Lamp

There is a requirement for some people to consistently move things around in their lives. There are theories that this is a sign that something is not quite right, maybe they are unhappy with things. I think some people just enjoy to change things up a little bit from time to time. It also allows them to dust under and around things which I obviously do not do.

I tend to leave things as they are until I trip over the fully-formed and now sentient dust bunny. My wife is thankfully a "move things around" individual. She is mostly unhappy that I do not dust (or vacuum) under things. Obviously, when she wants things moved I help as much as I can. Let's face it, I owe her.

Recently, she wanted a small lamp with a stained-glass shade moved to the lower shelf of our corner cabinet. Unfortunately, it was about 1/8 inch taller than the space allowed, and these shelves are not adjustable. Honestly, I can't think of any shelves in our house that are adjustable.

Back to the lamp. First, I checked my peanut butter jar full of spare nuts, nothing there. 

Then I checked the other lamps in the house, only one lamp had the same retaining nut threading, but it was as tall as the one I was replacing. 

Hey, this coaxial cable nut seems to be the same size! So, I snipped the connector off and sawed the nut from it. Who uses coax anymore? Turns out the size was right but the threading was wonky, or "not-the-same".

Finally, I decided to shorten a retaining nut from one of the lamps. I choose the less decorative of the two, it also had a small lip on the bottom that would hide the alteration nicely.

I had to find some way to hold the small nut securely to work on it, it wouldn't do to have it rolling everywhere while trying to work on it. In short order, I quickly notched a 'V' into the jaws of a small hand screw. I've got two of these that I don't use very often and can easily make another if I feel I can't live without. 

The notches allow the nut to have four points of contact with the holding device. I then filed down the soft brass retaining nut past the lip.  

Ah, after all that, the lamp fits!

Of course, other alterations to the cabinet have to be made to accommodate the new immigrant. I made a second hole to put a Scentsy warmer on the middle shelf.

This is how it looks this morning as I write the blog.

So things are dusted
     and Easter has moved in.
Everyone is happy,
     until we have to dust again.

Dan.