This is my father.
(I don’t have very many family pictures, so this 1980ish one is the most recent I have.)
He was an electrician by trade.
Early in life I learned basic wiring skills from him.
So when I found that my $7.00 lamp had a short in the cord, I knew what to do.
Lamp kits are easy to find at any hardware store.
But being the frugal spinster that I am I purchased this extension cord to use instead.
So with a good cord in hand the following tutorial is how I fixed my lamp.
If you ever need to rewire a lamp this tutorial may come in handy.
The process involves removing the existing cord and reassembling the lamp with a working cord.
Remove the shade and harp if your lamp has one. Then pull the socket cover off.
Unscrew the wires from the socket.
To make it easy to pull the new wire into place attach a string to the old wire before you remove it. This would be very important if it is not a straight lamp.
Pull the old cord all the way out of the bottom of the lamp.
If you use an extension cord like I did cut off the receptacle end.
Separate the two strands 2-3 inches and strip about a half an inch of the insulation off of each wire.
Thread your new cord through the hole at the base of the lamp.
If you forget this step your lamp will be sitting on the cord making it wobble. If that is the case you will have to start all over and do it right.
Measure off enough cord to reach to the socket and tie a knot in the cord.
Attach the string to the new cord.
Use it to pull the wire through the lamp.
Screw one wire in each side of the socket.
Snap the socket cover in place.
If your lamp has a harp, replace it.
Test your handiwork.
Replace the shade.
Give your lamp a place of honor in the room of your choice.
If any of my instructions are unclear, use the comment box ask questions and I’ll do my best to help you through your rewire.
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