THE LITTLE THINGS - MAKING A LAMP

I had built a coop for the turkeys when one of the three hens (the best) disappeared suspiciously close to Thanksgiving.  I hope it was just a coyote.  I imagine God must regard it rather poorly when someone says grace to Him over a Thanksgiving turkey that was stolen. With the arrival of cold weather, the problem of frozen drinking water in the poultry watering cans became a problem.  I had three waterers and only two lamps.  I take it as a given that all we need to meet our needs is at hand, we only have to recognize it and find a way to use it.

Sure enough, at about the same time I found a discarded painters' lamp and a discarded monitor power cord for a computer. I wonder sometimes at those people who can casually discard an item that still has utility like these.  The lamp had a broken power cord, but was otherwise in workable condition.  I already had the necessary items to fabricate a serviceable lamp:

1. 1 lamp body
2. 1 power cord
3. solder
4. electrical tape
5. soldering torch
6. matches
7. tile
8. light bulb
9. knife

So, I set out the materials and tool, and then proceeded to repair the lamp as follows:

1. trim the ends of the lamp cord and power cord and remove insulation to expose the bare wired about 1/2 in long.
2. test the lamp and power cord for conductivity and twist the appropriate ends together.
3. heat up the joints in the wire and solder them together.
4. When the joints are cool, wrap them individually in electrical tape using about 2 inches of tape for the joints, and then wrap them again with another 4 inches of tape.
5. Screw in a working light bulb, 60W
6. Test the lamp

Cost - $0, a little butane, solder and tape and about 20 minutes labor.

The lamp was soon installed with a few screws in the coop and a safe warm, well-lighted haven was ready for the turkeys.