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Mounting aluminum
lampshades on stainless steel tubing
Since
Ngineering's lampshades are manufactured from aluminum and our tubing is
stainless steel, these are both metals and have quite smooth surfaces. The use
of CA adhesive to join these two items will work, but we have found that using a
two-part clear epoxy such as Ace Quick-set 5-minute, or 2-Ton Epoxy provides a
greatly superior and much more durable bond. These epoxies can be purchased from
any hardware or craft store and are quite inexpensive.
This procedure
assumes:
Tubing has already
been shaped (procedure here).
End of the tube
has been flared (procedure here).
Lampshades have had
holes punched in them (procedure here).
Bonding
lampshades and tubing:
-
This bonding
procedure is is the same for all scales (Z through O) and for any
streetlight or building light that uses our tubing and lampshades. The
very first step is to ensure all parts are clean and dry. We recommend
using isopropyl or denatured alcohol (not good-natured alcohol, save the
scotch for other occasions). Other solvents such as lacquer thinner can
also be used but they are highly toxic and highly flammable and should
only be used in a very well ventilated area. The parts can be dipped in
a small amount of alcohol and left on a clean paper towel to thoroughly
dry. Alcohol has an affinity for water absorption so care must be taken
to see that the parts have dried completely and are free of moisture.
-
Ensure you hands
are clean and free of oils and carefully slide a punched lampshade
onto the unflared end of the tubing. If the lampshade was punched
with the correct sized drill for the tubing being used, the shade
should fit the tubing diameter very closely. Take your time placing
the shade on the tube so as not to squeeze and distort shape of the
shade. Slide the shade along the tube length and work it up and
around the curved portion of the tube until the shade is positioned
half way around the final curve of the tube. See Figure 1 below.
Figure 1
-
Carefully clamp
the tubing in your bench vise by the straight portion, if building a
streetlight, or by the portion that will go through the building if
constructing a building light such as a gooseneck lamp, and adjust
the tubing so it is perfectly vertical (if a streetlight) or
horizontal and straight (if a building light). This is very
important because once the epoxy is applied and the shade
is in position, making sure everything is level and square has to
happen before the epoxy cures. The vise only needs
to secure the tubing enough to keep it from moving while applying
the epoxy and positioning the lampshade. Over tightening can easily
deform the tubing.
-
Mix a small
amount of epoxy according to the manufacture's guidelines (usually
equal parts of resin and catalyst), and using a sharpened toothpick,
apply a small bead around the tube end just above the flare.
Important: Do not use too much epoxy, once the shade is
down in position, excessive epoxy can flow into the open end of the
tubing. This would not be a good thing. See
figure 2 below.
Figure 2
-
Now the shade
can be lowered down onto the flared end of the tubing as shown of
figures 3 and 4 below. Make sure the shade is all the way down so
that the bead of epoxy flows around the top of the underside of the
shade where the flare is.
Figure 3
Figure 4
-
Now, before the epoxy starts
to cure, inspect the levelness of the shade. It is very important
that the straight portion of the tube is aligned vertically (reinspect
its position side-to-side and front-to-back). If the shade is
tilted, adjust it so that it looks level and set this assembly aside
to cure thoroughly.
This completes the lampshade
bonding
procedure.
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