Calling all ATOT electricians (Vintage Lamp Wiring?)

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ComputerWizKid

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Apr 28, 2004
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I picked up a nice vintage lamp at the Goodwill for an awesome cheap price of $5 and I now need help of rewiring the thing (I would not even dare plug it in the condition it is now)

The lamp has four sockets total (Three on the arms and one on the top with a separate switch)

The part I need help with involves the three arm sockets

I rewired a similar lamp before with the same type of switch (two circuit for a three way bulb with the switch in the bottom of the lamp base)

I pretty much have it figured out
but the three sockets wiring totally mystifies me as it seems there are not enough wires for a three socket operation

Here is my proposed wiring

all of the neutral wires get nutted together (For the three sockets and the top socket with the neutral from the line cord)

the hot wire from the line cord goes to the black on the switch and the top sockets hot lead but I don't know what to do with the blue and red wires from the switch


I know I need to replace at least one of the three sockets and the line cord and all of the wiring in between the sockets

Here are some pictures of what I am dealing with


Lamp2.jpg

Wiring2.jpg

Wiring.jpg

Socket.jpg


Thanks and sorry for the long post
 
PowerEngineer

PowerEngineer

Diamond Member
Oct 22, 2001
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Here's my guess.

I think that the switch you have in the lamp is a four-position switch into which the hot wire comes in (black?) and two switched hot wires (red and blue?) leave. The four positions should be:

1: Neither red nor blue 'hot'
2: Only red 'hot' (i.e. 0 ohms to black)
3: Only blue 'hot'
4: Both red and blue 'hot'

Clicking past the fourth position takes you back to position 1.

You should be able to check this with a volt/amp meter.

If this is the case, then one 'hot' lead should go to the 'top' socket and the other 'hot' lead should go to the three side sockets.

I'd definitely replace all the power cord, the four lamp sockets, and the switch before I'd trust it in my house. You'll spend much more doing this than the five bucks you paid for it.

Be careful! :\
 
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Paperdoc

Platinum Member
Aug 17, 2006
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Your description confused me a bit with "The lamp has four sockets total (Three on the arms and one on the top with a separate switch)". IF there is only one switch in the lamp, I completely agree with Power Engineer. That will make the sequence: Off, Top Only, 3 Lowers Only, and All On (or something similar, depending on which leads you put to which colored switch output). We had a lamp like this when I was a kid. Often they were made to use small bulbs (e.g. 40 W) in the lower three sockets, and a large one (say, 150W) in the top center. If you are doing that, I recommend you install a ceramic socket for the larger center bulb that generates more heat. By the way, the discolored white collar on one of the lower three lamps looks like what I remember. It was supposed to make those lower bulbs look like candles. For that effect, try using flame-tip shaped bulbs.

On the other hand, IF you actually have TWO switches, The design may be this way:
1. One switch is to control a large trilight bulb in the top center. It will be the one with black (Hot supply), red and blue wires from it. You need a trilight lamp socket, and the red and blue leads go to the two terminals of that socket. You have to connect red and blue to socket terminals so that the sequence is: Off, Low, Med, Hi.
2. A simpler on/off rotary switch with only black leads. This one is fed on one side from the supply Hot, and its other lead feeds all three lower small bulbs.

General rule to watch: you should install a polarized plug on the end of the power cord. Not necessarily 3-prong, since you likely will NOT install a cord with two power lines plus a Ground. But use a 2-prong plug that has one wider than the other. The WIDER prong is the Neutral side of the outlet. Make sure the cord lead from this wider prong is the one that is connected to the OUTER SHELL of each lamp socket. The center contact of each socket is the one that gets power line HOT (the narrower plug blade) via the switch(es).
 
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ComputerWizKid

Golden Member
Apr 28, 2004
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OK I got it
I am going to be using the lamp set up like this with the switch doing this Position 1 The lower side bulbs - Pos 2 The larger center bulb Pos 3 Both the lower side bulbs and the larger center bulb Pos 4 off - back to pos 1
I have a question what kind of socket was original to this kind of lamp
When bought it had a three way (Tri-light??) socket fitted but I don't think it originally came with that

Thanks again
 
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Paperdoc

Platinum Member
Aug 17, 2006
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As you show it, I very much doubt it had a trilight lamp socket in it originally. BUT, as I said in my last post, IF there was originally a second smaller rotary switch to control the three lower lights (simply on or off as a group), then the larger rotary switch you show could be used for a trilight feature with the correct socket. Is there any indication (an empty round hole? that a secons switch was part of the original design? For that matter, would you like to install such a switch and set it up that way?
 
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ComputerWizKid

Golden Member
Apr 28, 2004
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PowerEngineer said:
Here's my guess.

I think that the switch you have in the lamp is a four-position switch into which the hot wire comes in (black?) and two switched hot wires (red and blue?) leave. The four positions should be:

1: Neither red nor blue 'hot'
2: Only red 'hot' (i.e. 0 ohms to black)
3: Only blue 'hot'
4: Both red and blue 'hot'

Clicking past the fourth position takes you back to position 1.

You should be able to check this with a volt/amp meter.

If this is the case, then one 'hot' lead should go to the 'top' socket and the other 'hot' lead should go to the three side sockets.

I'd definitely replace all the power cord, the four lamp sockets, and the switch before I'd trust it in my house. You'll spend much more doing this than the five bucks you paid for it.

Be careful! :\
Click to expand...

PowerEngineer was right that is the way the switch works and I wired it the way you mentioned
I replaced all of the electrical components
So this $5 lamp turned into a $25 lamp (Oh Well :rolleyes:)

Oh here are some pictures of it finished

Finished.jpg


Finished2.jpg


PS: I hate CFLS but incandescent lamps are too hot and the CFLS run cooler and save energy
 
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