Glass bottle lights part two: wiring.

This lamp is for my craft shed, but when I finished this project I was excited to make more and better ones. I found Vintage Wire and Supply which is like a little candy store for doing these bottle and jar lights.However, for this project I went to Home Depot and got some simple candelabra sockets (normal size bulbs don't fit in these bottles), some threaded nipples and hex nuts as well as a candelabra set foe the plug and switch since this one is going to be a lamp. Although I can still easier turn it into a fixture in the future. I had some lamp cord already, I used probably only two feet for these three IBC root beer glass bottle lights.

For tools, all you need is a wire cutter, wire stripper, and a drill with a bit the size of the threaded nipple. You will also need two wire nuts and a little bit of paint of your choosing.

First I put the lamp cord through the threaded nipple, then split and stripped the two ends. On mine, the ribbed goes to the silver screw on the socket and the one with the writing goes to the gold. Most lamp cords the writing strand is the hot which goes to the gold. First I threaded the nipple into the candelabra socket.  Now, you can skip the threaded nipple all together and just do wire with an underwriters knot and a strain relief at the top instead of a hex nut. I didn't want mine swinging around though.

I made a U shape with the stripped wire end and stuck it around the screw and tightened it. Once I saw what my wire length needed to be to reach the middle of my wood base with some room to spare, I cut it. Now the cut end can go through the bottle. The candelabra socket is the right size that the root beer bottles sit on it just right. I though the cardboard socket cover was horrible so I just put some brown Rustoleum on it before installing it back on.

I drilled holes the size of my threaded nipples in my finished reclaimed wood board I am using for the top of my light where the bottles will be. Mine was snug which was perfect. The hex nut goes on top here. Do this for all of them. Now separate and strip all the wire ends on top. You will need one more length of wire as well that will either be to attach to the one coming out of the ceiling for a fixture or like mine, to a switch and plug.

Since I have three glass bottle lights, I have four wires. Once separated and stripped, the hot (writing side) all go together with a wire nut. Then the other side (ribbed side on mine) all go together in another wiring nut.

Now if I was thinking, I would have turned my wood board into an open wood box because I can't flush mount mine. That is okay on mine since it will be high enough no one will see the top of it, but next time or if I do turn mine into a fixture, I will make sides for it of 1x1 inch strips of wood to hide the wires coming out of the top of it but still be able to mount it easily.

Branch shelf brackets

Last time I made shelves out of live edge wood I bought shelf brackets. At 7.99 a piece it negated my free wood.

This time I decided to make some out of the dead sequoia branches I knocked down a few months ago.

I have used the sequoia branches for cabinet trim, I put a piece in my countertop, and drilled holes in  the biggest straight ones to hold up the shower curtain rod.

Any branches will do if they are at least 1 and a half inches thick. Sequoia wood is prettier in the middle anyway, the outside looks like it could be cedar.

First cut your branches to size. The vertical ones can be pretty short, but I did the width of the shelf which is 8 inches. Now you need to cut the diagonal one. Each end gets a 45 degree. I cut one 45 degree then eyeballed where it would hit the shelf and cut the other 45 degree. I cut all the diagonals to this one.

If I didn't have my shelves made I would put another horizontal piece to make a triangle but really I don't need it. These shelves are holding detergent and towels.

Remove the bark. I know, I know, it  is cool to see the bark but especially with pine there are bark beetles or termites that love bark. I used pine for my actual shelves and the bark came off so nice with a hammer and small chisel that you can see the texture it left. My sequoia branches did not come off so easy except for the wet ones. I used a sharp knife and essentially shaved the pieces. Then I used a sander with 60 grit to get the rest off. I let them dry in the sun a bit.

I pre-drilled all the holes. Two in each vertical and one at the top and one at the bottom of every diagonal at an angle.

Now find your studs to attach the verticals. I used 3 inch screws to secure one side and then put a long level on top of this one to mark where the top of the other side goes. I used one and a half inch screws to screw the bottoms of my diagonals on.

I set my shelves on and adjusted my diagonal branches to make the shelf level. Then I screwed the tops of the diagonals in. Now I screwed down through the shelf into the vertical branches to secure it and screwed more screws down into the diagonals from the top as well. Now put some polyurethane in the gloss of your choice and you are done.

Yes it took a few hours, mostly taking the bark off was a pain with the sequoia branches. However it gives my laundry room the rustic touch and I will probably do it for my next shelves too.