Port-bottle table lamp

[jdaw1]

Having had Portuguese law changed so that I could buy an imperial, and having consumed its contents, what was to be done with an empty imperial? My desk needed a table lamp.

[jdaw1]

This post reserved for purposes as yet undecided.

[jdaw1]

How was it made?

• Start with an empty imperial. This will be easier for you than it was for me.

• Rinse and allow to dry.

• A hole must be drilled in the glass. At the bottom of the side a bottle has thicker glass: the hole should be above that, but not by much. Mark location for hole.

• A drill bit will be needed. The illustrated bit worked well, and made a hole 10mm in diameter.




• Watch this YouTube video which advises keeping the hole cool with running water. So the label must be protected from the water. Cover the label with dry towel, and then keep that towel in place with much cling-film. Tightly wrap the bottom of the cling film with tape, so that water can’t creep up.

• In the sink the bottle is to rest on a(nother) towel. Put a sieve over the sink hole so that the water’s exit isn’t blocked, and arrange the large towel such that the bottle doesn’t directly touch the sink.

• In case a splinter of glass should jump out, wear the obvious safety kit: eye protection (we used polarised 3D cinema specs); long sleeves; gloves.

• Four hands: two holding bottle; two holding drill.

• Running cold water, slow drill speed, medium pressure, and some time: nice clean 1cm hole drilled in glass.

• Rinse bottle, and allow to dry.

• From the electrical department of Acre Lane Timber Merchants I had bought a twisted three-core burgundy-coloured wire (valiant efforts to find a ‘Fonseca 1985’-coloured wire had failed — maybe that is a specialist market). This wire was threaded through.

• As ballast, about 1kg of black glass pebbles were gently pushed into the bottle.

• Do the obvious with: brass safety switch lamp holder; screw-in extension tube; bored rubber bung (of which I bought only the last from amazon). And add a plug to the other end of the wire.

[jdaw1]

Regrets?

• Definitely I should have acquired more than one of these imperials.

• Perhaps the inside of the imperial should have been painted black (pour and shake, or spray). Seeing the wire is very Norman Foster, but really, who wants Norman Foster?

• I’m not terribly fond of the lamp shade, but it is what was available.

[djewesbury]

Pray tell, what does the little attached label say?

[jdaw1]

Pray tell, what does the little attached label say?

Late during the evening of the dinner a few people came over to me to report that the bottle had been stolen. I sprang up (allow a little mis-recalled exaggeration), and following some confusion (that being accurately recalled) other people reported that it was my wife what done it. So the label has been retained.

[djewesbury]

Well done Julian. A fitting memento of your successful struggle.
You were very careful indeed when using the glass / ceramic bit. That is highly commendable. But did you use a small piece of masking tape taped to the bottle to lessen the possibility of the bit skidding on the surface?

[AW77]

First of all a good use for this bottle.

Regrets?

• Perhaps the inside of the imperial should have been painted black (pour and shake, or spray). Seeing the wire is very Norman Foster, but really, who wants Norman Foster?

I think you could still paint it black. Then it would also look more like a full bottle of port.

• I’m not terribly fond of the lamp shade, but it is what was available.

You're right. But if you come across a better one in the futre, then just replace it.

[jdaw1]

But did you use a small piece of masking tape taped to the bottle to lessen the possibility of the bit skidding on the surface?

No need. With the drill turning slowly, it did not skid at all.

I think you could still paint it black. Then it would also look more like a full bottle of port.

How would one paint it such that it looked like a bottle of Port with an into-neck fill level?

[AW77]

I think you could still paint it black. Then it would also look more like a full bottle of port.

How would one paint it such that it looked like a bottle of Port with an into-neck fill level?

Perhaps you could use Scotch tape to cover the neck so that it won't be painted black? Or you could use a small baloon, insert it into the neck, blow it up so that it covers the neck, paint the inside of the bottle, let it dry, then let the air out of the balloon and remove the balloon from the neck.

[djewesbury]

I like the suggestion of the balloon except that having filled the neck of the bottle with the balloon you then suggest painting the inside of the bottle. This confuses me.
I think masking the inside of the neck with good quality masking tape, pressed firmly down to prevent bleeding under the tape edge, should provide a good solution. Then use your 'paint swirling' method (spray is likely to be uneven in a bottle that size).

[jdaw1]

Perhaps you could use Scotch tape to cover the neck so that it won't be painted black? Or you could use a small baloon, insert it into the neck, blow it up so that it covers the neck, paint the inside of the bottle, let it dry, then let the air out of the balloon and remove the balloon from the neck.

Very good. Drill hold in bottle. Seal hole with tape. Using a funnel with a very long spout pour in a small quantity of black paint. Remove funnel; inflate balloon; Lie bottle on its side and roll; bottle upside down and shake; bottle right way up and remove hole-sealing tape; drain excess paint though drilled hold; remove balloon.

Would that work?

[jdaw1]

I think masking the inside of the neck with good quality masking tape, pressed firmly down to prevent bleeding under the tape edge, should provide a good solution. Then use your 'paint swirling' method (spray is likely to be uneven in a bottle that size).

How would you get the masking tape to make a smooth horizontal circle?

[PhilW]

How would one paint it such that it looked like a bottle of Port with an into-neck fill level?

Perhaps:

• Put a cork, or use other sealing mechanism, to close the hole you have drilled.
• Fill the bottle with black paint up to the fill level required; using a funnel or tubing to ensure it does not touch above this level inside the bottle while being filled.
• Wait
• Remove cork (or other method) from hole, and allow bottle to drain remaining paint leaving solid layer on inside of glass.

[djewesbury]

How would you get the masking tape to make a smooth horizontal circle?

How far down the neck are we talking - finger length, or further? If the former, trial and error and a steady eye.

[jdaw1]

A different variation, that doesn’t use 6L of paint. Drill hole. Seal that hole with wax. Fill bottle with water to desired level. Top up with hot wax. Allow wax to set. Unseal drilled hole, water draining out. Allow bottle to dry (which, given tiny air hole, will take some time). Funnel a little black paint through drilled hole, and rotate bottle such that it gets everywhere that it should. Allow to dry (which, given tiny air hole, will take some time). Remove top wax.

[djewesbury]

Messy, and possibly rather fiddly when wax removal takes place.
Tape the masking tape to the short side of a piece of A5 paper. Insert while bottle is horizontal, may be easier to align that way.

[PhilW]

A different variation, that doesn’t use 6L of paint. Drill hole. Seal that hole with wax. Fill bottle with water to desired level. Top up with hot wax. Allow wax to set. Unseal drilled hole, water draining out. Allow bottle to dry (which, given tiny air hole, will take some time). Funnel a little black paint through drilled hole, and rotate bottle such that it gets everywhere that it should. Allow to dry (which, given tiny air hole, will take some time). Remove top wax.

I considered a similar suggestion with wax (or cooking fat), but felt it would (a) be difficult to remove cleanly without potentially removing some paint, and (b) unlikely to have a nice clean line, unless perhaps filled very slowly from the neck upwards (i.e. inverted submersion). Didn't seem likely to give a clean result; 6L of paint costs more, but perhaps better result, plus re-usable?
Alternatively, lose the shade (you don't like it anyway) and make it a bottle-lamp?

[DRT]

Go to a craft store and buy a bag of black sand. Plug the gap between the drilled-hole and the wire using something. Fill the bottle with sand to the desired level.

[flash_uk]

Combine the masking tape, water, balloon and wax concept. Mask most of the inside of the neck, but not as far down as the point where the paint line is required. Plug bottom hole, fill with water to desired level, add hot wax, but only perhaps 15mm. Allow wax to set, unplug bottom hole, proceed as outlined in the above post to paint inside of bottle black. Once the paint has dried, punch out the wax and remove, but leave the masking tape.

Removing the wax is likely to have flaked the paint at the point where paint met wax, leaving a jagged line. Now insert the balloon into the bottle via the base hole and inflate until it reaches the point where the wax had previously been. Carefully add a small quantity of black paint via the open neck, enough for the paint to make a perfect level line around the neck, but not reaching the level of the masking tape.

Once satisfied with the resultant perfect line, deflate the balloon allowing the small quantity of paint to fall into the already black bottle. Allow to dry. Remove the masking tape. Sit back and enjoy.

[Andy Velebil]

Why did you steal the bottle from Juiian?

[Alex Bridgeman]

Norman Foster wasn't stupid, was he. Look at all the hassle he avoided simply by saying to people "It's Modern Art, very fashionable."

[djewesbury]

Incidentally, small rubber grommets such as these from Maplin (various sizes and profiles available) will plug your cord-hole nicely, requiring only a little glue to make a seal.

[djewesbury]

Norman Foster wasn't stupid

Highly debatable.

[djewesbury]

Combine the masking tape, water, balloon and wax concept. Mask most of the inside of the neck, but not as far down as the point where the paint line is required. Plug bottom hole, fill with water to desired level, add hot wax, but only perhaps 15mm. Allow wax to set, unplug bottom hole, proceed as outlined in the above post to paint inside of bottle black. Once the paint has dried, punch out the wax and remove, but leave the masking tape.

Removing the wax is likely to have flaked the paint at the point where paint met wax, leaving a jagged line. Now insert the balloon into the bottle via the base hole and inflate until it reaches the point where the wax had previously been. Carefully add a small quantity of black paint via the open neck, enough for the paint to make a perfect level line around the neck, but not reaching the level of the masking tape.

Once satisfied with the resultant perfect line, deflate the balloon allowing the small quantity of paint to fall into the already black bottle. Allow to dry. Remove the masking tape. Sit back and enjoy.

OK. Four years in art college and twenty years as someone required to make things permits me to offer the opinion that this would be a wild carry-on.