DIY Pipe Lamp with Eletrical Outlet and USB Charger

I have always liked industrial architectural style and have wanted to make a pipe lamp out of black iron pipe for sometime.  I made this pipe lamp to go on a bedside table or dresser with a dimmer and USB port to charge devices.

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It’s pretty easy to build a pipe lamp, you only need a few basic tools and a pipe wrench.

Parts used for pipe lamp:

• (4) 1/2″ 90 degree  FPT to FPT Elbow
• (3) 1/2″ FPT Threaded Tee
• Preferred Industries 662034 2-Gang Weatherproof Aluminum Box with Three 1/2-Inch Outlets
• Lutron S-600-BL Black Slide Dimmer
• Cooper Wiring Devices TR7740BK-BOX Combination USB Charger with Tamper Resistant Receptacle, 2-Pole, 3-Wire Grounding, Black
• Leviton 84409-40 2-Gang Decora Wallplate, Device Mount, Stainless Steel
• Leviton 10051 Medium Base, One-Piece, Keyless, Incandescent, Glazed Porcelain Lampholder, White
• 14 gauge stranded THHN wire to run inside pipe to feed power to lamp socket
• 16/3 SJOOW wire for outlet
• Lamp shade I used is a Restoration Hardware shade.  Bottom of cone flare size: 11″, top of cone flare size: 4-3/4″, Tall: 8-1/2″

Total cost of parts: $85~$95
Some items are premium and expensive like the porcelain lampholder so it adds up quick.

When I ran the wire into the electrical box I tied a knot in the wire for strain relief so it would not pull the wires loose out of the electrical socket.  I used stranded THHN electrical wire for the electrical inside the box and to the lamp socket.  I chose to use a three wire outlet because I felt more comfortable with the whole fixture grounded.  I wrapped a rag around the pipe when I was tightening the fittings to help prevent marking up the pipe.

 

What I would change next time:

1) I now live in coastal environment which rusts unprotected surfaces much quicker so I would either clear cloat the pipe which would require a thorough degreasing of the assembly grease on the pipe fittings or use galvanized pipe but that may not have as nice aesthetics as the black iron pipe.
2) I like the cloth covered electrical cords you can buy and would probably use that for power.

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