Alabamy Bound

[Manalto]

Today I made a trip to Sundial to get some cloth-covered wire and other paraphernalia. When I got there I learned that they don't have a retail business but they were kind enough to indulge me my requests. For this fixture:



I got twisted (as opposed to parallel) rayon-covered wire in 'walnut', a rich brown with some sheen. I also got four shade holders to attach ribbed glass shades:



The chain needs a little more cleaning and then I can begin the rewiring. With the shades, the fixture hangs 19" which will allow plenty of room to walk underneath without bumping my head. One nice side note: the fixture was described as 1920s, but the patent date (patent pending in Canada) stamped on one of the arms says:



[Feb. 19, 1918] - the same year as my house was built.

[GinaC]

That will be beautiful! And the fact that it's the same year your house was built makes it all the more special.

[Gothichome]

Now that light looks even better. It will elevate any room it’s put in.

[phil]

thats sounding great. Ive heard of others who work on old radios ordering online but never met anyone who actually went to the store.

with the socket connections, I'm probably just being fussy but I like to form the loops into shape and put a tiny bit of solder on them , it helps them not untwist and unravel as you tighten the screw if it's braided wire and that way you dont have any fine strands that were not captured by the screw. it only takes a tiny bit of solder to keep the shape and capture all the strands.. too much isn't good either.

sometimes people twist a sharp knife around near the end of the wire to get the exposed ends. that can thin the wire and causes a fail point like a chains weakest link. the lamps probably cant' approach the amount of current that wire can handle anyway but its the same if it's solid core wire. you can use wire strippers or a knife that isn't being held with the blade perpendicular to the wire a slicing action along the wire, like you might be tempted to use if you were stripping a foot of the wire off is ok.

I fix a lot of extension cords and people always strip too much and then the plug doesnt' capture the insulation , then they yank the plug with the cord and the ends of the wire are getting yanked rather than the plug pulling against the insulation. then one wire pulls off the screw and shorts against the other wire. It happens a lot. That's more an issue with the grounded wire with thick insulation and 3 prong plugs. if you really read the box the plugs come in they often specify this length of wire , the distance between the end of the wire and the insulation. people just guess and leave an inch or more which is too long.

[Manalto]

I haven't posted in this thread for a while so I thought I would update with a photograph of the house as it looks on the last day of the year:

[awomanwithahammer]

Looks wonderful! Your neighbors must be thrilled.

[Manalto]

Thanks Bonnie. I think it's important, since I'm away so much, to send the message to my neighbors that I care about the place. It's seems to have had the desired effect; I regularly get texts from neighbors to confirm that I'm aware of activity around the house. The guy next door even took a photo of his three girls under my magnolia tree to show me it in bloom (and his three girls, of course).

[Gothichome]

James, your work really does show. A lot better than the overgrown unkept yard, it made the home look derelict and neglected. Now it looks like some one who cares lives there.
Good thing about having the support of the neighbours is when they know your away they have issues keeping an eye open.

[MJ1987]

James, your landscaping is really transformative! I also really like the way the brick foundation colors tie into the entire scheme. The house is so much more visible and welcoming. Great work!

[Manalto]

I've seamlessly made the transition from working on the house to acquiring stuff for the house. Took a drive to Westchester County, New York (why is nothing in Connecticut?) this morning for a Craigslist find, this shower door from 1940:



It's for the upstairs bathroom that is currently under demolition. I hope it will blend well with my mish-mosh of styles that span the entire 20th century. I probably paid too much for this one but I liked how substantially built it is and the horizontal "transom" detail at the top.



The shower doors I have encountered from the 1950s all have the "jailhouse" series of vertical stainless steel or chrome dowels. This is a little bit different and, to my eye, more appealing.