I’m just in the middle of making some floor standing lamps and was hoping for a little wiring advice from the knowledgeable electrical wizards here.

Wood is my usual realm and what I’m basically doing is buying what are essentially desk lamps or cheap Ikea floor lamps, and pimping themconstructing a tall base with 3 or 4 legs to add a bit of fanciness.

Here are some I made earlier…

Basically, I have a plastic Ikea light fitting which uses two-core cable, I’ve bought some really nice fabric-wrapped coloured two-core cable and I need to join them together so as the cable is long enough for a foot switch.

How can I do this safely and the lowest profile possible? (The wiring is concealed in a groove I’ve run down one leg which later gets wood spliced in to cover it)

Can I use bullet connectors such as you get for car wiring like these below without the lamp exploding into flames?

If this is blatantly unsafe, I guess I can buy new bulb holders?
I’ve tried to dismantle the Ikea bulb holder to re wire the new cable right into but it’s a push fit, style thing you can’t take apart without breaking.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Something like this

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p96672?

jota180 – Member 
Something like this

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p96672?

Nah, those things are massive, not to mention 3-core. I’d never fit one of them down inside a slender wooden leg. Cheers though.

Solder and shrinkwrap then

Is there a reason you can’t replace the wire in the fitting, so avoiding any need to join? By far the best solution.

Smallest enclosure I reckon you’ll find:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/INLINE-ROCKER-LIGHT-SWITCH-BLACK/dp/B007K7T8TK/ref=pd_sim_light_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0H98WYDSHPGR6YTHX580

Unless you can get a non switched version.

Solder and shrink wrap. Stagger the joint by an inch, so it stays as low profile as possible.

aracer – Member 
Is there a reason you can’t replace the wire in the fitting, so avoiding any need to join? By far the best solution.

Yeah it’s all push fit stuff that you can’t dismantle without breaking it. A safety thing I guess.

What Jota said plus stagger the joints, the joint will barely be greater in cross section than the wires.

Instead of bullets, use in line crimps. Butt crimps.
Stagger joints and use heat resistant shrinkable sleeving. The cable should really be clamped to avoid strain on the crimp. If you can make the groove big enough a cable clip either side of the join would do.
Optimally you should use a proper crimper, not one that you would use on the car. Ratchet Crimper.

Rich.

PS You’ll only die if you don’t turn the power off.

PPS – soldering is acceptable, but you should still clamp the cables.

Cheers folks. Think I’ll get the soldering gun out as it would be the lowest profile.
🙂

Can I just say, those lights are ace, (as no one else did).

tthew – Member 
Can I just say, those lights are ace, (as no one else did).

Thank you kindly 🙂
Cheapest floor lamp Ikea have at £7, and now pretty funky addition to a (larger) room.