Mickey Lamp - detailed instructions

CDNCruiser

Recreation Professional
Joined
Feb 9, 2009
I've been getting lots of requests for my instructions, so I thought it might be easier for everyone if I just posted them! Here they are!

How to Make a Mickey Lamp

All the parts you need are available at Home Depot.

MickeyLamp002.jpg

Here's a close-up of the globe fitter and the hole saw:

MickeyLamp003.jpg

The key parts are:
Table.jpg

If you cannot find these items in your local Home Depot, go to the Home Depot web site and search for Product number 100671529 (globe fitter) and 100671507 (12" globe) and 100671525 (6" globe). The URL is: http://www.homedepot.com

Begin with the 12 inch globe. Apply masking tape across the top of the globe along the center line in order to mark the centers for the holes needed to mount the smaller globes. Draw a line at the “top dead center” of the lamp and then measure down 4 inches on each side and make another mark. This will mark the centers for each ear hole, the centers should be 8 inches apart.

MickeyLamp004.jpg

Drill a small lead hole for each ear and then use a 3 ¼ inch hole saw to cut the ear holes.

MickeyLamp005.jpg

Remove the tape and glue the smaller globes into these holes, clamp until the glue is set.

MickeyLamp016.jpg

Attach a standard plug to the globe fitter.

MickeyLamp010.jpg

Now you need to attach the globe fitter to the post. I used a 2 inch piece of ABS drain pipe as my post. The mount is simply an ABS connector which joins 2 pieces of ABS pipe. First remove the three clamp screws from the fitter. You are going to replace them with 1” screws.

MickeyLamp012A.jpg

Now turn the globe fitter over and insert the ABS connector into the hole on the bottom of the globe fitter. It's a very loose fit. Drill small lead holes through the holes where you removed the clamp screws.

MickeyLamp011.jpg

Use three 1” screws to attach the connector to the globe fitter. Tighten the screws to centre the connector in the hole and secure it. The globe fitter assembly will now slide on and off the ABS drain pipe which will be your post.

MickeyLamp015.jpg

Now drill a ½ inch hole about a foot from the bottom of the ABS pipe and feed the power cord up through the pole. Add male and female plugs to the ends of the cord and you are done.

Plug the fitter into the female receptacle you just added, slide the globe fitter onto your post and install a 25 watt frosted light bulb. Place the globe on the fitter and enjoy your lamp.

You will need to devise a base for the lamp. I used a cast metal base for a patio umbrella (WalMart – about $20.00). You simply use a chisel to knock off the nut which holds the retaining bolt and the ABS post slides over the post on the umbrella base. I secure it with two long bolts and wing nuts. Be sure that your base is heavy enough to prevent your lamp from blowing over. The umbrella base has worked very well for me.

On my last few lamps I have added smaller bulbs to illuminate the ears as well as the larger globe.

Begin with a piece of metal strapping, about 4 inches long. Bend about ¼ inch on each end so that the ends will create a “friction grip” on the flange of the 6” globe which is now visible inside the 12” globe.

Make 2 of these pieces, one for each of Mickey’s ears.

Cut a length of outdoor Christmas lights so that you have 2 socket and enough cord on one end to attach a plug. Use pop-rivets to attach each socket to one of the metal straps you just made. Attach a plug.

Your assembly should look like this.

MickeyLampEarLights.jpg

Here is a detailed look at the light socket riveted to the strap. Note the 90 degree bends in the ends of the strap which provide a “friction grip” on the flanges of Mickey’s ears, inside the larger globe. Bend them to provide a snug fit and just press them on.

MickeyLampEarlights2.jpg

ENJOY!
Gary Cruise, Kingston, ON November, 2009

Here is a picture of my finished lamp. You can see how the patio umbrella base looks!

FinishedMickeyLamp.jpg
 
I think I've seen some reference to this, but no instructions. Thanksgiving party is tomorrow, so I made a few to hang up.

You need one section of rope light, preferably clear, a piece of stiff solid core wire the same length as the lighted section, and a bunch of small zip ties. I had copper 12-2 romex around, it seemed to work OK.

You will need a circular form for the head and ears. Buckets, trashcans, coffee cans, anything round will work. More at the bottom.

Hang the rope light from one end to allow it to straighten out. Straighten out the copper wire. Zip tie the rope light to the wire, using a zip tie at one foot intervals.

Using a bucket, trash can, or whatever as a form, bend one end of the rope light/wire around the form until you have half a circle. The end of the rope light will be the bottom of the head; where you stopped bending will be the start of the ear.

Reverse the direction you were bending the wire, and using a form half the size of the head, bend a full circle. Secure the ear using a zip tie where it meets the head. Leave the zip tie loose and do not trim the tail.

Reverse the direction you were bending to the original direction, and using the large form, continue with the top portion of the head between the ears.

Reverse the direction you were bending the wire, and using a form half the size of the head, bend another full circle, forming the other ear. Secure the ear using a zip tie where it meets the head. Leave the zip tie loose and do not trim the tail.

Reverse the direction you were bending to the original direction, and using the large form, continue with the remainder of the head. Secure the ends of the rope light by overlapping the ends by about 2 inches, and using 3 zip ties.

Once the shape comes together, tighten and trim the zip ties holding the ears in. I applied 2 more zip ties to each ear.

Rope light length and head/ear size guesstimates:

6 foot rope light - 11 inch diameter head - 5 inch diameter ear
12 foot rope light - 23 inch head - 11 inch ear

I found the bottom of the office trash can I was throwing zip tie tails into to be 11 inches in diameter, and the container the zip ties came out of was just over 5 inches.

The bigger you get, the more rigid the wire needs to be. Circular hoops (I think they're used for cross-stitch?) might work. Stuck at work and can't post pictures now, but I'll try in the future.
 


Ordered my 3 globes and the fitter on Friday, I hope to be building my lamp by next Friday. I think I will be putting a photo sensor so it will turn on by itself when the light diminshes.
 
There was detailed directions for the rope light mickey head on here at one point sure if you do a search it can be found they used wire wreath pieces which you can find in a craft store like michaels or ac moore When i last tried to make a new mickey lamp post the local home depot and lowes both say they no longer carry the 12 inch globes the company that they got them from stopped making them they had the smaller 6 inch ones but they aren't any good without the larger one i went to a light fixture store who didn't have any either but did have a 16 inch one which made the 6 inch ears look too small i then found 8 inch plastic ones which seem to be better so i had to modify a few things and make sure my base was ready for the extra big head was a challenge but it worked in the end i used a 4 inch piece of pvc pipe as the upright and a coupler to mount the head the coupler also worked good for the light bulb socket i used a standard cheap ceiling one which fit in perfect then i used one of those screw in sockets so i could have extra outlets which i can plug the multi color night lights or just use the regular bulb
 


When i last tried to make a new mickey lamp post the local home depot and lowes both say they no longer carry the 12 inch globes the company that they got them from stopped making them

Home Depot doesn't carry the 12 inch globes in the store, but they can still be ordered online. I just got mine on Friday. Here is the link; http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100671507/h_d2/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&keyword=312840&jspStoreDir=hdus&Nu=P_PARENT_ID&navFlow=3&catalogId=10053&langId=-1&ddkey=Search

Best Regards,
Norm
 
What holds the large globe on the globe fitter, and is it then water tight? The one i made using plumbing parts holds water below the lamp socket.
 
What holds the large globe on the globe fitter, and is it then water tight? The one i made using plumbing parts holds water below the lamp socket.

The globe fitter has clamps which screw tight to hold the globe. You slide the globe into position and tighten two philips head bolts and it's secure! You can see the clamps, they are clear plastic and are visible in the picture with the three blue lines.

The fitter also drains itself, I've never had an issue with one holding water. They are made for this exact purpose and are designed for outdoor use. The drain holes are visible in the same picture I mentioned above.
 
Ordered my 3 globes and the fitter on Friday, I hope to be building my lamp by next Friday. I think I will be putting a photo sensor so it will turn on by itself when the light diminshes.

I did that with mine along with making it usable and weather proof with just an extension cord and I added a weatherproof receptacle that is also operated by the photo sensor for things like X-mas lights, etc. You can see my directions in THIS ALBUM. The specific directions and where I got the various materials are in the captions.

Larry
 
HD does sell a 12" Globe Kit. It includes the Globe and the prewired attatchment that fits perfectly on a Lamp Pole. I did this two weeks ago in preperation for our trip next week.
 
Thank you for posting this. Every halloween I see so many of them, some with color changing lights! I did see a variation with jack skellington in the 100 loop this past October which i loved too!
 
We just hang a Jack Skellington mask on ours for Halloween. Got the mask at Walgreens a few years ago!

A Jack-o-lantern mask works well too!

Mickey_Lamp_Post_2.jpg
 
When making my Mickey Lamp, I cracked the large globe when using the hole saw to cut the ear holes. On the second globe, after I drilled the pilot hole with the hole saw, I turn the drill in the reverse direction. It took a little longer, but the hole saw didn't catch and crack the globe when it broke through.
 

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