I am having a brain fart with the wiring of an antique lamp. Itīs a typical one bulb on top with its own switch and 3 bulbs below with one common switch. This lower switch (size no longer made) is kaput, so I want to wire the lamp with the top socket switch controling all four.

I am missing something because if I wire all together, the lower 3 come on as soon as the lamp is plugged in although the top works as usual. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

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Don't Chrome them; polish them

The upper switch is part of the socket, so the switched part is inside of the socket...where you can't wire to it. What you did was wire the losers to the unswitched leads. Just replace the lower switch with a more modern option.

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

This is the problem, I cannot find a switch small enough to fit in the space of the original. The area of my lamp is much smaller than the image that I found online as an example.

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Don't Chrome them; polish them

I've located some difficult to find switches through this company in the past... SWITCHES

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

I already did the switch search, bought the absolute smallest available, but it was still just a litte big. After figuring it out, I am going to just wire to the upper socket, use that as the switch for all 4 bulbs, and wire the remaining 3 bulbs in series beyond the switched bulb socket. If one bulb burns out, I'll have to check them all, but it's only 4 total - nohing like the frustration of christmas lights.

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Don't Chrome them; polish them

There are in-line switches that splice right into the lamp-cord.

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

May just be your choice of words. You cannot wire in series or each bulb will be at far reduced voltage to operate properly. You can wire in parallel though.


Personally I would expand my search for a smaller switch.

If all you can find are larger switches, meaning the threaded body is a little larger, say 1/8" or so larger, I'd open the hole diameter up to match the new switch, wire it in and call it a day. I see lamps like that one at local estate sales at least twice a year, so rarity of the lamp shouldn't prevent someone from making the upgrade. Besides...the new switch should also be safer than the one originally installed.

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles