DIY Surveyor Lamp

I completed this DIY back in May, and I am finally getting around to posting on just how I did it (pretty simple).  I surprised even my self when I saw the final product, it was so much better then all the 200-300$ lamps I was seeing everywhere.

I was telling my dad that I wanted to make this lamp and after saying I wanted to use an old surveyor, he actually knew someone who had one and was willing to give it to me! So of course I said YES PLEASE and begun.

I must note I did not take photos of the entire process and all the photos were taken on my phone simply, because it was the easiest thing to use when I was staining, sanding etc.

So here is the before and after...

So where to begin...

1.  Find a old wooden surveyor or tripod that you love!

2. Assuming it is made from wood give it a good sanding, in my case A LOT.  It was coated in a couple layers of awful neon paint,  the sanding took hours I will admit but well worth it in the end. 

3. Select a stain.  Once I picked one I liked, I used a sponge brush (and gloves!) and coated the surveyor three times, letting it dry in between.

4.  Since most of the lamps I liked in store had a glossy finish I decided to do one myself.  In the same section as the stain you can find glossy top coats.  I did 4 coats, but you can do how ever many you like until you get the "glossy-ness" you like.

5. Buy a lamp kit.  They are super simple to install!  Luckily my surveyor had a hole in the top so I could feed the wire through. Another option is picking a old lamp you have lying around or thrift a lamp with a harp you like.  I found an old lamp with the same worn metal harp as the feet and top that my surveyor had so I used that instead of the brass that came in the lamp kit. 

6.  Pick a lamp shade.  I found mine at Homesense.

And Voila!  You have a beautiful reclaimed lamp!

Thanks for reading! - Ally