Posted 4 years ago
jjackson1375
(5 items)
I was lucky enough to find this beauty and would like to restore it to use in my home. Not sure how old it is but I think it is from 1920 -1940. Unfortunately, the large finial on top was poorly repaired by a previous owner and they snapped the connector off. It was glued or welded back and I can not figure out how to remove the bad joint. I am searching for a finial like this or one very similar. Does anyone know where to get one? I search Ebay all the time but no luck so far.
Mebbe I'm just dense this morning (I need more coffee!!) but I'm having trouble seeing how the part in pic3 fits onto the rest of the fixture -- could you possibly add a 4th pic to try to show that??
To try a stab at some info anyway, light fixtures like this were often made of cast pot metal, which is terribly difficult to repair after being fractured. (you might know that already, its former owner probably does now, too?) Actual 'welding' of this sort of metal is basically impossible so your options may be limited to some kind of heavy adhesive, this is even more difficult if a 'load bearing' repair.
Sorry to kinda be the bearer of bad news -- I truly hope somebody else speaks up with a more positive prognosis for your light fixture!! :-)
Like AnythingObscure, I also do not understand where on the fixture the piece in pic #3 goes.
Could you add another picture with you holding the piece in place as it is meant to be?
I added new pic to show where the brolen piece attaches. I think they used JP weld or something on the joint. It looks awful.
Thanks for the new picture. 1 more question then: does the finial support the fixture’s weight?
Yes, is hangs from the finial, attaching to the chain canopy
If it were mine (I wish!), I would reapply the finial with the strongest adhesive meant for metal I could find, but in addition to that, before expecting adhesive to support the weight, I would wire the finial to the body of the lamp.
By the finial breaking off in the first place, then breaking off again (maybe more than once) it has proven to be a bad design not able to support the weight put on it. Not only the weight of the fixture itself, the person changing bulbs might put a bit of traction on it which would stress that very small area of contact between the 2 parts.
With the fixture hanging overhead, a few wires would not be apparent.
That’s my solution....hope it helps you!
After you fix it, be sure to update us with a new picture of it.