Farm Lamps Made From Antique Tractor Parts

2013 - Volume #37, Issue #3, Page #09

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“Each one is unique and incorporates components from the 1800’s and early 1900’s,” says Shawn Carling, Lakeville, Minn., about the one-of-a-kind farm lamps he makes from antique salvaged parts.
    The lamps are fitted with Edison-style, antique filament light bulbs attached to plumbing pipe that mounts on an antique base, which might be the dash off an old Deere or Farmall tractor or an old transmission gear. The pipe fits into a socket on the dash where the steering column used to be. The bulbs have metal guards around them, and some of them are covered by green barn shades.
    To mount the light bulb onto the plumbing pipe, Carling welds a fender washer onto the end of the pipe and then screws the bulb into a nut welded to the washer. An on-off switch mounts on back of the dash.
    “I call them Machine Age Lamps. Each one is different and has its own theme,” says Carling. “So far I’ve made lamps with Farmall, Deere and Oliver tractor dashes, all of them from 1950’s and older tractors.
    “I came up with the idea because I grew up on a farm and wanted to get my dad something unique for Christmas that reminded him of his early days on the farm. My grandfather grew up with a Farmall 560, so I found a Farmall dash and turned it into a lamp.”
    He says the farm lamps are a lot of fun to make because they have so much sentimental value. “The dashes speak to the people who drove these tractors,” says Carling. “For example, I delivered one Deere farm lamp to a retired farmer who now lives in Minneapolis. With a tear in his eye, he told me he had spent a lot of time behind the dash of that tractor. I get a lot of my business from word of mouth.”
    He gets the tractor dashes and parts from various suppliers around the country and antique stores, as well as eBay and Craigslist. He buys the bulbs from a local lighting supply company, but says they can also be found on eBay.
    Carling also makes lamps adorned with old-time steam gauges. “I bought a bunch of gauges and parts off old steam tractors and figured out a way to put them together,” he says. “I also use the steam gauges off old pressure cookers and ones used on sprinkler control valves from old buildings and factories. Some of the gauges are so beautiful that I find it hard to part with them.”
    Machine Age Lamps sell for $449 and up.
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Shawn Carling, Lakeville, Minn. 55044 (ph 612 804-2247; SHAWN@MachineAgeLamps.com; machineagelamps.com).

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Farm Lamps Made From Antique Tractor Parts SPECIALTY/SERVICES “Each one is unique and incorporates components from the 1800’s and early 1900’s ” says Shawn Carling Lakeville Minn about the one-of-a-kind farm lamps he makes from antique salvaged parts The lamps are fitted with Edison-style antique filament light bulbs attached to plumbing pipe that mounts on an antique base which might be the dash off an old Deere or Farmall tractor or an old transmission gear The pipe fits into a socket on the dash where the steering column used to be The bulbs have metal guards around them and some of them are covered by green barn shades To mount the light bulb onto the plumbing pipe Carling welds a fender washer onto the end of the pipe and then screws the bulb into a nut welded to the washer An on-off switch mounts on back of the dash “I call them Machine Age Lamps Each one is different and has its own theme ” says Carling “So far I’ve made lamps with Farmall Deere and Oliver tractor dashes all of them from 1950’s and older tractors “I came up with the idea because I grew up on a farm and wanted to get my dad something unique for Christmas that reminded him of his early days on the farm My grandfather grew up with a Farmall 560 so I found a Farmall dash and turned it into a lamp ” He says the farm lamps are a lot of fun to make because they have so much sentimental value “The dashes speak to the people who drove these tractors ” says Carling “For example I delivered one Deere farm lamp to a retired farmer who now lives in Minneapolis With a tear in his eye he told me he had spent a lot of time behind the dash of that tractor I get a lot of my business from word of mouth ” He gets the tractor dashes and parts from various suppliers around the country and antique stores as well as eBay and Craigslist He buys the bulbs from a local lighting supply company but says they can also be found on eBay Carling also makes lamps adorned with old-time steam gauges “I bought a bunch of gauges and parts off old steam tractors and figured out a way to put them together ” he says “I also use the steam gauges off old pressure cookers and ones used on sprinkler control valves from old buildings and factories Some of the gauges are so beautiful that I find it hard to part with them ” Machine Age Lamps sell for $449 and up Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Shawn Carling Lakeville Minn 55044 ph 612 804-2247; SHAWN@MachineAgeLamps com; machineagelamps com