Shoulder Nipple - How Would you Search This?

[OliLt]

I am trying to repair a floor / pole lamp. The pole from the base to the lighting fixture is composed of 2 sections and connected together with a shoulder nipple. The pole sections are steel, but the nipple appears to be aluminum. The threads on the nipple have stripped out and no longer hold the 2 sections of the pole together. The lamp was made in China and emails to the marketer have gone unanswered. Online searches for lamp parts have been unsuccessful. I believe I have a plumbing / pipe related problem even though it relates to a floor lamp. Since the lamp was manufactured in China, I presume the nipple is a metric fitting. I am not equipped to furnish metric dimensions, and have been unable to discern the nominal size vs. the actual size from the web sites I have searched. The dimensions of the fitting in inches are as follows: inside diameter- 1.025", outside diameter- 1.180", shoulder / pole diameter-1.250", overall length-0.935", threads are parallel, pitch- 1.5 metric, 5 threads per 0.250". Consider these dimensions approximate as my arthritis hinders accuracy. If you were to search one of the major hardware suppliers such as Grainger, MSC, or McMaster Carr, how exactly would you describe this fitting? What would the specifications be? All I am trying to do is match the threads. A shoulder nipple would be nice, but a conventional nipple would work fine. Thanks in advance.

 

[fergyles]

A machine shop should be able to make. The cost?

 

[Steve@Advance]

I don't see a standard pipe size even close to what you have.

It is likely a special made coupling. Unless you have access to a lathe and can make your own out of steel, possibly oversize to make up for slack in the threads, having something made will likely be cost prohibitive.

Possibly a piece of 1" or 26mm OD tubing, 6-8" long, epoxied inside the tube with the ends butted would work?

 

[kcm.MN]

One potential fix idea:

Find a piece of wood dowel that will fit slightly-snug to slightly-loose inside the tube. From your measurements, 1" should work. See if the dowel will fit at least 3 " into each section of tubing; the more the better....within reason.

Cut dowel to desired length. Use polyurethane glue to glue the dowel into each tube. It would be good if you could have some way to keep the two tubes from separating any; tape a rope loop to each tube, then pull loops together to hold tight, for example.

Use polyurethane glue to glue everything together. Polyurethane glue will spread to fill small voids, so it should easily hold your dowel in place. Once glued together, it will be nearly impossible to get apart.

 

[Butch(OH)]

I would bet that part follows no standard pattern such as bolt, pipe or tube threads and is machined to the whims of the designers. Very likely a metric pattern that anyone with a lathe that has metric capabilities could knock out a new one in a few minutes.

 

[SVcummins]

Job weld the work threads screw it together and let it dry

 

[Jim in TX]

Lamp parts are readily available on the Net. Google "lamp parts". I pulled up B & P lamps parts first try.

They are also known as a "Stop Nipple".

Good Luck
JLG

 

[4wdtom]

Your best bet probably is to find someone with a lathe to make the part. It is likely metric but 5 threads per .250 is 20 per inch, a thread an english lathe will cut and if it is a close metric thread it will work as it is a very short thread and it won't realize it is not quite true. As it is for a lamp it doesn't need to be air or water tight. The threads on the nipple don't look all that bad. Possibly it was a very loose fit and only the tips of the threads were engaged. One someone makes can be made to fit better and be made of steel to be stronger. To some something from china is said to be made in the "land of almost right", explaining why it has failed. It isn't a big project on a lathe, if you were close enough to me I would make it for you. I would want the tube ends to fit it to as it seems the nipple is too small and a loose fit. I am in Rhode Island. [email protected]

 

[Ralph, Ohio]

If I couldn't easily find a part on line as suggested by Jim in TX, I'd just use JB Weld on the threads to permanently fasten it together. Probably the only reason the coupling was used was to make the original package shorter for shipping.

 

[CH(upstate,NY)]

That becomes problematic if the lamp cord needs to run through the tubing.

 

[Mule Meat]

Grand Brass Lamp Parts may have what you are looking for..

 

[JD in da UP]

It may be a water- tite emt coupler.

 

[MJMJ]

Jim in TX and Mule Meat are correct. It's not a pipe thread, and it's not just made up. Search for "lamp stop nipple" and you you find what you need.

 

[Pete in Holland MI]

Goober up the threads of the nipple & ID of the tube with JB Weld or similar epoxy. Asssemble. Fixture to keep straight while curing. No sense trying to come up with a $200 fix for a $25 lamp.

 

[chuckthin]

drill hole threw wood.

 

[dr sportster]

Good advice !

 

[wore out]

I've messed around with a couple of "torchiere" lamps and a clothes "tree" that had similar problems, they are made that way so they can be packed in a reasonably small box, IMHO.

In my experience, the THIN threaded end of the tubing gets "belled out" a bit from the lamp or clothes tree getting bumped around a bit in use and even a new threaded connecting "nipple" probably wouldn't be a long-term repair.

Since you likely won't need to disassemble it again to put it back in it's shipping box try to find some tubing that fits INSIDE the tube and insert a long length to make it sturdy and stable.

(Having a lathe is helpful!)

It could be epoxied in place. That's what I did with the clothes tree that is still in use by our front door.

 

[kencombs]

You might try this stuff:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Permatex-0-18-oz-ScrewGlue-Repair-Gel-28205/305456447

It's a thread restorer made by permatex. I've used in on a few things with some success.

 

[funky_g00]

I have had decent luck wrapping the threads, (I.E. thread tape, electrical tape, tin foil, paper etc), to build surface area and make a tight fit.

 

[K Effective]

So, OliLT, how did you ever make out with your water softener drain field?