# Floor lamp with base that doesn't crumble over time



## Druidia

I have several floor lamps and they all have metal base covers. What's underneath though is a plastic mold filled with what looks like cement/concrete. The lamp bases can last up to more than a decade if they don't get moved or rarely get moved. But they do have to get moved when the floor is cleaned, and that's regularly. Floor lamps that get moved frequently last only a few years before their plastic and the cement inside crumbles.

Having to shell out $35-$60 every few years for a floor lamp is getting pretty tiring. I did fix a couple of floor lamps before by replacing the base filling with vinyl concrete and that worked out very well. But, I would prefer not to do any fixing if I can buy a floor lamp with a base that would not crumble and need to be replaced after a few years.

Has anyone purchased this elusive kind of floor lamp - no cement, concrete or plastic filling in the base? Are there floor lamps with solid wood or solid metal bases?

What have you done with your floor lamps once the base crumbled?


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## Bondo

> Has anyone purchased this elusive kind of floor lamp - *no cement, concrete or plastic filling in the base?* Are there floor lamps with solid wood or solid metal bases?


Ayuh,.... That covers all the floor lamps I've got,.... 
Not that I Bought any of 'em,....

Mine all came outa dumpsters,... 
The lamps are old enough, they've all got cast iron bases,....

Clean 'em up, alittle paint, rewire if necessary,....

Had one guy want his old lamp back, after I told 'im where mine came from,.....


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## de-nagorg

I would find some old style barbell weights at a "GARBAGE" sale that are made from cast iron, adapt the lamp pole to go into the weight hole and use that .

ED


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## gregzoll

I have never had that issue with floor lamps.


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## ChuckF.

A junked disk from a vehicle's disk brakes also makes a good heavy base for a lamp or anything. Put some rubber feet on it to keep it off the ground a bit.


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## Druidia

Thanks for the barbell weight suggestion but that is a lot more work than my current "replace with vinyl concrete" fix which takes less than an hour to do. 

@Gregzoll - What's the brand of your floor lamps and where did you buy them? What are their bases made of?

My floor lamps get lifted and shifted at least once a week when I vacuum the floor. Some lamps get lifted and moved a lot more frequently for reading and DIY/craft work/tinkering. I think it's a pretty common problem since I've seen posts on other forums/sites complaining about floor lamp bases that crumbled. People, generally, just ditch the lamps.


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## lorie86

Maybe try the Brightech Eclipse LED lamp? The base is hard, sturdy, and feels very solid. I'm not 100% sure what it is made of, but it’s thin and small and very heavy so I assume it’s solid metal inside and out. The lamp pole is extremely thin too and is also made of metal so it can be moved quite easily without stumbling over. If you’re not into traditional base you can check out the Brightech Emma. It has 3 skinny wooden “legs” instead of a base and should not crumble when you move it because it’s quite lightweight. Just grab it on the upper side of the legs and you should be safe.


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## Rextrent

Druidia said:


> I have several floor lamps and they all have metal base covers. What's underneath though is a plastic mold filled with what looks like cement/concrete. The lamp bases can last up to more than a decade if they don't get moved or rarely get moved. But they do have to get moved when the floor is cleaned, and that's regularly. Floor lamps that get moved frequently last only a few years before their plastic and the cement inside crumbles.
> 
> Having to shell out $35-$60 every few years for a floor lamp is getting pretty tiring. I did fix a couple of floor lamps before by replacing the base filling with vinyl concrete and that worked out very well. But, I would prefer not to do any fixing if I can buy a floor lamp with a base that would not crumble and need to be replaced after a few years.
> 
> Has anyone purchased this elusive kind of floor lamp - no cement, concrete or plastic filling in the base? Are there floor lamps with solid wood or solid metal bases?
> 
> What have you done with your floor lamps once the base crumbled?


If anyone is still kicking since this was started: Any floor lamp I've had, used or new, generally gets a base plate attached to the bottom to keep it steady and from falling over. Maybe this is because I favor the side lamp style which easily makes it prone to getting tipped. Also, the bases are not that wide or heavy. I will grab a scrap piece of plywood or some salvage shelf and cut it just wide enuff to place under the base and make it hard to tip over. I'm getting ready to do that to a lamp and I wondered if the base was filled with sand. I considered drilling into it, but to retain it's integrity I definitely will not do that. Instead I will either run a strap(s) over the base and screw it to the new base plate or use a few small flat angle brackets connected to edge of the base and the flat board.
Why bring this up? If this idea appeals at all, I believe it would protect the integrity of the base during any "moves".


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## 3onthetree

For this old thread I think this base is what the original poster was talking about for torchiere and tall pedestal lamps, have experienced it a few times. The disc plastic is thin and brittle, the fill is gypsum-based and brittle as well, so the whole disc just crumbles at some point. I have found a couple replacement discs online, but the thickness and inner hole diameter (for the bolt) varies, plus they're like $40. At some point will try to make a DIY replacement for some perfectly good lamps.


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## John Smith_inFL

wow - even tho it is 5 years old, it is still relevant.
I have that exact same lamp (base) that 3 OTT has.
I put it on the workbench with news paper under it and vacuumed out all the small
and very sharp fragments. taped off where the pole retaining nut goes and ran a
plastic soda straw where the wire comes out and taped off the edge for a dam so the
resin would be contained. you can use epoxy just as well - it just takes longer to set up.
the object is not to encapsulate the areas where the nuts and wire goes.
the white stuff is Gorilla Glue (the expanding type) that I tried first (and changed my mind)
I had photos of the whole project but can't find them now - but this is what it looks like now.
the only problem is that I put the poles on backwards and the wire comes out the front.
I'll change it back some day.
Edit: ALL of the thin brittle black plastic must be removed before doing anything.


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## jeffnc

Interestingly, I bought a portable commercial grade fan, and the concrete in the base literally disintegrated. I never knew there was that sort of thing in floor lamps. It's never happened to me in my life, ever. And I'm not young.


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## raywood

I'm impressed that the OP can do the concrete replacement approach in an hour. (1) Sources I consulted don't recommend using vinyl concrete for something this thick. (2) It did take me a lot of extra time to learn how to do it the first time; I'm sure I'd be faster next time.

Since others are posting comparably time-intensive solutions, here's what I did: My First Time with Concrete: Replacing a Heavy Lamp Base. I will say that I enjoyed this project.


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## Nadin

I've never had such a problem either. Perhaps it's a poor-quality product. You can buy more expensive but once and for all. There are a lot of stores now, and design ideas can be viewed on sites, for example, here


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