11b30b4’s Craftsman 9-2537 Tool Light Rebuild

[11b30b4]

Some of us have the luck of the Irish and come across these types of accessories often. I on the other hand run into these accessories rarely, in fact, this is the first one I have come across in the past year of me looking for this stuff. Anyway, I knew I was going to fix this lamp up and decided to start a thread on it so others can have some information should they need it.

EDIT, I have updated some of this information.

These Tool Lights were available from Craftsman starting 1951. Craftsman offered a gooseneck type workbench lamp much earlier and the in this 1960-61 tool catalog you can see both were available. In this 1960 catalog, this lamp (referred to as the “tubular type”) sold for $5.98 and had a nylon shield that fit over the commonly seen metal lamp shade. The model number for this lamp was 9-2504.

These are some pics I found online of this lamp with the box. Most of these lamps that I have seen online are craftsman machinery gray but this one is power bronze, and it looks to be the original paint.

My lamp had a model number 2537 on the UL decal on the lamp.

After looking through several vintage catalogs, it looks like Craftsman first offered this lamp in 1951. You can see this lamp in the 1951 catalog listed as the New! Craftsman Light and shows a catalog number of 9 A 2537. It sold for $4.39 in 1951.

Apparently around 1959-1960 there was a change made and the lamp model number was changed from 2537 to 2504 and the nylon “Koolshield” was added to the lamp. Here is the pic from the 1959-1960 catalog.

This is a pic of the lamp I have. It was attached to my Delta pedestal grinder for some reason. The grinder has the twin lite system, so I am not sure why the previous owner added this lamp to the grinder but at $75.00 for the grinder and lamp, I am happy to get both. Notice the bent bottom tube in this pic.

Anyway, I disassembled the light and soaked it in Simple Green for 48 hours then hit it with a wire brush to remove the paint.

I currently have all the metal parts soaking in a citric acid bath to remove the rust. I will be priming and painting the lamp this week. I did disassemble the socket and will be cleaning it up rather than replacing it.

That’s it for now, thank for the interest.

 

[11b30b4]

Just a quick update. I removed the metal parts from the citric acid bath and rinsed them off. Next, I cleaned up the rods and end balls in the lathe. Tonight I will be masking and painting.

Well thats it for the update, thanks for the interest.

 

[Jayman17]

Interesting thread, I’ll bet you wish you had that NOS power bronze light. No restoration required and it matches your restored tools. I’m sure you will make yours like new again.

Jay

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Those are my favorite articulated lamps. You need to stock up on them with all those machines you're acquiring!

 

[11b30b4]

Jayman17, thank you and yes having that NOS lamp would be nice but I enjoy the rebuilding and restoration of tools so rebuilding this lamp is a fun project. Although, I would like to find one of the lamps with the nylon shield since I had never seen one in person.

JoCoSawdust, I know they are and yes, I need more of them. Have you ever seen one with the nylon shield? I am sure back in the days of incandescent bulbs, the nylon shield made sense but with LEDs, a hot lamp shade is a thing of the past.

Update,

Stuff got masked, primed, and painted.

I will let the paint fully cure for a few days. Here in ATL, its been 90 degrees F with 100% humidity and raining off an on so waiting a few days will ensure I don’t rip off the paint with masking tape.

Once the paint is cured, I will mask the lamp shade and paint the inside of it with gloss white.

Thanks for the interest.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

I've seen a few of those lamps with the shade shield but have never owned one. Most of the ones I've seen had been installed incorrectly over the bulb instead of the shade.

Speaking of shades, there's something interesting about yours. Every lamp that's passed through my hands (most of my Heritage machines and accessories make their way to my son-in-law) has had a hole in the neck of the shade, opposite the switch. It seems to me this hole was intended to allow the switch to pass through it, putting the switch on top of the lamp instead of on the underside. Unfortunately, Leviton permanently attached the switch to the socket assembly so it can't be mounted that way. Your lamp is the first I've seen without that hole.

 

[Hoorn]

Great thread 11b, I have the exact same lamp and had taken it apart to start a refurb but other projects got in the way. Will you try a water decal? Also, if you request a decal from MattBlast to replace the "Sears, Roebuck and Co.", I'll get in on that. He had already made me a replacement crown top logo for the front.

 

[11b30b4]

JoCoSawdust, the clamp part of the shade that fixes the socket into the shade has a cutout in it for the socket knob.

Hoorn, I actually got my small heritage logo decal from JoCoSawdust and he got it from a guy he knows (sounds like a bad mafia movie). I was considering having Mattblast make up the UL decal since it has the model number on it but I never asked him about it. I like my lamp without the UL decal, but I will share the artwork with you if you want it and you can ask Matt or whomever to make it for you. I have the artwork in Corel, Pdf, Jpg.

That crown logo is defiantly water slide. Hoorn hit up JoCoSawdust, his guy can probably get you sorted and authentic looking.

Update,

I reassembled the socket and tested it.

Next, I masked off the lamp shade and painted the inside with a white gloss.

Next, I applied the heritage logo I got from JoCoSawdust.

Next, I assembled the lamp and tested it. Everything works perfectly.

This has been a quick and fun project. I will be placing this lamp over my gunsmithing bench to add some directly light.

Thanks for the interest.

 

[Madcap07]

JoCoSawdust, the clamp part of the shade that fixes the socket into the shade has a cutout in it for the socket knob.

Hoorn, I actually got my small heritage logo decal from JoCoSawdust and he got it from a guy he knows (sounds like a bad mafia movie). I was considering having Mattblast make up the UL decal since it has the model number on it but I never asked him about it. I like my lamp without the UL decal, but I will share the artwork with you if you want it and you can ask Matt or whomever to make it for you. I have the artwork in Corel, Pdf, Jpg.

That crown logo is defiantly water slide. Hoorn hit up JoCoSawdust, his guy can probably get you sorted and authentic looking.

Update,

I reassembled the socket and tested it.

Next, I masked off the lamp shade and painted the inside with a white gloss.

Next, I applied the heritage logo I got from JoCoSawdust.

Next, I assembled the lamp and tested it. Everything works perfectly.

This has been a quick and fun project. I will be placing this lamp over my gunsmithing bench to add some directly light.

Thanks for the interest.

Brother, fantastic job on the restoration. This has been a great read.
I stumbled across this researching my own 2537 (I think) lamp. My dad buys properties and from time to time and some of them have garages/barns/workshops that have tools in them. God has put me on some great finds from time to time out of those properties. Anyway, years ago, i came across one of these lamps. I’ve always intended on restoring it and now finally have some spare time to do so.
My lamp looks almost exactly like yours. The exception being, mine is black. Since this is literally the first link I clicked on sound research, I’m not sure what year/s they were painted black.
I’m sure it wasn’t repainted because the HL decal is present.
I’m also missing the swivel ball end joint for the base and the lamp cage. Maybe eBay has individual parts. I also had the deep 6 the wiring. It was toast, however the bulb socket is good to go so I’ll be using that.
Anyway, all of that to say your thread was fantastic and I enjoyed it.
Have a good one!

 

[11b30b4]

Well thank you. I am glad you enjoyed it. If I come across another one of these, I will doa video series about it on my youtube channel.

 

[lafester]

I love these craftsman lights, I've only found one but its in great shape and in bronze.
This is something they should still be making today.