This site contains affiliate links to products. A commission may be received for purchases made through these links. This site is also a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
I have a couple of pipe lamps in my basement and people love them. The water valve switch seems to intrigue people the most. They are amazed at how a water valve actually turns the lamp on and off. Making the valve switch is not difficult, but it is easier to make with some specialized tools, like a drill press and special drill bits.
Start with a stop valve. I used a 1/2" valve that can be purchased at any home improvement store. There are ways to use a gate valve, but this works best with a stop valve.
Start by removing the handle and packing nut from the valve body.
To remove the valve stem, you will need to remove the bonnet. This is tough to do, so here is a tip; clamp the valve in a vice directly on the bonnet. Install a "cheater" pipe in the valve to give you leverage to turn the valve. A longer cheater pipe is better. Give the pipe a whack or two and the bonnet should come loose fairly easily. The first time I tried to remove the bonnet I used a wrench. It was difficult and I marred up the surface of the bonnet.
Once the bonnet is loosened, remove the valve stem from the valve body. The bottom of the valve stem has a rubber washer that needs to be removed by removing the screw.