Recycle aluminum baseball bats by making them into modern pendant lamps. This is an easy project that creates an impressive result.

SUPPLIES:

Metal Baseball Bat
Available at a Thrift Store or eBay
I bought a bunch of aluminum baseball bats on eBay for about $4 a bat – this is a great price for a high-grade material like aluminum.

Pendant Light Cord with Porcelain Socket
Available at The Color Cord Company
The Color Cord Company is my favorite place for getting light fixtures. They have an awesome selection of colors and features.

Wine Cork
Recycle
I had some left over silk cord from a past project that just happened to match the turquoise electrical set I purchased from The Color Cord Company.

Paint Stripping Wheel
Available online at Amazon.com
A paint-stripping wheel attaches to a drill and makes removing the paint from the bats really easy.

Wire Brush Attachment for Drill
Available online at Amazon.com
Wire brush wheels will also work to remove paint on the bats. The cone shaped ones are good for reaching the inner surface of the bat.

Drum Sander
Available online at Amazon.com
I used drum sander for shaping and smoothing the cut edges of the bat.

TOOLS:

RYOBI 18 Volt Cordless Drill
Available at Home Depot








RYOBI 18 Volt Reciprocating Saw
Available at Home Depot







RYOBI 18 Volt JobPlus™ with Multi-Tool Attachment
Available at Home Depot

INSTRUCTIONS:

STEP 1: Cut the Bat
A reciprocating saw with a metal cutting blade goes right through the bats like butter and is great if you want a nice, clean, straight cut. I wanted more of a curved cut, so I used my RYOBI 18 Volt JobPlus™ Multi-Tool with a metal cutting blade. It took about 5-10 minutes to cut through the bat, but I was able to get the lines and look that I wanted. You could use a hacksaw and do it by hand but it would take a while. Once you cut off both ends of the bat, you'll be left with a nice metal tube to serve as the lampshade.









STEP 2: Remove the Paint
Most metal bats are partially painted. I used a paint stripping wheel and my cordless drill to remove the paint. The paint stripping wheels made by 3M make it pretty easy.





STEP 3: Remove the Foam
Some bats have foam inside of them that need to be removed. Use a knife or pair of pliers to cut and pull it out.





STEP 4: Sand the Outside
I used a medium grit-sanding pad to give the aluminum a nice shiny exterior. Sand in the same direction to give the metal a nice, brushed look. You could also use a fine grit-sanding pad and then polish the aluminum to a mirror finish.





STEP 5: Sand the Edges
I used a drum sanding attachment on my drill to shape and smooth the edges.





STEP 6: Wire Brush the Inside
I used a cone shaped wire brush to clean up the inside of the bat.





STEP 7: Wire the Lamps
In order to thread the wire through the bat, I had to disassemble and remove the socket. I then threaded the wire and reassembled the socket.





STEP 8: Make a Cork Stopper
I drilled a hole through the wine cork and cut it down so that it fit snuggly in the small end of the bat. In order to get the cork stopper around the cord, I had to cut through one side of the donut shaped cork so that I could stretch it around the cord.





STEP 9: Assemble + Hang
I pulled the socket and wedged the cork stopper into place. Plug in the lamp and turn it on!











Good luck making your own baseball bat lamp and please email, tweet or hashtag photos to @benuyeda, ben@homemade-modern.com or #homemademodern. For more detailed instructions, dimensioned drawings and different variations of the project, check out our soon-to-be-released book.

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