How to Electrify a Hurricane Lantern

Disassemble the hurricane lamp. Pull the globe free of the retaining clips. Unscrew the top, remove the wick and pour any remaining fuel into a resealable plastic container. Light the inside of the fuel reservoir with a barbecue lighter to burn off any fuel residue. Let the reservoir cool completely and clean it with soap and water. Let the reservoir dry completely before continuing.

Disassemble an electric table lamp. Remove the light bulb and lay it nearby. Pull the piece of felt off of the bottom of the lamp base. Cut off the cord with wire cutters and keep it handy. Reach inside the lamp base with your pliers and loosen the retaining nut holding the socket in place. Remove the nut, pull the socket free (along with the remaining cord) and keep both pieces. Discard the remaining pieces.

Fill your sink with water. When the water reaches room temperature, submerge the glass reservoir of the hurricane lamp in the sink.

Turn the reservoir in the sink so that the side faces up. Hold the reservoir securely. Set your drill on low. Drill a hole through the side of the reservoir with the elongated, 1/4 inch, diamond-tipped bit on your cordless drill. Remove the reservoir and let it dry completely before continuing.

Empty the sink. Rinse it thoroughly to wash away remaining glass shards. Wipe out the sink with a damp rag to remove any residue.

Put on work gloves and safety glasses. Hold the PVC cap firmly with one hand. Drill a 1/4-inch hole through the center of the cap. Replace the 1/4-inch bit with a 1/2-inch drill bit. Widen the hole in the PVC cap by drilling through it with your 1/2-inch bit. Wipe away the residue with a damp rag. Let the cap dry completely before continuing.

Push the end of the cord attached to the lamp receptacle through the hole in your PVC cap. Pull the cord from the bottom of the cap until the receptacle is seated on top of the PVC cap. Slide the retaining nut along the cord and tighten it on the bottom of the receptacle to lock the assembly in place.

Push the cut end of the loose cord into the hole in the hurricane lamp reservoir. Pull the cord out through the top of the reservoir. Cut the middle of the cord to separate the two halves. Separate the two halves of the cord attached to the receptacle. Strip all four pieces of cord with a stripping tool.

Twist the end of half of the receptacle cord to half of the plug cord. Secure the two pieces with a wire nut. Wrap the entire splice with electrical tape. Repeat the procedure with the remaining two pieces of cord. Wrap both splices together with electrical tape. Push the splice into the glass reservoir and twist on the PVC cap. Squirt a spot of automotive room temperature vulcanizing sealant into the hole in the side of your reservoir. Let the RTV cure overnight.

Twist the bulb into the receptacle. Slide the globe of the hurricane lamp over the bulb. Plug the cord into the wall. Turn on the lamp.