Fixing up a thrifted, vintage find

Yay, I finally got around to working on one of my to-do list items.

You might remember this lamp that I bought last year, it was scored at a garage sale a few houses down from me for $5.  Yeah, seriously.  It's a large lamp too.

It has sadly sat on a desk by my bed since then, well it's also spent some time on the floor.

Why has it just been lying around? Well it's because it needed to be rewired, the switch wasn't completely working, and it needed a lamp shade.  I had no idea what kind of shade would work.

It's been a work in progress.  A few months back I bought a re-wiring kit, and earlier this year I got a shade from Goodwill (after I saw someone walking around with it, and then put it back.  Stalker.) 

This next part was the hard part.  Actually getting everything together and sitting down to work on it.

On Sunday I started messing with it and took the lamp all apart.  A somewhat scary process being that I've never rewired a lamp before.  I've changed out ceiling fixtures, so I figured it couldn't be too much of a difference.  Just assemble everything in the reverse order it was removed.  Right?

So I got it all apart and started to re-thread the wire through the rod,....and the new wire was too thick for the rod.  Well, I was able to get the standard light wire through by it's self, but the base light wires didn't fit with it.  Ugh!  Now what?  It sat on the table for three days as I continuously passed by it and wondered.

Then last night I thought "Hmm the old cord was fine, it was the switch that needed to be replaced...right?".  So I decided to keep the old cord, and it of course fit in the rod with the other two wires.

I got everything wired, and I checked to see if it worked, yup it did.  *Remember not to touch the bare wires once plugged in.  Ouch!

Um.... I think I got ahead of myself.  I should have inserted the rod, into the lamp prior to wiring.  Duh!

So I had to unwire it.

Let's try this again.  I assembled the base of the lamp, inserted the rod, and got things wired again.  Checked to see if it still worked.  Yup....as I shocked myself... again.  Seriously.

Then noticed I didn't put the harp on.  OMG!!!  It's no wonder why it's taken me so long to get to this....I'm sooo.... I don't know.  Easily sidetracked?  Forgetful?

Forgot to assemble with harp.  Doh!

I unwired everything... AGAIN, covered the wires...haha yeah I remembered this time, and checked to see if it worked.

Yup!

Got the lamp shade on and viola.  A pretty nice looking lamp.

Top light on.

Base light on.

Base light on, in the dark.

Both top and base light on.

 So what was my cost for this completed working lamp?
$5 garage sale
$5.99 Goodwill lamp shade
$7.99 rewiring kit
_______________
$18.98 plus tax

Not a bad deal for this super awesome lamp, right?

Now what is your opinion on the lamp shade.  Does it work?  Does it need to be bigger, smaller, or taller?