Drive-in Theater Mfg Co light restoration

[scalebowler]

After just about a year I've finally finished restoring my old Drive-in Theater Mfg Co. Driveway light. When my friend got it he said it had been sitting outside under a bush for about 40-60 years, all the uprights were rusted, and broken off in the base, the lamp socket was shot and the plastic around the bulb was gone. I took it to work and we used the EDM hole popper to burn out the broken screws from the uprights and I machined new uprights out of some stainless steel. Had it powder coated and learned that these castings had quite a few voids in them and that JB Weld actually is a pretty good body filler for parts to be powder coated. Detroit Diecast was kind of enough to get me a light socket that fit and tonight I just cut and sanded the tube around the bulb. Still needs a permanent cord and a stand made for it but the lamp its self is done and I'm very happy with how it turned out.

Before restoration





New light socket installed




Old broken screws burned out with EDM hole popper at work




New Uprights made out of some 303 Stainless






After powder coating and new plastic tube installed

[Eric]

Awesome! Great job... and glad you're still around! 

[scalebowler]

Awesome! Great job... and glad you're still around! 

Thanks! I'm still around but just been busy and haven't had much time for projects like this. This light took me over a year to complete kind of doing it in my free time.

[ajf5577]

That’s a fantastic job!

[SodaShopNick]

Looks brand new...great job!!!

[Jim]

Nicely Done ! ! !
Glad to see you back!  Sounds like you may be working a little too hard and missing out on some "me time"...

[scalebowler]

Thanks guys! Was a fun project. The base is pretty much done now just waiting till I have a chance to paint it. Kind of the main thing stopping me from doing more projects is trying to save up my money and put towards getting a house so not as much to spend on projects right now.

[Creighton]

Very well done Sir!!
Creighton

[briandr1]

Very cool. What a great piece to have. nice resto job!

[cormy]

Can you elaborate on the "EDM hole popper "?

[scalebowler]

Can you elaborate on the "EDM hole popper "?

Pretty much it's a machine that you put a small brass electrode in and then line the table up under the hole you want to make and it uses electricity to burn a hole in a piece of metal instead of drilling it. Pretty neat machine

[cohammer]

Very nice light and great use

[cohammer]

That’s a very cool light