Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion gas station light question about socket

Where can you get a socket for the old gas station lamp shades? Is it something you can go to lowes and fashion up, or do you have to order some sort of repop socket that works with those old shades?

Try LOWES or HD 1st. If that fails try an electrical shop/contractor. Some shades require a MOGUL socket [large base bulb].

Funny you should ask cause I'm working on it right now! You can buy them on ebay under gas & oil and they're usually with a $45 buy it now price. I have several shades that need some electrical work, so I contacted my local electrician and we had a visit with his supplier and it seems that these things aren't readily produced anymore. He's going to check his sources for me and let me know. It seems that you should be able to buy them rather reasonable as there isn't much to them. Email me in a week, maybe I'll know more by then or if you find something, let me know. Thanks----KEVIN

Maybe I'm missing something here, so can you post a photo of what you are looking for? If all you are looking for is the porcelain lamp socket they can be picked up almost anywhere. Any good industrial lighting supply house will have them, same with the bakelite. If you want to go online check AZ Partsmaster, Grand Brass, Grainger.... I could go on and on. On Goggle I typed in "lamp sockets" and came up with almost 5 million hits. I know where I live; North Coast Electric, CED, Platt Electric and Eoff Electric all carry them. Any electrical contactor that works on industrial and business lighting, use and replace these sockets all the time. Now I could be mistaking the fixture you are trying to work on. A "Chinaman's hat with shephards crook", used to illuminate the front of old gas stations, some call them "barn fixtures"? Also used to illuminate building facades and billboards? Oh yea, if you are looking for just the socket, never pay more than $5 for one unless you do need, like Dick said, the mogal base socket. When I used to buy them, I would buy a couple of hundred at a time and would pay about $1.50 each for the "top of the line" made by lightolier, but any good US brand should meet your requirements. I have seen cheap ones from China going for .99, but man do they get hot. LOL

vintage_car is looking for the socket & K W FRITH is buying the bonnets on ebay.