I’ve been looking for cheaper alternatives for gooseneck lamps, as I would like to put several on my layout but couldn’t justify buying them at prices I’ve seen online. I found some items from the craft / jewelry hobby that worked for me.
My lamp shades are ‘studs’ like you would put on a belt, or purse or leather dog collar. These are simple ½” dia. brass dome studs, but you can get all kinds of radical shapes. They have mounting tabs that can be easily snipped off and deburred with a file or sandpaper. I got a bag of 100 for $5.00 on eBay.
The tubing is stainless hypodermic from McMaster, and the light is a T1 (3mm) white LED from Mouser Electronics.
I made a jig to bend the tubing, then I annealed one end and flared it slightly with a sharp pic. I slid the shade over the flared end and attached with epoxy. Paint is Rust-oleum Hunter green.
I figure I have less than $1.00 in parts and materials in the assembly. This is my first prototype, but I plan to build maybe 10 at a time. I think they’ll look fine for my layout.
