re: Progress on the Wiring Path

Ron - I appreciate the mental energy you've applied to the alternate wiring problem.  I love this brainstorming.   As far as this specific project, I'm going to stick to my current plan to use the smaller diameter central smooth lamp pipe.  It's just too risky to try to cut a slot in a stave (or two) now that they're joined together in order to route a hidden wire.   However, I find this discussion useful to consider as a different approach for a future project.  

Prior to boring the holes in the bottom of the staves, I flipped them over (held together with the rubber bands) and set the assembly upside down on the floor to verify the hole spacing.   I stepped back to look at the inverted lamp - it looked like a different lamp I needed to build.  🤣