Just rebuilt a mid-'60s bog-standard Anglepoise lamp as it was getting
floppy, mucky and the flex was intermittent in function! (i.e. bloody near
nackered).
Flex was flat-three, with the earth connected to the bottom of the first,
central, arm and the remaing two fed through the arms. This meant, of
course, that there was only one layer of insulation between conductor and
sharpish metal and that the earth went through three sets of joints.

I'm wondering what to use now. Even 0.5mm miniature mains flex might be too
big to get through the grommets (and could be a right abstrad to feed
through) and I haven't been able to find any flat-three.
With 3-core flex, the earth would have to be brought out at the top, but
that's no bad thing and no worse than being at the bottom.
--
Peter.
2x4 - thick plank; 4x4 - two of 'em.