I'm building 10 foot tall steampunk chandelier. It will look similar to the this 
The electrical wire is going to be fed down through the top of the chandelier and to each light bulb. All the terminations and wire splicing will be done in the junction box on the top of the chandelier.
Question
- What is the code compliant way to protect the electrical wire withing the iron pipe?
- Would running the electrical wire in a Braided Cable Sleeve, like the following properly protect the wire and be code compliant?
Best Answer
Iron pipe is (aside from galvanizing and listing and some of the fittings) exactly the same as rigid conduit. Code does not require any protection for wires in conduit - indeed, code regards the conduit as protection for the wires.
All pipes should be de-burred on the inside at the cut and threaded ends (or cut and not threaded, depending how you are assembling) to prevent cutting the wire insulation. If you want to additionally use braided loom, that is fine, but not a code requirement.
If you wanted to be persnickety, you could use rigid (or IMC) conduit and conduit fittings and then paint it black, rather than using black iron pipe.