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by:
Paul Lewis
photos: Bert Klassen
illustration: Len Churchill |
PRAIRIE LANTERN (part 2) |
| Back to the Sides |
 |
| Saw
kerfs cut into the roof members accept the slightly
oversized copper panels. These will arch gently
into shape |
|
By now the
glue on the side frames should be cured. Plunge biscuit slots
into the top and bottom of each frame where the stiles meet
the rails. Swab some glue into the slots then insert #20 biscuits.
Trim them flush when the glue is completely hard. This technique
is great in hidden places and is easier than internal biscuit
installations. Keep the biscuits nearer the front of each side
frame so they won’t interfere with the rabbets you’ll be milling
next to hold the glass and wood panels.
I used a table-mounted router
with a 1/4" bit and guide bearing to mill the rabbets. This
leaves rounded corners which need to be squared up with a chisel.
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| Bring Everything Together |
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| The
side panels are a full 1" thick and are set into
1/4" rabbets. The tops of these panels support the
plywood inner shelf |
|
Take a few
moments now to sand the side frames and legs. The sides attach
to the legs with #10 biscuits and glue, and are set back from
the legs by 1/4". To accommodate this, plunge all the biscuit
slots in the sides first, then adjust the fence of the biscuit
joiner by 1/4" and plunge the mating slots in the legs. Glue
and clamp the four sides and legs together. Ensure the diagonal
measurements taken from corner to corner are equal so the lamp
body will be square. When the assembly has dried, tip the whole
thing onto each face to install the solid panels from the inside.
One brad in the centre of each side, top and bottom is all that
is needed to secure each panel.
Now cut the shelf from 1/2" exterior-grade
plywood. The corners of the shelf are trimmed to clear the legs,
and a 1/2" hole accommodates the lamp wiring. The shelf is not
structural; it rests on the top edges of the panels to prevent
the light from escaping underneath the lamp.
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| Electrify the Roof |
The
wiring of this lamp is a breeze. Mount an outdoor-rated electrical
box to the underside of the peak; rather than wire a plug and
cord, I purchased a 6' grounded outdoor extension cord and cut
the receptacle end off. Thread the cord through the hole in
the shelf and into the electrical box. Use a cable clamp to
secure the cord where it enters the box. Now all that’s left
to do is install the light fixture onto the box.
| You
Will Need |
| For
the Lantern |
Material |
Size |
Qty. |
| Legs |
redwood
or cedar |
1
1/2" x 1 1/2" x 30 1/2" |
4 |
| Rails |
redwood
or cedar |
1"
x 1" x 12 1/2" |
12 |
| Stiles |
redwood
or cedar |
1"
x 1" x 25 1/2" |
8 |
| Mullions
|
redwood
or cedar |
1"
x 1" x 23 1/2" |
4 |
| Panels |
redwood
or cedar |
1"
x 6" x 17" |
8 |
| Rafters |
redwood
or cedar |
1"
x 2" x 15 1/2" |
4 |
| Peak
block |
redwood
or cedar |
2
3/8" x 2 3/8" x 4 1/2" |
1 |
Rafter
support
blocks |
redwood
or cedar |
1"
x 2" x 2 3/8" |
4 |
| Shelf
|
exterior
plywood |
1/2"
x 15 1/4" x 15 1/4" |
1 |
| Art
glass |
1/8"
x 6 1/4" x 6 1/4" |
8 |
| Roof
panels |
16-oz.
copper* |
12"
x 20 1/2" |
4 |
| *purchased
as 16-oz. (18-gauge) from a roofer that runs eavestrough
from coil. Another source is this
website, or Solway Metal Sales, 416-531-1131 |
The rafter and peak assembly can now be fitted over four 1/4"
dowels that fit into the top of each leg. I used a hand-held
drill and a brad point bit fitted with a depth stop to make
the holes. Find the centre of each leg by scribing a line diagonally
from corner to corner and drill the holes so that 1/4" of the
dowel stands proud of the surface. Transfer the location of
the holes in the legs onto the roof frame using dowel centres,
then drill matching holes on the underside of each rafter and
attach the roof assembly to the legs with glue. A finishing
nail driven through the rafter into the leg will act as a clamp
until the glue cures.
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| Glass and Copper |
I
finished the project with a couple coats of tung oil. The glass
panels were purchased and cut at a stained glass supplier and
are held in place with glazier’s points. After laying out the
roof panels on my copper stock, I cut them out using tin snips.
The roof panels require a bit of fiddling to friction fit them
into the saw kerfs—the copper panels are larger than you need,
so they bend in a graceful curve which not only looks good but
stiffens each panel.
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| PART
1 | PART 2 |
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