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| by:
Paul Lewis
photos: Christopher Campbell
illustration: Len Churchill |
LANTERNS LIGHT THE WAY |
| Dishwasher-steamed
veneer and Christmas lights cast a lovely glow |
After completing
my new deck project, I was on the lookout for some sort of accent
lighting that would add a festive mood to the deck—I knew from
the start those multicoloured plastic Kontiki lights just weren’t
going to work. Then it occurred to me: why not make shades from
wood veneer?
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| These
unique mahogany-veneer patio lanterns add a touch
of class to your deck that no plastic Kontiki lights
could hope to achieve |
|
I tested both mahogany and birch veneer for the shades, and
while the birch gave off more light, I chose mahogany for its
candle-like glow.
Each shade consists of two identical
pieces of veneer steam-bent around a Styrofoam form. To make
the pattern, mark a centreline on each side of a Styrofoam cone
(I bought this at a craft-supply shop). Now roll the cone on
a piece of thin cardboard and mark the arc it describes with
a pencil. Add 1" to one side where the veneer will overlap,
then cut the pattern out.
Simple Steaming Solution
Trace the pattern onto the veneer making sure the right edge
is parallel to the grain. Dampen the veneer with a spray bottle
and cut out the shade pieces using a mat knife or scissors and
place them in the top rack of a dishwasher. You will have to
experiment with steaming the veneer; I found putting the veneer
in at the tail end of the wash cycle and leaving it there through
half the dry cycle left the wood pliable, but not sopping wet.
Moulding the Veneer
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| Leave
the veneer in for the end of a wash cycle and half
a dry cycle to make it pliable |
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After the
dishwasher steaming, wrap the two pieces around the Styrofoam
form and secure with elastic bands. Once the wood has dried,
remove the elastics, apply polyurethane glue to the seams and
place it back onto the form with more elastics.
Make the Plug, Wire the Lights
Use
a 2 1/8" hole saw to cut one top plug for each lantern, and
drill the holes for the wires and vents as shown. The edges
of the plugs are tapered to fit snugly inside the veneer cone.
I made this taper on a disc sander with the feed table tilted
to 10°. Use the Styrofoam cone as a guide when setting the angle
of the table. Use polyurethane glue to anchor the plug into
the shade. Once set, trim the excess veneer flush with the top
of the plug. Give each shade a couple of coats of satin polyurethane.
Place the shades back on the Styrofoam cone when finishing so
that the poly does not distort the shape.
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| CLICK
ABOVE |
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Each shade is lit with a regular outdoor-rated clear Christmas
light. When purchasing the lights, make sure they are the kind
where the sockets can be removed from the wire by prying the
cap off the back. This allows the lights to be reattached to
a new wire at the appropriate interval. Outdoor-rated 16/2 wire
is threaded through all the shades before attaching the lights.
This eliminates the need for splices along the whole length
of the wire. Allow for 24" of wire between each shade, and 4"
for the loop that the bulb socket hangs on. Once the wire is
threaded, attach a male plug to one end and a female plug to
the other. Put a dab of silicone sealant around all the wires
where they enter the top of each shade. Make sure you attach
the lights well away from anything that may come in direct contact
with the bulb (or block the heat-venting hole at the top of
the shade). |
| You
Will Need |
| Part |
Material |
Size |
Qty. |
| Shades |
mahogany
veneer |
9"
x 13" |
12 |
| Plugs |
cedar |
3/4"
x 2 1/8" dia. |
6 |
| Wire |
16/2
outdoor rated |
16' |
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| Bulbs
and sockets |
7-watt
Xmas lights |
6 |
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