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| by:
Gary Walchuk
photos: Simon Cheung
illustration: Len Churchill |
LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE |
| Don't
build one cherry Mission-style lamp, build two |
This project is proof that you don’t need a lot of space,
equipment or wood to make something great. I used cherry for
my lamp, but quartersawn white oak would look good too. Since
the lamp is the sum of small parts, it makes sense to build
more than one at a time. It takes just two to three hours to
build a pair—not much longer than a single one. Buy your
lamp kits before you start to ensure they fit your plans.
At the Post
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| Mission-style
design lends itself to all sizes of projects. This
simple lamp is a testament to its distinctive characteristics |
|
I made the
post from solid two-inch-thick stock, but you could also glue
up some one-inch-thick material if you need to. I recommend
you mill the post to finished dimensions, but keep this part
longer than necessary for now. Sand up to the 150-grit level,
chamfer the corners slightly to a 1/8" bevel, then cut
both ends to make a clean, crisp line. By cutting after final
sanding, you’ll remove any areas that were accidentally
rounded over at the ends by the sander. Complete the post by
drilling a centred 3/8"-dia. hole along its entire length
to accommodate the wires and lamp hardware. I used a 12"-long
brad-point bit in a handheld drill for this job.
There are three parts left to
cut now: the top cap, the two braces and the two base pieces.
These components are all quite small: prepare them with extra
care. You’ll need some one-inch-thick stock for the base
pieces and some 3/4" stock for the others. Sand everything
with 120-grit paper.
Shaping the Parts
Cut the detail in the 3" x 3" top cap using a chamfer
bit in a table-mounted router for the job. If you want more
detail, cut a 1/16" x 1/16" shoulder into the chamfer
where it meets the bottom face. Drill a 7/8"-dia. hole
through the middle.
The braces come next. Each pair
is cut from one brace blank. Draw diagonal lines from corner
to corner, then bore a 7/8"-dia. hole into the centre point
using a spade or Forstner bit. Make sure you have some solid
backing underneath the brace blanks to prevent tearout as the
bit breaks through underneath.
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| The
cord threads through the lamp base and post to connect
to the hardware kit |
|
Once
bored, cut the brace blanks diagonally, creating the four braces
you’ll need for the lamp. A bandsaw is the safest way
to make this cut, although you could also use a variable-speed
jigsaw at low speed or a sharp Japanese handsaw.
The base is made of two pieces
of wood that fit together with a half-lap joint. But before
you do that, the bottom faces of the base members need some
routing to create feet. I did this on my router table, using
a fence and push block for safety. Starting in the middle, remove
1/4" of stock, then move the fence over 1/4" and repeat
until the router cuts extend to within two inches of each base
end.
Now it’s time to cut the
centre half-lap joints. Decide which will be the top and bottom
base members, then use the same router-table technique to mill
the opposing grooves. You may get some tearout along the back
face of each cut. Prevent it by choosing a push block that’s
wide enough to act as a backing board to support the base pieces.
Complete the base parts by preparing their tapered ends.
Begin by cutting a 1/16"-deep
shoulder that’s 2 5/8" from the ends of both base
pieces. Next, draw an angled line from the bottom of this shoulder
to a point that’s 1/4" up from the end. A bandsaw
with a tall fence would do a nice job, but I used a handsaw
and a jig that supported the wood at an angle over my router
table. Sand all parts and prepare for assembly.
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| CLICK
ABOVE TO ENLARGE |
|
Glue
and screw the base members together with four #8 screws, then
bore a 7/8"-dia. hole in the middle of the assembly. Screw
the post, top cap and base together next, making sure all holes
line up. I used glue and small nails to fasten the four braces
in place, followed by two coats of Minwax Antique Oil to protect
my lamp and bring out the colour and grain of the cherry.
Finally, install the lamp parts
with the directions provided in the kit. Thread the electrical
cord through the hole in the lamp stand, then through the threaded
lamp base pipe before twisting it into the wood.
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| You
Will Need |
| Part |
Size |
Qty. |
| Top
cap |
5/8"
x 3" x 3" |
1 |
| Post |
1
3/4" x 1 3/4" x 12" |
1 |
| Brace
blanks |
3/4"
x 2" x 2 3/8" |
2 |
| Base |
1"
x 2 5/8" x 12" |
2 |
| Hardware |
|
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| Lamp
hardware kit |
10"
harp-style |
1 |
| Screws |
#8
x 1 1/4" |
6 |
| Screws |
#6
x 3/8" |
3 |
| Brads |
1
1/4" long |
4 |
| Lampshade |
|
1 |
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