While the glue is drying, create a paper template with the pattern you’d like to use on the housing sides. Once dry, cut out the four sides and stack them up with a copy of the pattern on top. Use a jigsaw or scrollsaw to cut patterns through the wood.
I put air vents on two of the housing sides to keep feeding oxygen to the candle. Once you have the pattern cut on the four housing sides, remove two of them from the stack, then cut out the vent holes at the top.
With the housing sides cut to the correct size and shape, lightly sand and apply a finish to these thin parts. While this project is designed for use outdoors, it isn’t likely to see much inclement weather during the summer months. However, it will get its fair share of sunshine, so choose a finish that has UV inhibitors. I used a simple spray-on lacquer for my lantern project.
On the two non-vented sides, lay out and cut rabbet joints carefully. These help with alignment and hide the light-coloured maple edge. The joint is as wide as the plywood is thick and one ply deep. This small joint is best cut using a marking gauge to mark the width, followed by a router plane, shoulder plane or chisel to shave off the thin maple ply carefully.
Installing glass is the last step to complete the housing. I used 1⁄16"-thick glass cut to size with a carbide glass cutter. Clean the glass, then run a thin bead of silicone along the inside of the plywood and press the glass in place. Once dry, clamp the four housing parts together temporarily with elastic bands.
Top and bottom
The peaked cap features a walnut accent and a brass finial loop to hang the lantern. Cut the parts required according to the materials list. Next, rout a 1⁄4"-deep recess in the underside of the cap, then square up the corners by hand. Cut the copper piece to size (5" x 5") and epoxy it in place.
To form the peak, start by gluing the walnut accent to the top of the cap, ensuring that it’s centred. Next, use a saw to cut off the bulk of the waste before refining the surface with a block plane. Finish off by scraping or sanding. Finally, flatten the top of the peak with a large Forstner bit to allow the finial to sit flat, then bore a hole matching the inside diameter of the finial to vent air.
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