There is great satisfaction in designing an everyday object in a unique and unusual way. In fact the hardest part of this project was coming up with the design. The inspiration for this candlestick cluster came while walking past one of the many high-end furniture stores in my neighbourhood. A striking stool caught my eye; it seemed like it was made from hundreds of square blocks of elm all laminated together. I thought if this can work for a stool why not a candlestick?
To build the candlesticks, start by ripping all the square stock you'll need on a tablesaw. Make sure the fence and blade are set exactly 90° to the table surface or you'll have a difficult time gluing the pieces up later. The glue-up is the most time consuming part of this project. Proceed slowly and glue up flat sections of four pieces at a time before gluing up the final configurations.
This allows for any
variations in thickness to be planed down, and any saw marks removed.
Once the glued-up block sections are dry,
use a sharp chisel to remove any errant glue and a scraper to smooth out any remaining rough spots. To complete the holders, drill the 3/4"-dia. flat-bottomed holes with a Forstner bit. Finish the candlesticks with two coats of tung oil and a light coat of paste wax.
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