| Project by jpl | posted 121 days ago | 355 views | 5 times favorited | 17 comments |  |
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Here is my newly completed floor lamp. I wanted something to complement an old Morris Chair we have, but my options were either box store / online schlok or mega expensive pieces I did not like. Plus I wanted the finish to somewhat match the chair’s finish.
The original plan came from an online article in popular mechanics, which I modified to suit my needs and style. The central post was cut from one 4/4 board, with mitered edges such that the QS figure would show all around. The base and corbels were 5/4, corbels cut with a jigsaw and spokeshaved, and all chamfers hand planed instead of routed. Someday an entire project will be hand tool built… Or at least dimensioned using power tools, then unplugged from there on!
The shade was another challenge rescued by the internet. I found a great article online on making one, which set up all the math to compute the various miter cuts for my own dimensions. In hindsight, I would have made the shade pieces rectangular and a bit smaller, instead of 3/4” square, because it is rather heavy. I build 2 forms, one inner and one outer, to help construct the four sides by keeping all angles uniform. The shade was a good exercise in lap joinery. The prototype shade was cut by hand, but not accurate enough, so the final one was cut using the tablesaw. Finally, the shade panels were cut from 1/8” plexiglass, with a muslin fabric spray glued to one side. They were then screwed into rabbets routed inside of each frame panel, so I can remove them if need be.
It was amazing that it all went together. I was sweating on the shade, with the smaller available real estate due to the compound miters and rabbets for the plexi. Just barely had room for everything.
Finished with a mix of TransTint water dyes, sealed with Waterlox sealer, glazed with two coats of Barclay Golden Oak, then two more coats of Waterlox satin.
Sources of Interest:
Original plan:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journal/woodworking/1273236.html
Shade:
http://www.ustv.us/programs/projects/Arts%20&%20Crafts%20Lampshade%20Rev.%204.pdf
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17 comments so far
GaryK
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8183 posts in 379 days
posted 121 days ago
Oh, nice looking lamp. Great job!
-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.
DAN
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2584 posts in 374 days
posted 121 days ago
well done. never thought of the plexiglass and fabric method. came out cool.
-- a legend in my own mind ...
teenagewoodworker
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1689 posts in 159 days
posted 121 days ago
nice work!
darryl
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674 posts in 717 days
posted 121 days ago
top to bottom, that is an excellent piece!
Great work.
-- ~ www.darrylmasterson.com ~ www.woodworkingdungeon.blogspot.com ~
IowaWoodcrafter
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247 posts in 467 days
posted 121 days ago
Thank you for the article and the link to the plans! I was planning on making some table lamps to put next to the bed when I get it finished. The informatin on the lamp shades will be invaluable.
-- Owen Johnson - aka IowaWoodcrafter
Scott Bryan
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7806 posts in 213 days
posted 121 days ago
This is a nice looking lamp. As a fan of arts and craft pieces I enjoyed not only the pictures but the detailed process as well.
Thanks for sharing.
-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.
Dano
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213 posts in 423 days
posted 121 days ago
jpl,
Great lamp! I am in the planning phase to build a floor lamp and a table lamp both of which will require lampshades. I want to build something very similar but have struggled with how to make the lampshades. Thanks for the help as I have already saved the article you referenced.
-- Dan in Central Oklahoma, Able to turn good wood into saw dust in the blink of an eye!
jpl
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15 posts in 496 days
posted 121 days ago
Dan,
Thank you. Building a complete full-sized prototype (actually 2 – one out of cardboard to get the dimensions just right and the other out of poplar to get the angles right) made the shade doable. The equations are all laid out in that article, and do work! I built the panels with lap joints, then ripped the two angled sides on the TS. Glue and taped everything together, with a little help from 2” spring clamps. Then added the lap-joined cross piece for the shade holder.
jp
Tim Pursell
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168 posts in 173 days
posted 121 days ago
Sure is fun figuring out the angles——then cutting them isn’t it?
Looks good. I like you plexiglass/muslin shade material.
-- http://www.grandprairiewoodworks.com
jpl
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15 posts in 496 days
posted 121 days ago
Cutting the plexiglass was not fun. Scoring was a royal PiTA. I ended using my jigsaw (is there anything it can’t do?), but did manage to pop off some chips here and there if I strayed too far from the line. The material covered up all the mistakes nicely.
Chris
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913 posts in 382 days
posted 121 days ago
Wow… very nice work. I really like the colors in the finish and the way it popped the QS grain.
-- Chris
ND2ELK
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1851 posts in 165 days
posted 121 days ago
Hi jpl
The lamp is beautiful and you did a great job on it. Thanks for the web sights where you got the information from. My wife likes these kind of lamps and I will file the imformation away in my info file.
Tom
-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa
kjwoodworking
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104 posts in 278 days
posted 121 days ago
Your lamp turned out good. Great job on the shade it looks like a tedious project.
-- Kirk H. -- http://www.kjwoodworking.com
Marge
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127 posts in 345 days
posted 121 days ago
Nice look
-- Marge, Colorado
Mathew Nedeljko
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33 posts in 221 days
posted 121 days ago
Love it! Definitely a favorite. Excellent execution all around.
I have a perfect corner in my living room that is just crying for one of these lamps. Thanks for posting the links to the detailed plans.
-- When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt! Henry J. Kaiser
jcees
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396 posts in 190 days
posted 121 days ago
Lovely. I dig the style and the execution is sweet too. Bravo.
always,
J.C.
-- "Imagination is more important than knowledge" -- Albert Einstein
cajunpen
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5256 posts in 457 days
posted 121 days ago
Wow that is nice work. I really like the design and the lamp shade is very nice.
-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/