Lathe question

Mike, I have made several over the years. both from whole logs turned down and laminated stock. My trouble has been on any over 12” tall using my shop smith in the horizontal boring machine mode, my drill bits drift and want to exit off center when drilling the path for the lamp cord. Other minor trouble it how to best attach the harp and socket fixture to the top. The largest were four similar 10-12” diameter lamated poplar 20”tall, which I constructed in 1979 after the wind blew over two of our ceramic lamps breaking the basesl and, are still use today in my living room every day. The solid cedar post lamps were the easiest to turn and are desk lamp size.

-- Russell Pitner Hixson, TN 37343 bassboy40@msn.com

I drill the hole before turning the lamp stem. Then mount the lamp stem on a mandrel, or a dowel to turn the outside. This way you will be centered. As for holding it all together I collect old lamps from yard sales etc. and disassemble them for the brass rods and parts. Lamps are cheep, new parts are not and old parts work just fine. I do use new sockets and wire though . Weight, another old lamp bonus.

-- A childs smile is payment enough.

Michael….your entry will get more hints at the forum section

-- Nature is my manifestation of God. I go to nature every day for inspiration in the day's work. I follow in building the principles which nature has used in its domain" Frank Lloyd Wright

Do you want table lamps or floor lamps, do you want them slim, or massive, do you want lamp shades turned
from wood as some people here have done, or a top similar to Todd A Clippinger made for the exhibit at the
Bozeman museum? If you will have trouble drilling the hole in the lamp for the cord, you can use laminated
pieces and cut/route the cord cavity ahead of time or cut a solid piece in half, make the cord conduit and glue
it back together. Most sockets and harps will thread onto regular pipe thread, or special pipes available from
Lamparts, or similar outlets, Walmart and most hardware stores used to carry these parts, or google on line.
Let your imagination run wild, have fun and enjoy whatever you want to make.

-- As ever, Gus-the 74 yr young apprentice carpenter

Thanks for the comments, seems I have some planning to do.

-- Live to tell the stories, they sound better that way.