# How to make an Arts and Crafts style lamp shade



## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

*Some initial thoughts*

I've had reasonable success selling Arts & Crafts style lamps and currently I am making another set.
One of the challenges with these lamps is building the shade. There are a number of angles and dimension to consider and any error in one of these parameters will alter the parameters of every other piece.

When making an A&C style lamp, you build the lamp body and you build the shade. Each is about the same amount of effort.

I thought a blog post would be a good way for me to collect my ideas together for a method I worked up and to possibly encourage others to build these shades.

Sorry if some of this gets a bit long-winded!

*The Magazines*

Several magazines have had articles giving instructions for building an A&C lamp with details for the shade. I've read both these articles (one is available online as a pdf, hint: search for "wood magazine 148 2003.pdf" ) and have not been totally thrilled with the techniques they use. On the other hand, I would never have given the subject more critical though had I not read the articles 8^)

Tom sparked my initial interest in building these and he promoted several alternatives in process and design that I have adopted. My goal now is to further refine my approach to more efficiently make multiple copies of these unique lap shades.

*Fixtures and Jigs*

As with most any manufactured item, using fixtures and jigs is a great way to gain quality, consistency, and efficiency. These shades need help in all three areas to keep my sanity intact. I think I have found a way to "jigify" the process such that everything goes easier.

*The Design*

First thing needed is a design.
I like the general shade dimensions used in the articles and have adapted my setup to accommodate production. Here is a simple drawing of the panel frame showing the key part dimensions.










I'll work more on getting it easier to read the dimensions, sorry about that 8^)

Note that the dotted lines are where the pieces are eventually trimmed flush.

I used an old drafting program (MacDraft) to verify the part dimensions and angles, and to provide a paper reference for out in the garage (err… I meant studio).

A good general mathematical description to determine the lengths and angles for an arbitrary shade of multiple sides can be found here

A more lamp oriented description (with figures!) is here

Again it's not the absolute numbers that matter, it's being able to consistently cut all pieces close to those numbers. My goal is to find methods that allow errors in cutting to be reduced or eliminated in each step and offer chances to "reset" things if some errors creep in during the build. The desired result is ending up with a shade that has tight joints and crisp edges.










*The Tools*

Miter gauge
As with any project, good tools help make things easier.
The primary tool needed is a good miter gauge. The ability to set to an exact angle is not as important as having a non-sloppy fit into the miter slot and the ability to somehow set the gauge up to the exact same angle repeatedly. 
I use an Incra 1000 miter gauge that can easily be repeatably set to any angle.
If you just have a stock gauge, make it so you can add wider fence and have a scrap of plywood cut close to the proper angle. You can use this plywood to set the miter angle consistently for either side of the blade, consistency is key.

Table saw
You need a saw that has good arbor bearings and sharp saw blades. Basically the blade should cut straight and true and not wobble or deflect during cuts. The fence should be set parallel to the blade and not move or deflect during cuts.

Steel rule
I use a 24" etched steel ruler to set my miter gauge stop to the plan dimensions. It is graduated down to 32nds of an inch and the etching allows me to clearly align the mark with the saw blade tooth. During this project, I found that even despite careful stop setup, I had to adapt the dimensions as I progressed. My parts were all exactly the same lengths, but never exactly the planed length. This did not matter since I could adapt without any consequences.

Next part will begin with the wood preparation and cutting a pile of parts.

Thanks for following along!


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## Sigung (Nov 20, 2013)

splintergroup said:


> *Some initial thoughts*
> 
> I've had reasonable success selling Arts & Crafts style lamps and currently I am making another set.
> One of the challenges with these lamps is building the shade. There are a number of angles and dimension to consider and any error in one of these parameters will alter the parameters of every other piece.
> ...


Thank you, thank you, thank you! This comes just in the nick of time as I decided just yesterday that I was going to make at least two of these. I got right away that the shades were going to be a significant challenge, in point of fact I was planning on contacting you personally in a PM and asking for your guidance!!! How auspicious this is. I will be watching this very closely.


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

splintergroup said:


> *Some initial thoughts*
> 
> I've had reasonable success selling Arts & Crafts style lamps and currently I am making another set.
> One of the challenges with these lamps is building the shade. There are a number of angles and dimension to consider and any error in one of these parameters will alter the parameters of every other piece.
> ...


Here is a good site for calculating the dimensions of most any shape. I use ti all the time!!

https://www.blocklayer.com/cone-patternseng.aspx

cheers, Jim


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## CharlieK (Jan 6, 2008)

splintergroup said:


> *Some initial thoughts*
> 
> I've had reasonable success selling Arts & Crafts style lamps and currently I am making another set.
> One of the challenges with these lamps is building the shade. There are a number of angles and dimension to consider and any error in one of these parameters will alter the parameters of every other piece.
> ...


What material do you use for the shade, some kind of mica?


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## mkellar (May 14, 2012)

splintergroup said:


> *Some initial thoughts*
> 
> I've had reasonable success selling Arts & Crafts style lamps and currently I am making another set.
> One of the challenges with these lamps is building the shade. There are a number of angles and dimension to consider and any error in one of these parameters will alter the parameters of every other piece.
> ...





> What material do you use for the shade, some kind of mica?
> 
> - CharlieK


Mica is hard to find, has anyone found a good source?


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## EarlS (Dec 21, 2011)

splintergroup said:


> *Some initial thoughts*
> 
> I've had reasonable success selling Arts & Crafts style lamps and currently I am making another set.
> One of the challenges with these lamps is building the shade. There are a number of angles and dimension to consider and any error in one of these parameters will alter the parameters of every other piece.
> ...


I'll be following your commentary closely. I have a set of lamp plans but I didn't buy the accompanying mica (Schlabaugh and Sons) because I want to have the local stained glass shop make the panels for the shade. Your comments will help me keep out of trouble on the shade frame.


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## CaptainSkully (Aug 28, 2008)

splintergroup said:


> *Some initial thoughts*
> 
> I've had reasonable success selling Arts & Crafts style lamps and currently I am making another set.
> One of the challenges with these lamps is building the shade. There are a number of angles and dimension to consider and any error in one of these parameters will alter the parameters of every other piece.
> ...


I bought the kit for this lamp 15 years ago and it's still in a drawer in my shop. I'm VERY interested in exploring your solution. I have a few to make for around the house, both table and floor lamp versions.


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

splintergroup said:


> *Some initial thoughts*
> 
> I've had reasonable success selling Arts & Crafts style lamps and currently I am making another set.
> One of the challenges with these lamps is building the shade. There are a number of angles and dimension to consider and any error in one of these parameters will alter the parameters of every other piece.
> ...





> How auspicious this is. I will be watching this very closely.
> 
> - Jerry


Serendipity Jerry, serendipity! 8^)

Glad to help out any way I can.


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

splintergroup said:


> *Some initial thoughts*
> 
> I've had reasonable success selling Arts & Crafts style lamps and currently I am making another set.
> One of the challenges with these lamps is building the shade. There are a number of angles and dimension to consider and any error in one of these parameters will alter the parameters of every other piece.
> ...





> Here is a good site for calculating the dimensions of most any shape. I use ti all the time!!
> 
> https://www.blocklayer.com/cone-patternseng.aspx
> 
> ...


Nice online source Jim. thanks!

I've also been itching to try out some veneer shades and that interactive calculator for the conics will make it easy.


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

splintergroup said:


> *Some initial thoughts*
> 
> I've had reasonable success selling Arts & Crafts style lamps and currently I am making another set.
> One of the challenges with these lamps is building the shade. There are a number of angles and dimension to consider and any error in one of these parameters will alter the parameters of every other piece.
> ...





> What material do you use for the shade, some kind of mica?
> 
> - CharlieK


It's "light amber" mica Charlie. There are several sources, but I usually get it from merrittes on eBay. It comes in 36" x 18" sheets which happens to be perfectly sized to get two sets of shades for the dimensions I'm using. I'll use the 0.030 thick stuff and I've found that the "light amber" color seems best, the other colors are much darker and tend to not have that "glow".

It's not cheap, about $50 to your door, but as you can guess the shipping charges are a good portion of that.


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

splintergroup said:


> *Some initial thoughts*
> 
> I've had reasonable success selling Arts & Crafts style lamps and currently I am making another set.
> One of the challenges with these lamps is building the shade. There are a number of angles and dimension to consider and any error in one of these parameters will alter the parameters of every other piece.
> ...


Earl, I have also considered using glass panels like the prairie lamps have. They are the ultimate!

Captain, I have several projects stashed away "for later" that I need to get back to (no shame there 8^).

I hope I can reveal things to make the process easier.


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## CharlieK (Jan 6, 2008)

splintergroup said:


> *Some initial thoughts*
> 
> I've had reasonable success selling Arts & Crafts style lamps and currently I am making another set.
> One of the challenges with these lamps is building the shade. There are a number of angles and dimension to consider and any error in one of these parameters will alter the parameters of every other piece.
> ...





> What material do you use for the shade, some kind of mica?
> 
> - CharlieK
> 
> ...


Thanks!!


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

*And so it Begins*

I decided to use walnut for this set of shades. I recently scored some narrow, but otherwise nice rift sawn boards with consistent color.

When making items like this I like to get all the pieces from the same board so the grain/color will match up. Anyway, this wood made that easy to do. Other wood types can be far less friendly…










*Prepare the stock*










Based on the drawing, I needed 16 sides (stiles), 8 bottoms, and 8 tops (rails). I milled up enough walnut stock for two shades plus an extra piece of each part in case of defects or errors in cutting on my part. This is important as I don't want to halt progress to create a replacement part as this would require changing various tool setups, etc. 
I cut the stock in longer lengths to optimize the board usage and make it easier to size everything later. I left the outer dimensions a bit large and allowed everything to climatize for a week to the shop/ Fortunately the wood was very stable and nothing warped or bent. If the parts are not perfectly straight, care must be taken to clamp the parts flush to the miter gauge as cuts are made.

These pieces were sized on my drum sander and further gang-sanded to 220 grit with my ROS. Doing this now avoids having to sand near the joints later and deal with cross grain scratches.

I liked Tom's idea of of the lamp shade "spokes" being raised slightly (1/8") and extending about 1/4" beyond the shades lower rim. This also means if a the joints are not perfectly flush, it will never show from the outside (win-win).
The added shadow lines also add visual interest.










All parts are 3/4" wide with the spokes being 3/4" thick and the top/bottom rails cut to 5/8" thick. The parts are also cut about 1" or so over final length.
At this point I have 32 pieces for the lamp shade frames and one spare (4 pieces) for each component.

*The miter gauge fences*

These are actually the first jigs I made for this project. Everyone knows that when you want parts like these to be cut to the same length, you set up a stop block on the miter gauge. It is also a good idea to clamp each part to the gauge if the angle is not 90 degrees since the action of cutting can cause the part to slide away from the stop.

I combined the two actions here with my miter gauge "sacrificial" fences.










There are two fences since I need to make cuts with the miter gauge on both sides of the blade depending on if the part is a right or left.

To make these fences I used some 1/2" thick scrap oak and drilled a number of holes for securing to the miter gauge. My Incra gauge has slots so the fence can be slid around before locking down. One could also clamp the fence to the miter gauge in a pinch if needed.

Since the desired angle of the shades lower corners is 50 degrees, I set my miter to 40 degrees (90 deg. - 50 deg.) 
As show in the magazine plans, the lamp shade frames are assembled with half-lap joints.

The secret to holding the parts in position is to add a key that will fit into the previously cut dados. This works just like a box joint jig except it is all at an angle.

I set up a dado stack to cut a notch sized exactly to the width (3/4") of my parts. For the keys, I actually use a portion of the spares I made when preparing all the parts and I make plenty of test cuts to make sure my dado setup cuts the proper width. Not too tight and not too loose!
When I'm sure the cut is properly dimensioned, I cut the key slot toward the end of each fence and glue the key in place. Note that the fences are mirror images of each other.

These fence jigs are now ready for use on these shades and any others I want to make in the future (with the same corner angle).

*Cut the lap joints*
Time to make sawdust!

Keep things organized at this point. The half laps are in different directions depending on if the part is a "left" or "right" and on opposite sides if the part is a rail or stile. If you have spent time organizing your parts so they blend together at the final glue-up, you really should draw lines on each part showing where and which direction the dados are cut!

Note that the "left" stiles have both their dados cut with the miter jig set on the same side of the saw blade and the "right" stiles cut on the other side. The rails have one dado cut on the left side of the blade and the other dado cut on the right.

Set the cut depth of the dado stack (using test pieces) such that when assembled they fit flush. A great flush fit now means less sanding later.

Step 1 is to cut an initial dado close to one end of each part. This is done with and ordinary fence as the key is not yet needed. Use a stop block and use a clamp. Leave about 1/4" of excess past the dado (so it's a full dado instead of a rabbet) and don't forget to allow for the extra overhang at the bottom of the stiles.










With each part having an initial dado cut, the dado should fit snugly over the key on the fence jig. Carefully measure the distance between the dado on the key and the blade tooth and adjust the fence position until the measurement agrees with the plan.

Lock down the fence.










This picture shows a right side stile being cut. Both dado cuts are parallel. According to the plan, the distance between the inside edges of the two cuts is 8-15/32". You could just make the cut at 8-1/2" and compensate for the difference later.

This next picture shows the bottom rail being cut. Note that each dado is angled opposite. This is where marking each piece will help prevent confusion and messed up cuts 8^).
The dimension from the outer edges of the dado cuts is 17".

*Do not cut the top rail at this time!*










I hope you understand the process here. If you plan out correctly and cut the initial dados at the correct angles and on the correct ends, you can get half the cuts done before swapping the gauge to the other side of the blade. If not, no big deal, you just end up moving the miter gauge side to side a bit more.

Think before you cut to make sure you have the proper dado arrangement!

By leaving a full dado at the end of each piece, all the joints lock together and make gluing a breeze! This also makes each frame identical for a perfect final product.

With the two stiles and bottom rail dadoed, do a dry fit. I just laid the un-dadoed top rail into position.










You can see the angle is perfect!

Even so, placing a rule into the top dados shows that the dado spacing is a tad wider than the plans called for.
You can't really tell in this picture but it is almost 1/16" wider.










No problem! just cut the top rail with the required dado spacing









This is where any errors in setup prior to this point are compensated for.

Dado cutting is complete! Dry fit but do not glue yet!









See all the excess material sticking past the edges of these panels? That will be dealt with later.

When I made my first shade, I spent a great deal of time setting up for the miter cuts and clamping. With these two fence jigs I was done with the cuts in about an hour 8^)
Thanks for following and 'til next time…..


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## EarlS (Dec 21, 2011)

splintergroup said:


> *And so it Begins*
> 
> I decided to use walnut for this set of shades. I recently scored some narrow, but otherwise nice rift sawn boards with consistent color.
> 
> ...


This is a great explanation of your approach. I aspire to have the patience and skills to type up a blog that is this accurate, detailed, and thorough. I spent half an hour reading and re-reading these 2 blogs just because they do such a good job of explaining what you are doing. I might even be able to make a decent lamp shade one of these days.


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

splintergroup said:


> *And so it Begins*
> 
> I decided to use walnut for this set of shades. I recently scored some narrow, but otherwise nice rift sawn boards with consistent color.
> 
> ...


Thanks Earl, that's quite the complement!

I always worry that I am actually making things seem even more complex than they really are.


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

*Assemble the Frame*

If everything went well prior to this point (snug lap joints, equal part lengths), there should be a stack of frames that are for all purposes identical. Now is a good time to consider the final shade assembly and arranging the parts in a way that works well with grain/color matching. This is probably the most critical for the stiles. Since they are glued side to side, they should appear as a single unit when assembled. For the best seamless look, the color and grain should match.
If you have one part that for some reason just doesn't match anything or has some serious defect, pull out the matching spare you created before (you did make extras right? 8^)

*Profiling the edges*

Now is the time to break those sharp corners if you want to. I like the 45 deg chamfer for these type lamps since every other part on the lamp typically has an angled profile. You could also do a round over for a nice soft look/feel.









(The chamfers where the top rail (up/down) meets the left side stile (horizontal))

Once the shade frame is glued, there are areas that cannot be accessed by a bearing guided chamfer bit on a router table. I don't worry about the inside of the shade but I do want chamfers on the lower rail, stepped areas of the side stiles, and outer top rail.

For the rails, I chamfer the entire length from the top to the bottom, exterior side only, edge adjacent to the mica panel only (only one of the four edges on the stile part).
The top rail gets chamfered fully along the top and bottom edges (exterior side only). The chamfer only needs to run from dado to dado, but if you are running the part along a fence, no harm from chamfering past the cuts.

The lower rail gets chamfered on three edges. As with the top rail, both exterior edges get the treatment from dado to dado.
The interior edge of the lower rail is flush with the side stiles so the part needs to be chamfered after assembly or have the router cut stopped short and blended after assembly with a chisel. It's a lot easier to just route it at the table after assembly.

This is the left stile (running left/right) meeting the lower rail (stubby extension is on the left)









Since the stile sits 1/8" proud of the rail, I did a 1/16" chamfer.

*Now the glue*

I used Titebond "dark" since its dried color blends really well with oiled walnut. It doesn't take much and it's best to avoid squeeze-out and the necessary clean up. A simple trick is to give the areas a good paste waxing while the assembly is dry fit. If any glue oozes out, it pops right off the waxed surface after it has set and is no longer gooey. A good rub down with a mineral spirit soaked rag removes any wax prior to applying a finish.










This is where leaving the excess material past the dados really helps. This allows the joints to lock together so you only need to apply a single clamp to force the joint together.

*Trim the frames to final height*
After the glue is dry, it's time to remove the excess "stubs" and size all the frames to the same height.

I do this on the table saw by placing a straight spacer between the lower rail and the fence to give a good, consistent square reference. Make sure the spacer you choose is wide enough to keep your panel with the longest stubs from contacting the fence!










To set up this cut I bandsaw off the top side stubs to within 1/8" of the top rail. If this is not done, the saw blade will cut off the first stub, then shoot it back into the second stub (kickback!). The never ends well so do yourself a favor and trim.
I set the fence so the saw blade just kisses the top rail as seen in the above picture.
I get the best control by placing my hands at the frame corners near the fence and put pressure to keep the frame and spacer tight against the fence (I'm standing well to the right of the blade).

You can see the results of fitting the dado to produce a great lap joint now that the excess stubs are cut away on top.










Do this for every frame and after completion, all frames should be the exact same height from lower rail to top rail.

A bit more work is needed to trim the lower rail. The freshly cut top rail can run along the fence to provide a nice square cut, except it is rather short and this leaves open the chance for a kickback if something is not done.

I planed on having my short spikes extending past the shade corner by 3/16" so I place the panel on the saw and adjust the fence to produce this cut.










With the fence locked down, I now trim a scrap of masonite to this width. Don't move the fence after doing this! (otherwise you will need to reset it).










I also trim the spikes on the bandsaw to just past their final dimension (as was done for the top rail)
Note the pencil marks indicating the length of the spikes.










Next task is to place double sided tape on key points of the frame. I really like using this tape It sticks well to the masonite, it's thin, it doesn't allow the parts to wiggle, and it is easy enough to separate the parts when done.










Remove the protective film over the tape and place the masonite smooth side gently against the tape, aligning the pencil marks on the spikes with the edge of the masonite. Before pressing down to secure the tape, check that the top rail is flush with the masonite along its entire length. If so, press down on the corners to set the tape. Give it a good inspection to be sure you don't have the frame crooked. If the frame does end up being crooked, your spikes will be slightly different in length and will require some sanding to even them up. Frame to frame assembly forming a complete shade relies on aligning the top rail edges, leaving any minor corrections to be done on the spikes.

The cut can now be completed leaving all the frames the same height and having the same amount of corner spike protrusion.










*EDIT:
Ive made a more secure fence riding jig to cut off these stubs. Avoids the DS tape to help speed things up and better keeps the cuts parallel to the lower rail of the frame. Since I don't have a frame panel available, I am showing a set up panel that doesn't have the stubs to trim (but you get the idea 8^)

The screws are for toggle clamps (shown not installed). and attached to a raised piece that has length and angles to securely hold the frame. This is also installed to be exactly parallel to the cut, therefore insuring the stubs are even when assembled into a complete frame. *










I'm going to end this chapter here, more next week as the sides are cut to form a perfect pyramid!


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## JimYoung (Jan 20, 2014)

splintergroup said:


> *Assemble the Frame*
> 
> If everything went well prior to this point (snug lap joints, equal part lengths), there should be a stack of frames that are for all purposes identical. Now is a good time to consider the final shade assembly and arranging the parts in a way that works well with grain/color matching. This is probably the most critical for the stiles. Since they are glued side to side, they should appear as a single unit when assembled. For the best seamless look, the color and grain should match.
> If you have one part that for some reason just doesn't match anything or has some serious defect, pull out the matching spare you created before (you did make extras right? 8^)
> ...


I finally had time to go through your blog. Excellent explanation and photos of this process. Definitely going to bookmark this for a future project.


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## EarlS (Dec 21, 2011)

splintergroup said:


> *Assemble the Frame*
> 
> If everything went well prior to this point (snug lap joints, equal part lengths), there should be a stack of frames that are for all purposes identical. Now is a good time to consider the final shade assembly and arranging the parts in a way that works well with grain/color matching. This is probably the most critical for the stiles. Since they are glued side to side, they should appear as a single unit when assembled. For the best seamless look, the color and grain should match.
> If you have one part that for some reason just doesn't match anything or has some serious defect, pull out the matching spare you created before (you did make extras right? 8^)
> ...


I'll second what Jim said. Oh, and I'm also reading through your blog on copper etching. I think I might give it a try for the Spring Swap.


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## spud72 (Oct 31, 2008)

splintergroup said:


> *Assemble the Frame*
> 
> If everything went well prior to this point (snug lap joints, equal part lengths), there should be a stack of frames that are for all purposes identical. Now is a good time to consider the final shade assembly and arranging the parts in a way that works well with grain/color matching. This is probably the most critical for the stiles. Since they are glued side to side, they should appear as a single unit when assembled. For the best seamless look, the color and grain should match.
> If you have one part that for some reason just doesn't match anything or has some serious defect, pull out the matching spare you created before (you did make extras right? 8^)
> ...


Thanks for posting


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

splintergroup said:


> *Assemble the Frame*
> 
> If everything went well prior to this point (snug lap joints, equal part lengths), there should be a stack of frames that are for all purposes identical. Now is a good time to consider the final shade assembly and arranging the parts in a way that works well with grain/color matching. This is probably the most critical for the stiles. Since they are glued side to side, they should appear as a single unit when assembled. For the best seamless look, the color and grain should match.
> If you have one part that for some reason just doesn't match anything or has some serious defect, pull out the matching spare you created before (you did make extras right? 8^)
> ...


Nice work and a great process.


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

splintergroup said:


> *Assemble the Frame*
> 
> If everything went well prior to this point (snug lap joints, equal part lengths), there should be a stack of frames that are for all purposes identical. Now is a good time to consider the final shade assembly and arranging the parts in a way that works well with grain/color matching. This is probably the most critical for the stiles. Since they are glued side to side, they should appear as a single unit when assembled. For the best seamless look, the color and grain should match.
> If you have one part that for some reason just doesn't match anything or has some serious defect, pull out the matching spare you created before (you did make extras right? 8^)
> ...


Thanks guys! I've already thought of a few changes that might make things even easier. I'll address them at the end.


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## Mike_D_S (May 3, 2012)

splintergroup said:


> *Assemble the Frame*
> 
> If everything went well prior to this point (snug lap joints, equal part lengths), there should be a stack of frames that are for all purposes identical. Now is a good time to consider the final shade assembly and arranging the parts in a way that works well with grain/color matching. This is probably the most critical for the stiles. Since they are glued side to side, they should appear as a single unit when assembled. For the best seamless look, the color and grain should match.
> If you have one part that for some reason just doesn't match anything or has some serious defect, pull out the matching spare you created before (you did make extras right? 8^)
> ...


Splinter,

Nice blog laying out the steps. You're tastes and mine always align and I made the mistake of showing the lamp shade to the wife and you can guess what I'll be doing.

One idea on the sled to trim the bottom side, if you know you want to make more of these where the shades are approximately the same size within say 1/4" then you could rig a more permanent sled out of 3/4 MDF and a couple of the HF clamps screwed to it. Cut 2" rabbit on the blade side for the hardboard to sit on and you could basically skip the double sided tape and just swap hardboard waste piece when it gets cut down too much.

For repeatability, you could use a small 3/4 Spacer piece on the fence side and then drill a hole and put a piece of dowel for the side of the shade to go up against. So just set the shade side on it, push it up against the spacer at the top and move it forward until it hits the dowel and then clamp it down.

For one or two its too much work, but if you're going to make another dozen, then it might be worth doing.

Great blog so far, looking forward to the rest.

Mike


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

splintergroup said:


> *Assemble the Frame*
> 
> If everything went well prior to this point (snug lap joints, equal part lengths), there should be a stack of frames that are for all purposes identical. Now is a good time to consider the final shade assembly and arranging the parts in a way that works well with grain/color matching. This is probably the most critical for the stiles. Since they are glued side to side, they should appear as a single unit when assembled. For the best seamless look, the color and grain should match.
> If you have one part that for some reason just doesn't match anything or has some serious defect, pull out the matching spare you created before (you did make extras right? 8^)
> ...


Thanks Mike, great ideas!

One change I am considering is as you described. A simple mod would be a wood strip on the hardboard to sit behind the lower rail so the rail aligns (butts against) it. Toggle clamps would hold things down. DS taping all the parts to the various fixtures gets time consuming (but is very secure), though having some more conforming jigs to position things quickly would be a food time saver.

You'll see a run at this approach when I trim the frame sides.


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

*Rabbet for the mica*

*Cut the Rabbets*

The next step in my method is to rabbet for the mica panel. This is optional and I admit it takes the bulk of the time, but in my opinion it produces the cleanest results.

Some instructions have the mica panels cut to the full width dimensions of the shade frame. The corners are secured where they butt together with silicone and/or tacks/screws into the shades corner spokes. While this will work, in my opinion it detracts from the look of the shade.

With rabbets to hold the individual mica panels, they can be installed with a smaller reveal towards the shades outside and also can be better secured to the shade frame for a gapless fit.


















The rabbet I create is 1/2" deep (provides a 1/8" reveal on the top and bottom rails) and 1/4" wide.
I generally hate cleaning up routed recess corners to get rid of the radius and make them square. With these shades I left the corners rounded, but they are deep enough that one will never notice from the outside.

To get this rabbet, I used a Rockler 1/2" bottom bearing hinge mortice bit and a template on my router table.



















Since the bit trims flush with the bearing, I made the template 1/4" oversized from two layers of 1/4" plywood strips double sided taped together with overlapping corner joints. The template is 1/2" thick so the router bit bearing has a place to ride when taking the first small cut.

The template is double sided taped (of course 8^) to the shade frame with the alignment done by eye with scribe lines 1/4" inboard. This is all done before cutting the frame side angles since afterwards there will be very little stile surface left for tape to stick to.

A good modification to this process would be to make the template larger so that alignment blocks could be placed to hold the frame in position on three sides. Maybe only two pieces of tape are then needed to keep the two together.










The reason I mentioned this takes the most time is you cannot cut the rabbet in one pass (at least I can't with this bit). My approach for the 1/2" deep cut is to take 3/16" deep cuts for each pass. I run the frame to take a very shallow cut to establish a relief and prevent any tear out from trashing the edge. A few more passes with deeper cuts gets me to the point the router bearing contacts the template. I then raise the bit another 3/16" and repeat. The final passes are done with the bit cutting to 1/2" leaving a clean rabbet with rounded corners.










The mica panels are trimmed to size/shape by tracing a line with the router template. I recommend using a fine tipped marker so the lines are visible.









The mica sheets seem to all be standard sizes and eight panels (two shades) can be easily extracted from each sheet. This sheet is 0.030" thick and is called "light amber". It produces a nice glow. I have used "dark amber" and it produced minimal glow. Sheets are available eBay and elsewhere.

I cut the mica on my bandsaw with my installed resaw blade (4 TPI). No need to use a finer toothed blade in my opinion. The big thing to worry about is flaking and blowing out on the backside of the cut. To prevent this I cut part way through a scrap of thin plywood or masonite and double side tape this to the saw table (instant zero-clearance insert)









Remember to cut on or slightly inside the line you drew with the template. You don't want the parts to need further trimming since taking off small strips from the mica risks delimitation.

As an alternative to a bandsaw, I have tried using a utility knife and straight edge. It takes multiple passes for each cut but it does work (and is a lot of work!). Some places recommend sandwiching the mica between two boards to prevent flaking. That would work great, but I had no issues with the bandsaw and ZCI.

The sheets should drop right into the frames (I used scissors to hand trim the round corners).









All mica panels are ready!









My main concern with any project that has a part that can be broken/damaged (like the glass in a picture frame), is to leave in the ability to replace that part. For these frames I may have gone a bit overboard (you'll see what I did later 8^)

With the rabbets and mica cut, options for holding them in place become easier. A bead of silicone certainly will work well and can look acceptable if carefully applied, but I consider that cheating 8^).
I thought I had a perfectly simple method using "glazier points" which are basically small flat retainers that are pushed into the frame.










Unfortunately my walnut was too hard and they kept bending.
Another thing to consider is the mica is installed after the shade is fully assembled which limits easy ways to get leverage with pliers, etc. to force these points into the stiles.

Anyway, I'll show my solution next time as I detail the cutting of the stile bevels to complete the shade structure.


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## rustynails (Jun 23, 2011)

splintergroup said:


> *Rabbet for the mica*
> 
> *Cut the Rabbets*
> 
> ...


Great work so far and on the blog.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

splintergroup said:


> *Rabbet for the mica*
> 
> *Cut the Rabbets*
> 
> ...


Effective and well thought out process.


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## EarlS (Dec 21, 2011)

splintergroup said:


> *Rabbet for the mica*
> 
> *Cut the Rabbets*
> 
> ...


Your explanation is much better than the drawings and "how-to" booklet from Schlabaugh and Sons.


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

*Completing the Assembly*

Time to bevel the sides and put the darn thing together!

On a previous episode, the sets of four frames that make up each shade were assembled, rabbeted for mica (or any other flat panel) and flush trimmed on top.

There are a few more places that need the chamfer to be cut now.

The inside of the lower rail:









If you want, you can square up the transition from the protruding stub to the lower rali. I just leave it as is since no one will ever see it.

At this point, every edge on the outside surface of the frame should have the chamfer except the outside edge of the stiles where the frames join each other and the inside corners (shown above) 
of the lower protrusions (these get done by hand).

The plans call for a 22 degree cut to join the frame pieces together. In a perfect world, yes, but remember that earlier adjustments were made (the top rail was lengthened). These were to get everything having the same dimensions and the fit of each part as good as practical.

22 degrees is a good starting point however.

The magazine articles have the tip of the angled saw blade embedded into a sacrificial fence. The workpiece ends up running against the fence on a sharp edge. If the blade is slightly too high, the cut won't be straight.

Too may variables for mass production in my mind.

I begin by placing a frame on a piece of masonite hardboard that has had two opposite sides cut parallel. This piece should be wider that the frame as seen in this picture.
Note that I have one of the stiles aligned with the edge. I use a slightly thicker board on the left to help in the alignment.









I want to place several scraps from my setup pieces onto the hardboard to help hold things in position










Since I have a right-tilt saw and am cutting this on the right side of the blade, I need to have the frame outside-face-down during the cuts.

The scrap on the left has an angle cut that fits well into the frames corner. The length runs up to the corner at the other end. The scrap on the right snugly fits into the opposite corner.

I use DS tape to initially position these scraps while I hold the frame to the edge of the hardboard.









The tape is placed, the frame is positioned, then the scrap is located and pressed onto the tape.
I then carefully remove the frame and secure the scrap from the other side with several screws.

The frame is rotated so the other stile now aligns with the hardboard edge and a third piece of scrap is taped and screwed to the hardboard.









The jig now has the ability to locate and hold the frame perfectly aligned while the stiles are beveled. The key being all frame sides will have the same dimensions after being cut.

Since the frame is face down, the top/bottom rails don't make contact with the hardboard due to the stiles being thicker. I add some 1/8" strips it support the rails since these are where I'll place my hand during the cut. Without the spacers, my hand pressure would cause the frame to warp, making the angle cut on the stiles incorrect.








As with the other cuts, I knock off most of the excess at the bandsaw to prevent kickback.









*Make the cut*

The blade is tilted to 22 degrees and the fence is slid over until about 1/2" remains between the blade and the hardboard edge. This is a test cut:


















*EDIT:
This is a new jig I made to securely hold the complete frame sides (outer face up) and cut the side bevels. I can cut each side by switching stations on the jig. This photo (sorry for the blurriness) shows a completely assembled frame mounted since that is all I had. This rides on the fence, to the left side of the blade (right tilt saw). Advantage is the outer frame face is up and the down cut minimizes chipout.*










Repeat this cut on the opposite stile of a second frame. This makes up a set of two frames with a common corner.
Note that the test cut has produced a bevel with enough surface for a good test fit. These is still plenty of material on the style if I need to try another test cut (or two).
The two frames are placed into position and held as a square is placed on the top rails (the frame is sitting top down on the bench in this photo and I have the square sitting on some supports so I can also take the photo 8^)










Notice the gap between the square and frame on the right? In this case, 22 degrees wasn't quite steep enough (hence the test cut)!
I readjust the blade, I believe I went to about 23.5 degrees, just a slight turn of the crank, then repeat the cut with two different frames.










Bingo! (I actually got the angle correct with the first adjustment 8^)

The saw angle is perfect so I bump over the fence until the blade tooth just kisses the top corner of the hardboard.










I now make the final cuts on all the pieces.

A good glue up always has a small amount of squeeze out. To protect the wood and make cleanup simple, I apply a thick coating of paste wax to the inner and outer surfaces of the stiles and to the top/bottom ends. The glue will not stick here and will be easy to flick off after it has set up.









I temporarily clamp the frames together to apply the wax and check the fit.

Two frames are selected to be next to each other based on grain pattern and color. Glue is applied.









Remember that these parts align at the top edges. 
Spring clamps are used and the parts are held in perfect alignment for a few minutes until things stick and stop sliding. After the first few were glued, I sprinkled on some table salt to help lock things in place, it worked very well 8^)

Three clamps per joint, top, middle, and bottom.

After the sets dried for an hour, I glued two sets into a complete shade.

The top corners where the frames were aligned came out excellent (as expected)








and as hoped for, the bottom came out flush as well









Sides as well!


















I'll end things up next time,
Thanks for following along 8^)


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## EarlS (Dec 21, 2011)

splintergroup said:


> *Completing the Assembly*
> 
> Time to bevel the sides and put the darn thing together!
> 
> ...


You're giving us ALL the tips and tricks, complete with pictures.


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## sawdust1whisperer (Nov 11, 2014)

splintergroup said:


> *Completing the Assembly*
> 
> Time to bevel the sides and put the darn thing together!
> 
> ...


Great process and photos. I was wondering why you used a 23.5 degree angle on the corners of the lamp shade instead of 22.5?


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

splintergroup said:


> *Completing the Assembly*
> 
> Time to bevel the sides and put the darn thing together!
> 
> ...





> Great process and photos. I was wondering why you used a 23.5 degree angle on the corners of the lamp shade instead of 22.5?
> 
> - James E McIntyre


Thank you James!

22.5 probably would work if all the dimensions were "perfect", but I dialed it in to get the exact 90 degree angle at the top ensuring the miters on the frame are closed on both sides. Since I used the table saw, the actual angle really didn't matter, just the best fit.

Now if these were cut with a router bit, 22.5 would be an acceptable compromise to allow use of a standard bevel bit and avoid any sleds or shimming, but there would be gaps to deal with and even if they end up on the insides, the structure would be a bit weaker without the full face contact along the miter (or if forced closed, the frame would have a slight warp)


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## sawdust1whisperer (Nov 11, 2014)

splintergroup said:


> *Completing the Assembly*
> 
> Time to bevel the sides and put the darn thing together!
> 
> ...


Got yah! 
What ever it takes to get them flush.

I saw a Peterson lamp on the internet and the corners stiles of the shade looks like they were separate pieces than the top and bottom rails. 
Odd.








The images are not clear but if you have time check them out on line. I'm not good at adding links.


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

splintergroup said:


> *Completing the Assembly*
> 
> Time to bevel the sides and put the darn thing together!
> 
> ...


Yeah, a change I made when cutting the "corner" stiles for my latest shades, I made sure all the parts that would be adjacent were cut that way from the mother-board. Lots of pencil notations on each part to be sure they would be assembled such that the grain would be as consistent as possible. It really makes a difference in how the final lamp looks so there are plenty of avenues to "upscale" the construction and make it more "professional".

One of my early shades used a different method where I kept the corners as a single unit so instead of assembling 4 trapezoid frames, I linked the top and bottom squares with compound angled links.









This opens up other issues but has its merits. Not as strong with the smaller half lap corners and harder to assemble, but provides a different "look"


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## MrWolfe (Jan 23, 2018)

splintergroup said:


> *Completing the Assembly*
> 
> Time to bevel the sides and put the darn thing together!
> 
> ...


Great blog about your process Bruce.
Thanks for sharing.
Jon


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## sawdust1whisperer (Nov 11, 2014)

splintergroup said:


> *Completing the Assembly*
> 
> Time to bevel the sides and put the darn thing together!
> 
> ...


Your a master splinter. 
You can do it all!


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

*Securing the mica*

This chapter is the last, but I may add some more information later as/if I develop some simpler jigs or techniques.

Here is a finished shade, walnut with Watco oil and a topcoat of pre-cat lacquer:










I did a smoothing with #0000 steel wool then a rub down with a blue shop towel. The entire part was then waxed.

It is much easier to do all this now when there are no mica panels in the way.

I discussed the installation of the mica panels earlier, mainly focusing on ways to do it and how to make it possible to replace a damaged panel some years down the road.

With the shade assembled, the mica retention along the stiles gets more complicated in that there is no way to easily press in brads or other retainers by squeezing them in with a pair of pliers.
(the adjacent sheet gets in the way)










What I decided to do was make a wood retainer "clamp" that is screwed into place. 
It is deceptively easy to make with a box joint blade set tilted to the 23.5 degrees and some scraps of walnut.

The profile is "M" shaped to straddle the stiles and press the mica firmly into the rabbet. Two #4×1/2" screws provide the retention.


























For the upper/lower rails, the plier technique works fine since I can span the plier jaws across the rail and get the needed leverage.

I've given up on trying to make wood strips that blend in perfectly with the rounded corners of the rabbet and instead just settled on some trips that leave short gaps on the ends.
The long strips (lower rail, 3/8" x 1/4") use three 1/2" brads pressed through the strip and into the frame. Only one brad is used for the short top rail.

Here you can see the two strips and how they are just short of the corners:










This has all been more of presenting methods and a process versus trying to plan out a project, but hopefully it has been useful, especially if you read through all this stuff 8^)

That's it!

Thanks for following along!










*February 2022 update*

I've made a few changes to the processes since this blog was first posted.

I'll get some photos later, but after making many sets of shades, I built a more permanent jig that gets used to trim the frame panel side miters and trim the stubs. Safer, faster, and more accurate.

I've also changed the method used to hold the mica panels secure to the frames. Instead of the "W" shaped things above, I went to smaller 1/4" strips with beveled sides. These are pre-drilled for 5/8" wire brads that can be pressed into the frame by hand with a nail set. Easy peasy!


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## JimYoung (Jan 20, 2014)

splintergroup said:


> *Securing the mica*
> 
> This chapter is the last, but I may add some more information later as/if I develop some simpler jigs or techniques.
> 
> ...


Excellent series on the lamp shade. Definitely bookmarking this one for future reference. Thanks for sharing.


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## MelBrandle (Dec 11, 2014)

splintergroup said:


> *Securing the mica*
> 
> This chapter is the last, but I may add some more information later as/if I develop some simpler jigs or techniques.
> 
> ...


I would love to have a masterpiece like this just sitting on my storage drawers. The ambience in the room would be so cozy with the light being dispersed through the wood strips. The mood matters so much to let you relax fully after a hard day's of work.


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## CaptainSkully (Aug 28, 2008)

splintergroup said:


> *Securing the mica*
> 
> This chapter is the last, but I may add some more information later as/if I develop some simpler jigs or techniques.
> 
> ...


Best tutorial ever! Thanks for taking the time to do this. I've got a few to make for our new house when I get back to the shop.


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## woodetal (Jan 9, 2019)

splintergroup said:


> *Securing the mica*
> 
> This chapter is the last, but I may add some more information later as/if I develop some simpler jigs or techniques.
> 
> ...











Great work. I am a fan. Here is a result with QSWO. I have a BLOG that I would have inserted here had I found this site before! Great work. https://www.blogger.com/profile/03157200617281686078: I will update my blog here on my experience with Mission style Lampshades. Again, great work. Brian


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

splintergroup said:


> *Securing the mica*
> 
> This chapter is the last, but I may add some more information later as/if I develop some simpler jigs or techniques.
> 
> ...


Thanks Brian 8^)


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## retired_guru (Sep 5, 2014)

splintergroup said:


> *Securing the mica*
> 
> This chapter is the last, but I may add some more information later as/if I develop some simpler jigs or techniques.
> 
> ...


Wow! A gorgeous design and your execution is brilliant! I've always wanted to make a lamp in this basic design. I need to go back to the beginning of this series. Thanks for sharing!


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

splintergroup said:


> *Securing the mica*
> 
> This chapter is the last, but I may add some more information later as/if I develop some simpler jigs or techniques.
> 
> ...


Thanks Paul!

These are the most time-consuming parts to build for A&C style lamps IMO. I figure that if I keep the shades as a common element (and really jig-up for production), I can spend the time thinking about unique base styles and maybe waste more time there than the drudgery of making shade frames 8^)


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## retired_guru (Sep 5, 2014)

splintergroup said:


> *Securing the mica*
> 
> This chapter is the last, but I may add some more information later as/if I develop some simpler jigs or techniques.
> 
> ...


Makes a lot of sense to me, too.


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## mghood (Jan 3, 2016)

splintergroup said:


> *Securing the mica*
> 
> This chapter is the last, but I may add some more information later as/if I develop some simpler jigs or techniques.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the time and expertise in documenting your project. It looks like everything need to know o finish my floor lamp/.
Gary


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## Sredfield (May 22, 2020)

splintergroup said:


> *Securing the mica*
> 
> This chapter is the last, but I may add some more information later as/if I develop some simpler jigs or techniques.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much for this. I am a beginner and have been aspiring to make a couple of these for quite some time. This gives me confidence (hope) that I will be able to. I have some well seasoned white oak that will be perfect, although I love the walnut as well.


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

splintergroup said:


> *Securing the mica*
> 
> This chapter is the last, but I may add some more information later as/if I develop some simpler jigs or techniques.
> 
> ...


Good luck!

I made an earlier version from WO and it went well, though WO tends to be a bit splintery.


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