Introduction: Walnut and Maple Lamp

About: I am 16 years old and I work in my dad's cabinet shop during the summer and after school.

This lamp is glued together at a 45degree angle and in two different sections.I made a little pattern so I can visualize the lamp better.Start off by cutting both walnut and maple pieces at 6 1/4''wide then use a wide belt sander to take them down to 3/4''. Now here is a cutting list for all the lengths of the pieces:

  • 2--2''
  • 2--3.5''
  • 2--4.5''
  • 2--6''
  • 2--7.5''
  • 2--9''
  • 3--10

This list is for the maple, but use the same list for the walnut.

Step 1: Glueing...............

As you can see you will be glueing two separate blocks. Start at one corner of each block and dry fit a block like in picture 6. Then start glueing at one of the corners.Do not try to glue more than one piece at a time onto your block,the reason for that is that it will make all the pieces bow and you will have trouble by the time you are done.Be sure that there is a layer of glue covering every bit of at least one of the pieces before you put them together. If you do not, than there will be cracks in between your pieces when you turn it on the lath,there will also be more danger of it flying apart.Put some clamps in the middle so it doesn't bow so much.To make clamping easier, use some spacers to help hold the clamp on like in picture 4.Half way through the glueing process, check for how much it is bowing by holding a straight edge up to it.If it is bowed over 3/32'' You should sand down the middle until it is perfectly flat.

Step 2: Squaring It Up

Take your blocks and put them through the planer on the flat sides to clean up the glue. Take your speed square and line up the 45 degree side to the direction of the wood. now draw a line at a 45 degree angle to the wood.Do this on all the sides and it should end up like picture 2.Now measure from one of the side lines to the highest corners.You want a corner on each end to be the same distance from the line. So you can use a hand planer to take down the middle and the sides to get the same measurement on the edges.Now use the table saw to clean up the other side. Put the side that you made square against the fence and then saw at least half way through, and then flip it the long way and do it again to take the corners completely off.Now you can run the block throw the planer both ways to get a perfect square. Use the table saw or huge chop saw to square up the ends. It is important that the end is flat when it is done.

Step 3: Final Glue and Base

If your walnut and maple pieces do not line up at the middle seam, then you need to take off some of the end of one of the blocks.I dry fitted them and then drew a line across the seam on each side and them I uses those lines to make an x on the end.I drilled holes in the center of the x and then used a dowle to help me glue it together end to end. This glue is very critical and difficult because you need to line up your walnut and maple pieces while trying to clamp it. After it dries you can mark your center and then cut the whole lenth of the block at 45 degree angle so that it makes an octagon shape. This is optional but it really speeds up the turning process. Now you need to make a base for it. I made a 9x9 base with a walnut piece on top and bottom and a maple piece in between.This is simply glued onto the bottom.

Step 4: Finishing

Now you can put it on your lath and have fun with different designs of your own.Use what ever you want to and you can even copy mine if you like.When you turn the bottom make sure to take the inside of the bottom down pretty far so there will be room for the cord.Now drill a hole into the side and make it come out inside the base.And here is another hard part, you must drill a hole the entire length of the lamp so the cord and rod can be put through. I used a 12'' long 1/2'' bit to start is and then switched to an 18'' long bit. Varnish it to your likeing and then it is time to assemble it. Go to Lowe's and buy a lamp kit. you should have a 1/2'' threaded rod a nut, thin nut, connector, lamp shade, cord, and the actual lamp part of it. thread the nut onto the rod a little ways and then push the cord through the hole that you drilled in the side and then through the rod. Now push the rod through the hole in the lamp.The nut should stop it from going up to far. At the top put the lamp hoop on and then thread the thin nut and the connector onto the threaded rod. the cord should be running through all these parts so that it can be wired correctly to the bulb base.That, is then snaped into place onto the connector. Now tighten every thing up and put your shade on.Plug it in and enjoy it or sell it for big money.

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