Lamps

Chuck Snyder Woodsmith

Wooden Lamps

This is one of the most fascinating items I've turned. The lamp design flows from the wood itself. Each is unique and there are no plans.

There is a piece of Alder in the garage just waiting to be turned. We'll just have to wait and see how it comes out.

I was able to attend the American Association of Wood Turners 2007 annual meeting in Portland oregon. While there I watched a gentleman turning a cowboy hat from 1/2 of a log. Pretty impessive.

Later at home I got to thinking about the hat and wondered if the same techniques could be used to make a lamp shade. One of my recent mags had plans for the lamp base. The first lamp roughly follows the plans and the second is even more off, but I think it looks better.

To turn the lamp, the outside was turned to the finished size and sanded. Then a lamp was put on the outside, and when the light could be seen thru the lamp, it was about the right thickness.

I didn't know how to top the lamp at first, but after cogitation, a cap was fitted and glued, with a turned finial. I tried a finial (3 times) and none of them looked right, so a button was added to the top that looks just right.

My first lamp - The lamp base is made from Padouk with the shade from Big Leaf Maple.

Detail for the Finnial. The cap and Finial are both Paduke. Because the shade warps as it dries, the hole at the top is not round. So hte cap has to be carefully hand fitted to the opening.

Big Leaf Maple Shade with Black Walnut Base - This was my second attempt at making a lamp. Much better lines this time. The shade is from the same source as the one above, but I like the shape much better. The base is from some reclaimed black walnut with gorgous grain and figure. This became a Christmas present for one of my daughters.

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