Anybody have experience in turning floor lamp stems? I'm building a floor lamp that will be 67" high. That is a 7" tall shade, a 5" tall base and will make up the rest with the stem. The stem will have to be done in two pieces due to lack of lathe capacity. One of my biggest questions is what method should be use to drill the wire hole in the stem and have it be consistent and accurate from one end to the other? Thanks for any advise.
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Floor lamps
- Thread starter Jason Tisher
- Start date
I have no idea where to find it, but Ernie Conover did an article years back, maybe for Fine Woodworking, on turning a floor lamp. It had all that info in it. He turned the stem in two sections, and included a wax cup at the joint because it was pattered off an old candle holder. I think he cut square blanks in half and cut the dado for the wire, then glued them back together, and then turned. I really liked it, but memory failure.........
robo hippy
robo hippy
Thanks Robo.
I'm new on this forum so I appreciate your input. I will look in to it.
I'm new on this forum so I appreciate your input. I will look in to it.
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
I've built quite a few lamps over the years. I use a lamp auger for most of them. However you can also drill both ends on the drill press or lathe with a short bit (this is to make the hole as accurate as possible). Then drill deeper from each end with a longer bit and hopefully meet in the middle.
If your gluing up the wood for the lamp simply route a slot in the middle before you glue them up. I also route or glue a very tiny dado close to the middle groove on each side of the middle. this helps keep glue from flowing into the middle groove.
When I had to turn a lamp from a fence rail it was about 60" long. I tried my very best and could not get the Auger to track dead center. Fortunately I had a bunch of scrap pieces to play with. Anyway they had been riven open so the grain ran fairly straight. I just used my fro to split this into. It didn't spit perfectly straight of course so I hand carved a slot down the middle. glued it back together and it was almost perfect. I only had to turn the very ends on this one.
I never build long lamps in one piece if I can help it. It's too easy to hide the joint with the edge of a bead or other detail. Drill your hole, then center the wood on these holes before you turn. That way the holes lined up. I drill a bigger hole on one end and tenon on the next piece to fit this hole. That keeps everything centered and aligned.
I think I may have a handout somewhere. If you really need one send me a private e-mail and I'll look for it.
If your gluing up the wood for the lamp simply route a slot in the middle before you glue them up. I also route or glue a very tiny dado close to the middle groove on each side of the middle. this helps keep glue from flowing into the middle groove.
When I had to turn a lamp from a fence rail it was about 60" long. I tried my very best and could not get the Auger to track dead center. Fortunately I had a bunch of scrap pieces to play with. Anyway they had been riven open so the grain ran fairly straight. I just used my fro to split this into. It didn't spit perfectly straight of course so I hand carved a slot down the middle. glued it back together and it was almost perfect. I only had to turn the very ends on this one.
I never build long lamps in one piece if I can help it. It's too easy to hide the joint with the edge of a bead or other detail. Drill your hole, then center the wood on these holes before you turn. That way the holes lined up. I drill a bigger hole on one end and tenon on the next piece to fit this hole. That keeps everything centered and aligned.
I think I may have a handout somewhere. If you really need one send me a private e-mail and I'll look for it.
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Like Robo and John said it is much easier to make the hole before turning.
either by drilling or glueing up pieces with a space or a routed space.
One glue up is to make a hollow column with 5 or 7 pieces glued with miter joints.
His can make a nice grain pattern
Al
either by drilling or glueing up pieces with a space or a routed space.
One glue up is to make a hollow column with 5 or 7 pieces glued with miter joints.
His can make a nice grain pattern
Al
Last edited:
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Ship auger. Doesn't have to be perfectly aligned if the holes are a bit oversize. You're just going to run zip cord through, right? http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-list...e=395165&creativeASIN=B001TVD9N4&linkCode=asm Gets you two useful sizes. You make a wood "bushing" to clamp in your ways to bore a straight hole. DO NOT try to use it by driving your piece, drive the bit at a sedate, chip-clearing rate.
I am in the process of turning a floor lamp for my father out of walnut. I am working with 4/4 kiln dried walnut what I have done was prior to gluing up on a router table I created a half circle groove on the 2 center board that line up perfectly stopping 1 inch from each end leaving wood to bite when turning between centers once completed the turning all I have to do is drill out the last inch ( I have tried this on a practice piece ) also I have had to turn the stem in two parts due lathe capacity with a small ball between the upper and lower stem to be held together with a threaded lamp tube attached is a picture of where I am at and yes the center is already hollow
