DIY Network

Bent-Laminate Lamp: Center-Post and Legs From "Wood Works" episode WWK-512

David marks removes the bent-laminate center-post from the bending form.

With the laminates for the koa-wood lamp glued up and bent to form the curved center-pole and legs, the laminates can now be removed from the bending forms and work can begin prepping and shaping them.

Materials:

Jointer
Band saw
Table router
Drum sander
Belt sander
Plunge router; adjustable router-guide
Japanese hand-saw
Cordless drill
Hand scraper
Pattern-maker's rasp
Plenty of clamps
220-grit sandpaper
Copper conduit and brass fittings
Hot-glue gun
Resin glue
Safety glasses or goggles
Protective gloves

Safety Alert: Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses when
working with wood, power-tools, saws, drills, routers, etc.

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E
	Figure F

The Laminated Center-Pole

• Once the glued-up laminates have cured fully, remove the clamps from the bending form and carefully remove the laminated pieces.

  Safety Alert: Wear protective gloves when removing the glued laminates from the bending form and handling the pieces. The dried glue can be as sharp as glass!

• Remove excess glue from one edge of the center-post using the belt sander (figure A). A coarse, 60-grit belt on the sander will make short work of this process.

• Flatten the sanded side by passing it over the knives of the jointer, following the arc of the curve (figure B).

• With the flat edge held firmly against the fence of the band saw, cut the center-post to the proper width. This also serves to trim the dried glue off of the remaining edge. We added an extended auxiliary fence to the band saw to help support the curved stock (figure C).

• Run the center-post through the drum sander (figure D) to make the sides of the post parallel.

• Using the 1/8-inch MDF template made earlier, transfer the layout lines to the stock (figure E).

• Follow the layout lines as you use a Japanese hand-saw to cut the post to its final dimension.

• The center-post will support the electrical wiring for the light. The cord enters the post at through a small hole at the bottom, then runs through a center-channel the length of the post to the light socket that will be installed later. The center post must first be cut in half in order to create the center-channel for the wiring. The two halves will be glued back together after the wiring is installed.

• At the band saw, cut the center-post in half, right down the center (figure F). Again for safety and accuracy, the tall auxiliary fence helps support the post as its fed through the blade.

• Run both halves through the drum sander to flatten them and remove saw marks.
  
• To create the recess for the 3/8-inch conduit that will hold the wiring, use a plunge router with a 7/16-inch bit and adjustable router guide. The bearing guides the bit so that the 1/4-inch-deep channel is cut dead-center in the stock (figure G).

• As you cut the channel, make sure that you stop just short of cutting through each side (figure H). Cut a channel in each half of the center post.

  Figure G

  Figure H

  
  
• Stack and clamp the two halves of the center-post securely to the workbench, and use a hand drill to make the exit holes for the electrical cord on both ends. The hole at the top (figure I) should be 7/16-inch to accommodate the lamp connector.

• The hole at the bottom (figure J) should be 1/4-inch to accommodate the wire.

  Figure I

  Figure J

  
  

  	Figure K
  	Figure L

• Once the holes are drilled, separate the two halves and make layout to indicate the shape and placement of the connector (figure K). Use a sharp chisel to remove any stock needed to make the connector fit precisely.

• For safety, a copper conduit is installed through the center channel for the electrical cord to run through. Bend the copper tubing so that it fits the channel, and cut the tubing to size. Solder a brass fitting to the end of the conduit for attaching the light fixture.

  Safety Alert: Be sure that you de-burr the edges of the copper conduit before gluing it in place. Rough edges on the conduit could fray the electrical cord.

• Once the conduit is bent to fit the curve, position the copper conduit in the channel on one half of the center-pole and glue it in place using a hot-glue gun (figure L).
  
• Use plastic-resin glue to rejoin the two halves of the center-post. Before adding clamping pressure, it's a good idea to protect the wood with cauls of MDF (figure M).

• Clamp the assembly securely, adding as many clamps as possible to achieve even pressure along the entire length of the curved surface (figure N).

Figure M

Figure N