Shadrach's Lamps

[Shadrach]

Very interesting wood


I had to look up Vegemite, found this:

It's Cork Oak. Something about the way the cork grows below the outer bark produces the texture. It's difficult to work with even if it has been properly seasoned. The grain and texture as you work towards the heart wood is extremely unpredictable. But, I've got some beautiful wood textures out of some pieces. My very first lamp and my initial insperation to make them came from splitting a lump of Cork Oak fire wood. Just with the axe split the pattern in the wood was to my eyes incredible. I'll post a picture of the lamp tomorrow.

 

[Shadrach]

This is the very first lamp I made. It's made from Cork Oak and it took ages to make.
It has a few mistakes. For example the beech insert at the top didn't fit the slot. I had just got the slot to size and was easing so the insert would fit without putting pressure on the edges when a piece of the lamp body fell out. This kind of thing happens a lot with wood that hasn't been properly seasoned and stored.

 

[Shadrach]

I finished another lamp this morning.
I've got three in various stages of completion.
This is my next addition. I know more or less what I want to do with it. I have a profile and decoration in mind. The piece of wood has been drying for two years. I cleaned the rough off with a bill hook and after a run over with a sanding pad on the end of a drill this is what I'm left with.
I want the base and lamp body wood to match, so the first thing was to cut the base section off the lamp body. I do this with a bow saw. Next I cut the rough top and bottom off, also done with a bow saw.
The wood is ordinary Oak; Roble or Roure. It's quite light in colour and hard.

There is a crack on this side but thankfully it doesn't look deep. I could cut a thin sliver (3mm) off but I'll try taking the face off with a wide chisel first. I would prefer not to have the crack.

This side isn't too bad and will clean up with a rasp.

I intend to flatten this side. The crack on the right hand side has to go and this will make the lamp body a bit smaller. Given the design will be basically triangular losing that amount of lamp body shouldn't be a problem. Some of the crack will go when I flatten the back. I'll do this with a hand plane. Taking a curve out with a hand plane is relativelu easy provided it's sharp. Strangely a flat surface on oak that isn't near perfect grain is quite difficult to plane.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

This is the very first lamp I made. It's made from Cork Oak and it took ages to make.
It has a few mistakes. For example the beech insert at the top didn't fit the slot. I had just got the slot to size and was easing so the insert would fit without putting pressure on the edges when a piece of the lamp body fell out. This kind of thing happens a lot with wood that hasn't been properly seasoned and stored.
View attachment 2153663View attachment 2153665View attachment 2153666View attachment 2153668View attachment 2153669View attachment 2153671

That's a lovely lamp Shad. How is it that your very first attempt is so beautiful? You must be The Lord of the Lamps.

 

[Shadrach]

For those of you who do woodwork and have electric tools such as routers and electric planes etc, the pictures below should provide you with a good laugh.
This is my outside work bench.

My woodworking power tools.

My stock of prospective lamp wood bark stripped and rough cleaned.

My secret woodworking tools. That's a Morris Devon Bill Hook. You can hit it with
a sledge hammer. A Silki saw. It really does work pulling rather than pushing if you want a straight cut.

 

[Shadrach]

This is the progress on the lamp started a couple of posts above.
Back cut, but more needs to come off. I want to get as much of that crack in the bottom right hand corner out as I can, even if it means an overall reduction in lamp size.

This is the face that had the shallow crack from top to bottom in the post above.
It came out without much trouble with a rasp and sandpaper.

All the sides are fairly square and flat.

The V look is an optical illusion. The back is about the same width all the way up.

Going to sort out the back and the side chamfers next. With a bit of luck the plan will reduce enough to give a bit more room on the base. The base will be chamfered off at an angle.

 

[bruceha2000]

This is the very first lamp I made. It's made from Cork Oak and it took ages to make.

Lovely! Glad it came out well or you might not have continued making lamps.

For those of you who do woodwork and have electric tools such as routers and electric planes etc, the pictures below should provide you with a good laugh.

Actually, I'm not , I think a lot of what you do HAS to be done with hand tools.

 

[Sequel]

Very interesting wood


I had to look up Vegemite, found this:

Lick a beef bouillon cube. That’s exactly what it tastes like.

 

[Shadrach]

Hole in and the first stage of the edge shaping. Getting the hole in is a bit nerve wracking.
I have to drill from each end and hope they meet up in the middle somewhere.
The plan is to increase the radius on the two outside rounded corners and blend the middle section into the grooves.

 

[pozees2]

This thread is mesmerizing. These are works of art. Thank you so much for sharing with us, @Shadrach