Time for a new project! Actually this is a project I had in mind since I picked up woodworking as a serious hobby a few months ago. The idea is a rail /stile / glass accent lamp. The design is a rectangular cube (I’m not sure if there is such a thing, but that’s what I’m calling it).
Here’s what each of the 4 sides will look like sketched out on internet graph paper:
And the top view (note the exposed joints):
The only thing missing from the sketch up are some kind of feet. But I’ll figure those out based on the kind of socket / cord I end up using.
This project present a few firsts for me. It will be the 1st time I’m mixing together wood, glass and electricity. Luckily I have a background in electronics, so that part will be easy.
Unlike my previous rail / stile projects the panels (in this case glass) will not be trapped in groves of the rails / stiles. The idea will be to make “picture frames” that the glass can be adhered to from behind after the wood framework is complete and finished. My guess is that clear silicon should work well for this. If anyone has any suggestions please chime in.
For illumination I want to stick with some kind of LED bulb. My two concerns are light disbursement and heat build up. The lamp will be completely enclosed once its done. So the idea of an incandescent lamp burning away scares me.
So far this is the best candidate I’ve found for a bulb:
http://www.imtra.com/product/marine...ment_bulb_b15d_socket_5mm/ilb15d42led12vw.htm
I’m open to suggestions as 36 bucks is a little steep. But with a 40,000 hr life expectancy it might outlive me! I’ll pick up a socket for this thing at my local electronics store and wire up a 12V adaptor.
Here’s a sample of the glass cut up and ready to go:
I’m fortunate enough to have a great glass shop 10 minutes away from me in Rockaway, NJ. They were very helpful and cut the glass to my specifications very accurately. If I continue to work with glass in the future I’ll get the necessary tools to cut this stuff myself. BTW the square top piece is cut too large. My original design was for a cube, but that would have ended up being too large. I’ll visit the store one of these days to have it trimmed to the proper size for this design.
For wood I’m going to stick with cheapo Home Depot poplar (¾” x ¾”). If things go well with this prototype I’ll spend some more cash on wood and make a purpleheart / purple glass lamp. But the lighter poplar I picked out should contrast well with the glass:
The 1st step will be to cut out all the sticks and prep them for routing. Stay tuned for more!
Here’s what each of the 4 sides will look like sketched out on internet graph paper:
And the top view (note the exposed joints):
The only thing missing from the sketch up are some kind of feet. But I’ll figure those out based on the kind of socket / cord I end up using.
This project present a few firsts for me. It will be the 1st time I’m mixing together wood, glass and electricity. Luckily I have a background in electronics, so that part will be easy.
Unlike my previous rail / stile projects the panels (in this case glass) will not be trapped in groves of the rails / stiles. The idea will be to make “picture frames” that the glass can be adhered to from behind after the wood framework is complete and finished. My guess is that clear silicon should work well for this. If anyone has any suggestions please chime in.
For illumination I want to stick with some kind of LED bulb. My two concerns are light disbursement and heat build up. The lamp will be completely enclosed once its done. So the idea of an incandescent lamp burning away scares me.
So far this is the best candidate I’ve found for a bulb:
http://www.imtra.com/product/marine...ment_bulb_b15d_socket_5mm/ilb15d42led12vw.htm
I’m open to suggestions as 36 bucks is a little steep. But with a 40,000 hr life expectancy it might outlive me! I’ll pick up a socket for this thing at my local electronics store and wire up a 12V adaptor.
Here’s a sample of the glass cut up and ready to go:
I’m fortunate enough to have a great glass shop 10 minutes away from me in Rockaway, NJ. They were very helpful and cut the glass to my specifications very accurately. If I continue to work with glass in the future I’ll get the necessary tools to cut this stuff myself. BTW the square top piece is cut too large. My original design was for a cube, but that would have ended up being too large. I’ll visit the store one of these days to have it trimmed to the proper size for this design.
For wood I’m going to stick with cheapo Home Depot poplar (¾” x ¾”). If things go well with this prototype I’ll spend some more cash on wood and make a purpleheart / purple glass lamp. But the lighter poplar I picked out should contrast well with the glass:
The 1st step will be to cut out all the sticks and prep them for routing. Stay tuned for more!