Floor Lamp: Episode 5
Posted 16 September 2020
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Closing in on the conclusion of a new design is always exhilarating, because the concept was just an idea and then there it is, standing on the floor in front of you. In this episode, we glue the parts to one another and seat all of the joints in their final position. Paul makes a square stem round for the lamp fittings and then hides the cable within a thin strip of wood. There are many techniques to learn from in this episode, and the videography deserves much credit too.
BOOKMARKS:
GLUE UP – 00:07
DOWEL MAKING – 8:15
FIXING THE TABLE – 21:06
This looks like an enjoyable project. I have a stack of Peruvian walnut that I think will look nice. I am thinking of olive for the circles.
Paul, it is an absolute pleasure to watch you work on your projects! I find your skill and technique mesmerizing and very inspiring. Thank you for sharing your talent.
Jdo
Paul, a great series and another gem. Thanks
Thanks Paul.
After 5 years of woodworking (thanks to you and what you do), I still find glue ups very stressful. Making a small size traditional joiners chest (to take to my dad’s to woodwork) that have 5 dovetails on each side of the 1×12 pine. Was very stressful to glue up (though nothing went wrong and I practiced ahead of time).
Is there any glue type that has a longer open time than the PVA type you use? That might mentally help me feel less stressed about the race against the glue set clock. I usually leave pieces in the clamp overnight so cure time is less of a concern than set time. Many thanks.
Hi,
Paul says:
You might try Titebond animal hyde glue as this does have a much longer open time.
Kind Regards,
Izzy
Thank you for the suggestion.
Joeleonetti, You might try lee valley’s cabinetmaker’s glue 2002GF. (I have no idea what 2002GF stands for, if anything.) It is supposed to have an open time of between 15 and 20 minutes. I have used it and that seems about right. Glueups are the one part of woodworking I seriously dislike and, as you say, the longer open time of this glue does take some of the stress out of it.
Thank you. I will look into it. I’ve also seen some folks in YouTube videos talk about epoxy. Still curious to hear what Paul has to say.
@joeleonetti yes, there are certainly wood glues that have a longer opening time! i use Titebond Extend for most of my glue-ups now, and it’s a real lifesaver! other things you can do to make the glue set a bit slower are putting a little bit old cold water on the areas where the glue will go, or working in a cool/climatized room, although that isn’t always feasible or practical. hope that helps!
After having watched Mr. D. Charlesworth in one of his videos diluting PVA glue with water, I’ve done that with my Titebond No Drip; a glue that has a very short open time. With water added it becomes a lot more relaxed and for me easier to spread without excess.
Some use hide glues because of their long open time. Titebond’s ready to use version, first squirted on to a saucer and then applied with a brush from that, has done wonders to my nerves. Apparently there have been remarks on that it could miscolour woods. I’ve not seen it, but dried excess glue have at times been challenging to remove. Thankfully, it can be dealt with by use of a damp cloth before it’s dry.
Titebond says thinning with water more than 5% will weaken the bond strength.
From their FAQs:
“ Can Titebond Wood Glues be thinned?
Most of our water-based wood glues can be thinned with water up to 5% by weight or by volume. Adding more than 5% water to our glues will decrease the bond strength. Titebond Liquid Hide Glue is thinned by gently heating the bottle in a pan of warm water. Titebond Polyurethane Glue may only be thinned by placing the bottle into a pan of warm water.”
Thanks Larry,
As the FDA proverb says: “in God we trust, everybody else will have to provide the evidence”, and that I think will have to include Titebond on their statement on the limit of 5% limit of water addition. Despite not small amount of search, I’ve not been able to find any published data supporting the claim. Research on the relevance of wood moisture show that increasing the water content in beech (fagus sylvatica) from 8% to 20% does weaken the adhesion, but it will still be within limits. It would be very interesting to know how much water one has to add to a PVA glue in order to go from 8% (furniture dry) to 20% water content in the wood.
A link to the publication
https://ojs.cnr.ncsu.edu/index.php/BioRes/article/view/BioRes_09_3_5208_Bomba_Moisture_Content_Bonded_Wood_Joints
Lovely job Paul; enjoyed that… provided some inspiration for a lamp of my own; once I’ve got the lounge refurb finished.
HI All – there is no floor lamp topic in the forums so I wanted to post a question here.
As I approach the end of this build I am wondering if anyone has suggestions for finish? I have generally used danish oil the few projects I have completed. This is my first time building anything sizeable with Oak – Is Danish oil a good approach here or what do folks suggest?
Hi Daniel,
Paul says:
I used shellac on mine because it’s such a wonderful finish to apply, it’s also easily repaired.
Izzy
The first time I used shellac, I couldn’t understand Mr Sellers’ affection for it…well, I figured out that the cut makes all the difference in the world…and it’s best mixed from fresh flakes. After I learned the initial lessons, I now share Paul’s fondness for a nice shellac finish!
Help requested please…I’ve been happily working on this for a few days now, read the notes, watched the videos. At one point, Paul says “I’ll give you the angles ( for the tenon joints) shortly…”. I haven’t been able to find the angle. From what I can see I’d estimate 11° but I would be so grateful if this could be confirmed. Peace to all.
Loved doing this project and stretched it out so I could savour the pleasure during the last lockdown. Who’d have thought I’d even enjoy the banjo plucking, gently heralding in the next step for each part of the project. I even added a Bluetooth enabled lightbulb so now it turns on with my voice! Great project. Thanks Paul.
I have my quartersawn oak. Now it’s time to get to work.
I get to practice working with shellac too.
All good.
Mr. Paul Sellers and the rest of the production team
From start to finish, a very nice and impressive looking lamp. I truly enjoyed the joinery. A very simple yet elegant piece. For the production crew another job well done.
All the best to everyone. Take care and may God Bless.
Your friend from Canada. Dennis