Tools for Making a Wooden Table Lamp

Series Summary

Lighting is the icing on the cake for your stylish home. It adds atmosphere and ambiance and allows you to bring attention to (and yes, show off) your proud possessions. Conversely, a poorly lit home is a sure way to give away your lack of style and design sophistication. But good lighting is much more than choosing the right wattage for your table lamp, it is an art and a science which draws upon common sense as well as high-minded theories.

One of the most common types of light fixtures is the table lamp, and if a person was so inclined, they could easily construct one of their own out of wood. In this free video series, an artist and woodworker will teach you how to make a table lamp base out of wood from an old fence to give it a rustic feel. You'll learn what tools and materials are needed to make a lamp base, how to measure and cut wood, and how to attach and screw all of the pieces together. From the base to the shaft and top cap, you'll learn how to construct every part of a table lamp in easy-to-follow steps. Add a unique feel to your home decor today!

Video Transcript

"Good morning! I'm Michael McGeary, and today we are going to make a lamp from some old fence boards. This is an example, this is the body of the lamp without the lampshade and without the wires and all that stuff, this is just the basic shape of it. We make this out of old fence wood, and the tools we're going to need are: a drill with a wire brush (this is a soft wire brush made of copper, you can get it at your local home store); a half inch drill; a nail set; a sure form plane, (this is very handy for trimming and working on this rough wood); a regular hammer and some finish nail; and later on, some construction adhesive and probably some glue. Now we're going to take a look at some of this old fence wood, and we'll talk about how to make it work for you so it makes a lamp."