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Materials:
- 1x6 clear pine 18 1/2 inches long.
- Copper - 36 gauge or .007 mm - 12" x 6" piece
- Milk paint
- Shellac
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Tools
- Drill
- Hole saws - 1 1/4", 3" Chisels
- Handsaw
- Paintbrush or sponge brush
- Sand paper
- Steel wool
- Ballpoint pen
- Sharpened stick
- Scissors
- Eye protection
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Steps:
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Choose a clear piece of pine
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Avoid pine that is full of pitch |
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| Choose a clear 1x6 piece of pine and cut it to 18 1/2". The
whiter the pine the less pitch it will have in it. Pitch-filled
pine has a dark almost translucent colour to it. The less pitch
the easier it is to cut the board, and the less it will gum
up your tools and fingers. Pitch can leave sticky deposits on
cutting blades. If your blades do get clogged up, the pitch
can be removed with oven cleaner. To prevent pitch from staining
through paint, seal it before painting with a coat of shellac.
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Use a compass to scribe an arc at each end |
Cut along the lines with a jig saw |
Sand out irregularities by hand |
A random orbital sander works much faster |
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| Use a compass to scribe an arc from side to side at each end
of the piece of wood. Use a jig saw to cut along the lines.
Ease and smooth all the edges with sand paper or an electric
sander. |
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Clamp the wood securely |
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| Securely clamp the board to your work surface. |
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Use a hole saw to drill holes in either end |
Brace the drill firmly while using hole saw |
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Drill a 1 1/4" hole at one end using a hole-saw bit. The
centre of the hole should be about 1 1/4" down from the top
of the arc in the centre of the board. Hole-saws require a
steady hand to control them. They tend to catch the wood and
twist the drill sharply, so be prepared. If your drill has
a handle that attaches to the side, now is a good time to
use it; it helps you stabilize the drill.
Once the hole has been drilled, pry out the little piece
of wood that gets stuck inside the hole-saw bit. Sometimes
it is necessary to take out the mandrel (the centre drill
of the hole saw) and push the wood out from behind.
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Chisel across the grain at first |
Chisel with the grain to finish |
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Next, using a 3" hole-saw bit, drill 1/8" to 3/8" deep at
the other end of the board. This is the depression that will
hold the candle. Centre the hole-saw bit on the board 1/2"
in from the edge. The larger the hole-saw the trickier it
is to cut a hole. Use short bursts with the drill to get the
hole-saw started and firmly brace the drill in the process.
Don't push down very hard. Let the hole saw start gradually.
Use a chisel to cut away the wood within the circle made
by the 3" hole saw. Cutting across the grain is easier at
first but finish by chiseling along the grain. Use the chisel
with the bevel side down because it gives you more control.
Also, be sure your chisel is mighty sharp! (Even chisels that
are direct from the factory have to be sharpened, although
you can get away with using them right out of the box if you
have to.)
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Use the cut off piece to mark for cutting |
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Next, cut off the end that the candle will sit on. Measure
4 1/4" in from the end, mark a square line and cut. Japanese
pull saws are by far the easiest handsaw to use.
Scribe a square line 3/4" up from the now square end of the
long piece. Place the square end of the short piece on the
side of the line leaving the 3/4" space at the bottom. Scribe
a parallel line on the other side.
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Use a saw and chisel to make a one quarter inch deep groove |
A three quarter inch chisel fits perfectly |
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| Use the Japanese pull saw to make 1/4" deep cuts on the lines.
Use a chisel to remove the wood in between. |
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Milk paint comes in many colours |
Apply with a sponge or brush |
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| Glue the shelf in place and coat everything with shellac to
seal. Next, use milk paint to finish and sand as desired to
give that antique look. |
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Make a drawing and reinforce it with clear contact paper |
Tape the drawing over the copper |
Use an old pen to trace, pressing the lines of the drawing into
the copper |
| To make the embossed copper reflector, use copper that is
about 36 gauge or .007 mm. Draw out the desired design on paper
first and cover it with clear contact paper. Designs can be
found in many books, especially old Victorian design books.
Tape the reinforced drawing over the copper and use an old ballpoint
pen to trace the drawing on to the copper. Almost any household
implement can be used to burnish an impression in the copper.
Working over something soft like a stack of newspapers helps
the copper to take the shapes. |
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The copper easily takes the impression |
Use a sharpened stick and work from the back side |
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| After the drawing has been transferred to the copper, turn
it over and use a sharp stick to accentuate the shapes from
the back. The depth of the drawing can be controlled through
burnishing from both sides while working over newspaper. |
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Use scissors to cut out the shape |
Tack it in place with half inch copper nails |
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| The copper is so soft that it can be cut with scissors and
then tacked in place. Copper tacks can be found at a boat-building
supply house or at specialty woodworking suppliers. |
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Metal and wood candle sconce |
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| The surface of your candle sconce can be rubbed, if desired,
with 0000 steel wool to give it a satin finish. |
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Artisans'
work featured on this episode:
(click pics for Artist info and larger
images)
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