Summer Night Light

This is more or less my first commission. Okay, it is from my sister in law.

But she asked me to build a garden lantern for her. Similar to a piece she had seen during a holiday trip.

I won't be a copy cat so I will combine a few ideas I've got in my mind.

A new project beside my Mid-Century Table build.

I think I have already mentioned it. But it becomes more and more concrete, because my personal goal is to have this lantern ready for her birthday which is end of June.

So, time to speed up a bit.

Design

I have already reported about the design ideas and I will follow a design while build process.
Just as a rough idea I have sketched down the following design.

Lantern sketch

So, I need four stiles, eight rails a top and a bottom, some wedges. I'm not sure if I really will do a door. If there will be electrical light in it, then I will fix the top just by the wedges so that you can remove it.

Stock Preparation

The stock preparation is almost done and I haven't document it this time pretty much.

The process is very straight forward. It's just bringing some stock to dimension. 

Stiles dimensioned

I decide to use pine which I have got in my shop. The stiles are already done just some shavings.

Shavings

Top and Bottom

The top and the bottom will be around 200x200 mm.

Top and bottom rough and planed

I have some cabinet maker grade spruce in my shop which I will use for these parts.

Usual process from a rough board to a 4S one.  

After roughing out

After planing the boards a reference face and edge is marked. Then I trimmed the ends to length and squareness.

Marking the board width

That done I brought my new panel gauge to action and marked the final width of the boards.

Nice to work with by the way :-)

Shoot the boards to width

Last action to do was to shoot the boards to width. Easy peasy, I just made over my shooting board and I works well again.

Layout Work

With the top and bottom parts prepared I started to layout all lines on these boards.

The stiles will go through, so I have to mark out some mortise holes.

The edges will receive a bevel in direction to the inside of the lantern. That was marked too.

And last but not least I have laid out the center point. Maybe I will need an opening for a cable.

Layout

 

Next Steps

I already started to make some grooves into the stiles which will receive the fillings.

Two left to do. I was running out of battery yesterday so I haven't got a picture.

With that done I will cut the rails and then start to make the mortise holes.

That's pretty much where I am for the time being.

Mid-Century Table

I 'll report next time more about the table. I have roughly shaped the legs so far. Next to do is to establish the bevels along the legs.

Test fit

I would have liked to be a step further with it, but it is as every time. At some point of the project I'm starting to over think the whole thing and asking myself if it is right what I'm doing.
So I guess I need some hours to think about it and to feel convenient.

Packaging Box Competition

I have got the feeling to write some words about my "competition" post of last Thursday.

To be honest with you I've thought about it for a while and came to the conclusion it would be a fun idea to do it.

The response is not as I have expected it, but that's okay with me.

But at the end I haven't got seven useful comments. And following the rules we won't have a winner.
I guess it is about the "Hello Kitty" print. Or the pink....
Alright! I tell you what. I will check if I can find some Spiderman, Batman or Wonderwoman pencils and then I will start that competition again.

I didn't want to make fun of you. Just want to know who is reading my blog and maybe to get in contact with some other woodworkers out there in the whole while world.
 

That's it folks.

Stay tuned!

Stefan