Wall Sconce for a Cheapskate (aka Me)

[ScottGolden]

Here are some pics of my latest project.

Basically, I got annoyed about having to spend 250 dollars a piece for some wall sconces for a room I redid.

So I hunted down some design ideas from Cherry Tree Designs (they have some cool stuff but a little pricey. (http://cherrytreedesign.com/)

Then said I can make that what the **** are they charging some much for.

The basic design goes like this.

Affix to wall one of the 1.50 porcelain light fixtures. Then get the 60w or less low profile light bulbs. Get some coated canvas from the craft store. Buy new band saw cause you saw it in the bargain forum and convinced your self you needed it.

The cut 3 horse shoes 1/2" high 1/4" wide with the round part being 5 1/2 on outside. Make some sticks 1/2 square with 1/4" dadoes cut middle and 1 inch from the ends.

Buy more cheap spring clamps. (12 dadoes per sconce x 5 sconces).

Figure something out for attaching them to the wall.

Try Miniwax pecan polyshade. Hate that stuff, combines all the worst of a water based stain with the drying time of oil based poly. Next time separate steps for stain and poly.

Oh yeah, the wood is cherry for the curved pieces and mahogany for the sticks.

Here are the results.

[LCHIEN]

looks cool. How did you make the horseshoe curved pieces (from a single large 6" wide piece using the new bandsaw?) and fasten the canvas?

[jonathan55]

Very nice! (That's canvas?)

[Pappy]

And after you amortise the cost of the new bandsaw, 5 wall sconces only cost $189 each!

[lrogers]

Those turned out real nice and you got a new bandsaw too. Life is good.

[cgallery]

Yeah, tell us how you made them and how they attach to the walls.

They look great!

[ScottGolden]

Thanks for all the positive feedback. It sure pumps up the olde ego.

The horse shoes were from several pieces of 6" stock planed to 1/2 inch. Most of the pieces were 18 - 20 inches long. I had gotten 3 boxes of scrapes from a friend who works at a cabinet shop for 30 bucks. All cherry, maple and mahogany. The curved cutout parts are being cut again and made into hearts to decorate my nieces bedroom. What's left from that I don't know what I will do with but I might glue up and try my hand at a bandsaw box or 2. Now if I can only figure out what to do with the saw dust.

The horse shoes were the excuse for the band saw but I had them done on a delta scroll saw first. Then I practiced my OSS technique getting them to be the same width.

The items are attached toe the walls with eye hooks into the back vertical pieces and then screwed into the drywall.

The actual cost (with band saw pappy) for the project was about 200 bucks . Thanks again to sears and the bargain forum for the 115 dollar band saw.

The time was about 16 hours spread over 3 weeks.

When the room is done I will post a before and after shots of it. Be warned the old room had shag carpet and faux wood beams across the ceiling. I guess in the early 70s that was an in thing.

Also do any of you use Alibre? This program is the bomb!!. I have tried just about every CAD program out there and this by far the best I have used. And it's free for the entry level version. Attached is one of the plans that Alibre created. This is a link to the version I use on their site.

http://www.alibre.com/xpress/software/alibre-design-xpress.asp

[charliex]

Very impressive. Congrat's on the finished product and the new BS.

[GPA61]

Very nice.

[MilDoc]

I like them! Better not let SWMBO see this post ...

[bigstick509]

Vn

[mater]

Those are very nice.

[atgcpaul]

Very nice. How did you attached the canvas to match the curve? Double-stick?

Paul

[ScottGolden]

atgcpaul,

On both edges, I used yellow glue with little bits of wood (when I am no longer a newbie - I will use fancy words like cawls) and spring clamps. For the center I used a very thin layer of yellow glue an gravity.

The only weight supported is the canvas it's self so there was not real need for much else.

Since the canvas is somewhat asorbitive, I guessed the yellow glue would seep in an make a good bond.

Only problem with this is that I think I might be becoming a clamp addict. I allways seem to need just one more clamp.

[John Hunter]

Very nice.