Posts Tagged With: Gamble Ingelnook Sconce

So, I’ve proven that if you you work on a project 10 minutes a week you will eventually get it finished.  The past month or so at work has had a number of challenges, which has seriously cut into my already small slice of shop time.  I’m working on a plan to try to carve out more shop time, and I’m eager to start the gate project, which will actually be a number of smaller projects all combined.

But, on the the point of this post.  I finished the sconce I’ve been working on.  It’s a close copy of the sconces in the Inglenook in the Gamble house.    I scaled it according to photos and my memory of the originals that I saw when I toured the Gamble House last spring.  I think it’s pretty close, but I want to go back and look at the originals again.  Do you think they would mind if I measured the original?

Since I’d completed the stained glass panels already, I was pretty close to being finished.  I had to install the metal bracket I made to hold the lamp socket, which also screws into the bottom of the “roof”, into the cloud lift hanger brackets.  Then I glued the glass panels in.  It was a little too tight and I had to make some minor adjustments — the glass I used was about 1/16″ thicker than what I’d used previously.  Whoops.

Installing the metal bracket

I drew up some brackets to mount to the bottom of the beam in the entry hall, these will be used to hang the sconce from some leather straps.

Hanger Brackets

And I screwed the brackets to the beam, I’m ready to install the sconce!

Reach for the sconce…

Finished sconce, ready to install

Sconce On, 40 watt “edison filament” lamp

I made a small, dished Walnut cover plate for the junction box

Overall, I’m happy with the result.  If I make another there are a few small tweaks to the design I’d like to see.  The lower rails on the sides should have the “cloud lift” too, and the Ebony bars on the roof should be a tad longer and thinner.  And the front stained glass panel is a little off, I need to work on keeping the “vine” part of the design more fluid.  The side panels came out better.

I’ve been pretty distracted the past few weeks with re-orbs, crisis and emergencies at work, and it’s really eaten into my productivity in the shop.  I don’t like it, and I’m trying to maximize my shop time this weekend.  I have to go do some family errands now, but I’ve finished the last stained glass panel for the Gamble House Inglenook Sconce I’m making.  I will be installing the panels and doing the final assembly later this afternoon.  I still have to make a pair of hanger brackets for the leather straps, but that should be a quick job.

I’m really looking forward to finishing this project — both to see it done and also to be able to start something new.  Maybe a Greene & Green “Dutch” tool chest?

Starting to cut out the iridized glass

All glass parts cut and fit together

Pieces wrapped with copper foil

Soldered, just smooth beads ready to texture

Textured solder joints, they will get a black patina next

I just  soldered the front glass for the Inglenook sconce, I think it’s OK.  I was concerned about whether the glass itself was OK, and I was worried about how the overall effect would be.  I think it works.  There are a few mistakes, but nothing horrible.

I put wider foil along the edges where the “vine” was, so that I could have a wider solder bead there.  I also trimmed the foil to have a wavy edge, to try to give it more of an organic feel.  Like, well, a vine.  There are a couple of areas where the line of the vine isn’t smooth enough as it winds around the vertical “hourglass” bars.  I’ll have to watch for that in the future.

Foil applied

Here is the finished piece, soldered, cleaned, with a patina applied.  I also textured the solder seams that represent the vines to help them stand out from the rest of the design.

Soldered

And here it is mocked up in the sconce.  I need to go make the two side panels now…

I cut up the pieces for the sconce glass today.  I’m unsure about my glass selection, and how this is going to come out.  The original has what appears to be all the same kind of glass in the design, so the design is really governed by the solder lines and not the different colors of glass.

I’ve deviated slightly and substituted some green transparent textured glass for the “berries” in the design, and I’m using what is claimed to be amber iridized glass for the rest.  It’s definitely iridized (which is the mataliz coating that fives the surface a rainbow effect) but it’s nearly opaque and very white.

I’ll foil the glass and solder up the front panel tomorrow and see how it looks.  If it’s not right I’ll have to order some different glass.  You can’t really see the effect since the glass is mostly the same color.

Mere is my design for the front glass, and the glass cut

Here is an original sconce for comparison.  The glass if pretty opaque on the original too.  Maybe it will work out OK, I’m eager to get it soldered and see the finished effect.

The Original Gamble House Inglenook Sconce

One more view of my front glass.  You can see the individual pieces if you look closely.  I noticed a couple of spots in the lower part where the “vines” don’t smoothly transition across the vertical motif, I’ll have to tune that up tomorrow.

Front Glass, REady for Foiling and Soldering

So I’ve been building up coats of finish on the inglenook sconce, biding my time while waiting for the special glass I ordered to arrive.  UPS still says “by end of day today”, but it’s also showing that it’s still in San Pablo, CA.  I don’t think it’s going to make it today.  Rats, I hate getting delayed.  I was sure I’d be finishing the sconce off this weekend.

Sconce With Finish

So, what to do?

I could paint the hallway where the sconce is going to go, god knows it needs a freshening up.  That means a trip to Home Despot in weekend beach traffic.  Ugh.

Mmmm, Paint?

I could start another sconce, maybe a second on of these Inglenook sconces.  But I don’t have enough Mahogany to make the whole think, and I don’t need a second one.  They’re cute though.

Make a Second Sconce?

I could make a storage cabinet for the shop, I’ve been wanting a place to put my finishing supplies and sandpaper.  I may have enough plywood to make the main part of this, but not the sandpaper shelves.  Another trip to the hardware store in weekend beach traffic.

Finishing Supplies Cabinet

I could spend some time refining the design for the front gate I want to make.  Any time here would be an improvement…  I should spend some time on this anyway, I want to build this sooner rather than later.

Rough (!) Sketch for the Front Gate

I won’t even list the other projects that I have in mind.  Too many to think about, but most of these require that I do some design work or go purchase materials first.  I could also clean up the metalworking shop and make something there.  A new kitchen knife?

I put the first coats of finish on the sconce tonight.  One coat of medium brown dye, and one coat of BLO, rubbed in with 0000 steel wool.  It’s a little darker than I’d like, but pretty close to the original finish.  I think it will also lighten up a bit as the oil dries.

I like the copper inlay bars, it gives it a little “pop” in person.  I think the finish is a skosh too dark, but I’ll reserve judgement until it’s done.  The stiles should be 1/4″ longer on the bottom, and I think I’d add the cloud lift detail on the lower side rails.  The Ebony bars are a little too thick, and a little too short.  It doesn’t look bad, it’s just not as “identical” as I’d like.

I plan to put two or three coats of Tried & True oil/wax on this and then call it “done”.  Any little blotchy spots that remain will get blended in with some steel wool.  Next weekend I should be able to get the glass panels made, and wrap this up.

Sconce, Dyed and One Coat of Linseed Oil

Drying

One more view

Original Gamble Sconce for Comparison

I sketched out the patterns for the glass for the sconce yesterday.  I’ll probably fiddle with them a little, looking back at the photos and making some tweaks, but they are reasonable close to the originals.  The front and back panels have two slight s-curves that sweep from the wider cloud lift in the lower rail to the narrower cloud lift in the top rail.  These are overlaid with a crawling vine and berries.

Unfortunately I don’t have the glass I want to use for this.  I used a medium amber translucent textured glass for the “Blacker Sconces”, which looked nice although it wasn’t the original material.  I didn’t have enough of that left to do this one.  I thought about using some dark amber that I have, but it just didn’t look right.  So I’m going to have to order some more glass before I can proceed.  I’m going to get some medium amber translucent iridized, which has a metallic coating that gives it a rainbow effect.  To my eye it looks like the entire design in the original was rendered in this material, using slightly different sections where the coating has a different cast for the berries.  In some pictures it looks like the cut out in the top rail has a piece of green glass behind it — so I’ll have to experiment and see what looks good.  It possible that the original glass colors have faded or muddied slightly after 100 years too, so I’m not opposed to using something slightly brighter.

So I put away my tools and swept up the shop in preparation for a week of work, I’m really looking forward to the glass arriving and getting back to work. on this project.

I’m still on the fence about the finish.  The original has a decidedly brown tone, and I have some medium brown dye that is pretty close.  I may use that on it, I’m just concerned about darkening it too much and obscuring the grain.  I’ll have to look at my finish samples again before I decide.

Pattern for front & Back

Spectrum Pale Amber & White Transparent Iridized

Sketch for layout of stained glass for the sides

My 13 year old son had a 7am meet up with a friend to go surfing today (yes, he has a charmed life).  Luckily his friend’s parents offered to take the boys to the beach.  The upshot is I was up, showered, dressed and caffeinated by 6:45, so I got an early start in the shop.

I made a bracket from 18 gauge steel to hold the lamp socket and to tie the sconce body to the lid.  No big deal, although I bent the wrong ends on the brake the first time.  I probably should have had one more cuppa.  Anyway, revision 2 went well.  I have holes in the tabs to screw into the top rails on the sconce body, and holes in the other part that line up with the hanging brackets I glued to the lid so I can screw that on.  I think I’ll make some sort of decorative nut to go on top of the lid too, to thread onto the threaded stem from the lamp socket.

I’d intended to inlay some strips of oak in the grooves I plowed in the bottom rails, but I wasn’t happy with how that was going.  Instead I sheared some strips of .065″ thick copper sheet and inlaid those so they are about about .030″ above the surface of the rail.  I think that’s going to work out nicely. 

The ebony bars are glues on, the inlay is glued in and I’m having lunch waiting for everything to dry.  I’ll clean up the shop and start on the glass patterns next.

Support Bracket for Top & Socket

Bracket in Place in Sconce

Copper Strips Inlayed

I made the top for the new sconce this morning.  It was a piece of cake.

I made a template for the shape, traced it onto the edge of the Mahogany blank and band sawed it as close as I could.  Then I did some shaping with rasps, 80 and 100 grit sandpaper, then smoothed it with 220.  There is a slight cup in the top, but it will pull flat when the top is screwed in place I think.  It should work out nicely.

I also made the four Ebony bars the go on the top and bottom of the ends of the roof, and I prepared a strip of oak to inlay into the front and back rails.

I think the next thing to do is figure out how to mount the light socket and attach the roof, and to install the brackets that hold the leather straps.  I should be able to start applying finish on this tomorrow, and start making the patterns for the stained glass.

Top Shaped – Brackets Still Need to be Shaped and Sanded

Another View

Ebony Bars Ready to Install

I finished off the body of the “Gamble House Inglenook Sconce” today.  I have to make the “lid” or “roof” still, and I have no idea how to do that.  Anyone have any suggestions?  I can bandsaw it close, but I only have a 1″ wide re-saw blade for my bandsaw.  I could order a 1/2″ or 3/8″ blade I guess, but it will take a week or two to mail order a custom length blade (I have a WWII era DoAll bandsaw, they don’t have these blades at the local woodcraft store).

The top piece is about 7.5″ wide, so I can probably get the cut close enough that I can then sand it into submission from there.  I don’t see another practical way to do it.  Maybe you could hog out the material using a dado head going across the grain, and just take stepped cuts at the ends.

Transferring the locations for the pegs by punching through a full size paper pattern

Peg holes chopped

Ebony plugs glued in