2023 PROJECT NO. 2 -- ILLUMINATED LAMPPOST...

Post by **Howard** » Sun Jan 29, 2023 12:43 pm

Greetings to all...

Here's yet another project that has been on my "to do list" for a long, long time...I know it's not a house...but the originals were mostly cardboard and were made in Japan so I think it qualifies as being putz related...

I'll be posting work in progress photos, construction details and patterns in the near future...stay tuned...

Howard...

Post by **Howard** » Sat Feb 04, 2023 1:38 pm

UPDATE...02/04/2023...

CONSTRUCTION NOTES...

BASE…4” square x 3/4” thick laminated corrugated cardboard edge banded with thin cardboard…four 3” flat metal corner braces for weight and stability…NOTE…the square holes should be cut to be a snug fit for the column…I’ll add a layer of felt to the bottom when the project is finished…

COLUMN…6 1/4” tall x 7/8” square…do not use thin cereal box cardboard…use a thicker cardboard like a writing tablet back…NOTE…you might have to do a test column to make sure the socket will slide within the column…adjust the 7/8” width of the sides as needed…you want a “Goldilocks fit”…not too tight and not too loose…also remember the 1/4” wide by 3/8” tall slot in the bottom edge of one of the sides of the column for the cord to feed through…

LIGHT CAGE…BOTTOM…2 1/2” square x 3/8” thick…TOP… 3 1/4” x 3/8” thick…I used five layers of recycled pizza box lids edge banded with thin cardboard…NOTE…if you want to use a “flickering flame” bulb, which is taller than a standard nightlight bulb, cut out the hole in the cage top…see pattern sheet…

LIGHT CAGE UPRIGHTS…four wooden lollipop sticks…NOTE…the holes for the uprights don’t require any complicated drilling angles…there is plenty of “give” in the cardboard so the posts can easily be coaxed and splayed out…the trimmed finished length of an upright is approximately 3"...

FLAT TOP SPIRE CAP…same cardboard as column…

ILLUMINATION…an “all-in-one nightlight socket set“…wall plug, cord, on/off switch and socket…no electrical skills required…but the metal spring clip on the socket has to be removed…I used needle nose pliers and twisted the narrowest part of the clip back and forth until it broke…

SOCKET HOLDER…a square of thick cardboard that has been hole punched, cut in half and trimmed to fit snugly around the socket…super glue was used for assembly of these parts and attaching it to the top of the column…NOTE…the socket and cord must be installed up through the bottom of the column and glued in place before making the four uprights and adding the top and flat top spire cap…I’ll wrap the cord, switch and plug in a plastic bag during application of the finish…

FINISH AND TRIM DETAILS…I basically followed what was on the vintage original…light antique white/ivory paint with clear glitter…gold glitter on the edges of the light cage top and bottom…miniature holly leaves with berries I found at Hobby Lobby and some pieces of luffla sponge…

PATTERN...see the PDF below...

I'll be posting construction photos very shortly...stay tuned...

My very best regards…

Howard…