Synopsis: The gentle glow of an Andon lamp, whether or not it’s the oil-lit model of bygone days or in the present day’s electrical variations, highlights the clear traces and easy fantastic thing about conventional Japanese woodworking. This lamp, by Craig Vandall Stevens, options mitered tenons becoming a member of the rails to the legs, and kumiko panels which might be made individually and slipped into the lamp’s body. The methods concerned usually are not troublesome, however precision is required.
Andon lamps seize the clear traces and easy fantastic thing about conventional Japanese woodworking. The unique, oil-lit model is now not generally used, however fashionable Andon designs with electrical fixtures are plentiful. Though some conventional Andon lamps had hinged panels and might be opened to shed extra direct mild, Andons primarily supplied accent mild and a heat aesthetic assertion reasonably than vivid mild to learn by. I construct mine in the identical spirit. The scale I’ll display is appropriate for a tabletop or ground lamp.
The Andon (pronounced ahn dohn) may be made in varied methods, providing a variety of design prospects and ranges of woodworking complexity. On this model, the rails of the lamp body are joined to the legs with mitered tenons. As to the skinny strips, or kumiko, that type the lamp’s gridded panels, in lots of authentic Andons they have been tenoned into the lamp body’s legs and rails. For this lamp I used a unique technique, making 4 separate lap-jointed kumiko panels which might be press-fit into the lamp’s body. You can provide your kumiko panels a plain grid sample—comparatively easy or extra advanced—or add one of many many conventional infill patterns. To see how I make the ornamental kumiko sample for this lamp, see Handwork.
Millwork
The methods for the lamp body and kumiko panels are easy, however all through the method precision is paramount. I begin by constructing a mockup of the lamp body in poplar, screwing it collectively. When I’ve the form and dimension proper, I make story sticks from the mockup: one the size of a leg, which I mark with the situation of the 2 rails; one other the size of a rail (not together with tenons). I exploit the story sticks all through the milling and joinery course of.
Within the accomplished lamp body, the rails shall be inset from the surface faces of the legs. However as a result of it’s simpler to chop centered joints than offset ones, I mill the rails and legs to the identical dimension, 7⁄8 in. sq.. Solely after reducing centered tenons do I rip the rails to their ultimate width, eradicating 1⁄16 in. from their outdoors face.
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