Photos. Birbs. Wood. Food.

Cholla and Epoxy Bedside Lamp

Cholla and epoxy bedside lamp, unlit and lit

After the first bedside lamp with its wooden base, I wanted to try making one with a cholla and epoxy base. I started by pouring tinted epoxy into a 16 ounce cup from the dollar store, with some cholla pieces jammed into it. For smaller molds like this, I may need to start using partial pieces of cholla, as there ends up being a lot of empty space that needs to be filled with the epoxy. And pouring large amounts of epoxy can lead to a runaway exothermic reaction which causes the epoxy to foam and bubble and set very quickly, which generally isn’t usable.

Epoxy and cholla, fresh from the snowflake-adorned mold

With a successful pour, I pulled the blank from the mold and rough-turned it to a shape I thought would work. The only dimension I was really worried about was the top, which would have the top of the lamp meeting it.

Rough turning of cholla and epoxy

Looking at the rough blank, there wasn’t enough room for a battery, so I glued on a round piece of cherry, which I thought would look good, then I poured a small pour of epoxy to make sure the base and the lamp body were stuck together real good.

Wood round glued to bottom of cholla and epoxy blank

Next I turned the base, aiming to leave it as wide as possible, giving me the most flexibility with the battery.

Wooden base rough-turned

With the base turned, I bored a hole into the base of the lamp body. The largest diameter at the bottom was 2½ inches, but I stepped that down to an inch to make sure I didn’t make the inside of the lamp bigger than the outside.

Boring the hole in the bottom so I can assemble the parts and insert the battery

With the hole bored and the top of the lamp assembled, I carved out an opening for the battery and glued on some feet to give a little clearance for the battery, so the lamp wouldn’t rest on the battery.

Bottom of the lamp, showing the carved space for the battery, feet, and signature

After signing the lamp, I finished it. The epoxy portion is polished with a plastic polish. The wooden base was finished with multiple coats of Tried and True Danish Oil. After the finishes have had a chance to cure, I’ll probably add a coat of furniture wax to make it easier to dust.

Completed cholla and epoxy lamp, unlit

Completed cholla and epoxy lamp, lit

#woodworking #project #lamp

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