Wright-Inspired Lamp

[JamesTinKS]

In April 2009 there was a post on thewoodwhisper.com website about a Frank Lloyd Wright lamp. https://thewoodwhisperer.com/viewer-projects/wright-inspired-lamp/

I got the plans for it a long time ago from Prairie Designs (no longer in business). I put them away while I finished a project and forgot about them.

I found them and have made 2 lamps but and absolutely stuck on how to put the rice paper into the wood to make the shades. I was really hoping you had made a video of you making one of them so I could watch you put together a shade. If you did, I can't find it. Any chance I missed it?

Or, any chance anyone here has made one and has some hints or tips? I only have 2 hands and it seems like 5 or 6 working together would make it a lot easier.

 

JamesTinKS

[wtnhighlander]

Welcome to the forum!

I haven't seen the plans you mention, the photos on the web site appear to show the shade as having an inner and outer frame, sort of a nested pair of baskets, with the paper sandwiched between. Do your plans suggest anything like that?

[h3nry]

It's worth noting that this is not a project made by thewoodwhisperer, but one he featured submitted by one of his readers/viewers.

It is a nice design, and hence seems popular ... my quick googling uncovered an instagram post by someone restoring one ... they have a few pictures of how the paper installs, although it is not clear how it attaches round the bottom rim (glued down with some kind of bead?) ... maybe you can work something out from the photos.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ccg4ei3OEKz/?img_index=4

For those interested it is called the "Taleisin 1 table lamp"

[h3nry]

ps ... please show us some photos of your lamps ... mid construction, as well as finished. I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like to see/hear about your build.

[JamesTinKS]

Here is a screen shot of the shade detail. The paper is held into a groove in the frame at the bottom by a dowel and in the middle of the top pieces with dowels as well and then sandwiched with the part 12. The paper is very not stiff. It wants to roll and slump. My wife tried helping to give 2 more hands without success. After the poly dries on them we are going to try gluing the dowels to the bottom of the paper and see if that helps to get the paper to stay in the grooves at the bottom.
The shade attachment shows the paper. Cut 4 and then bend on the diagonal to get the bottoms to be on the same plane.

I don't have a lot of in progress pictures but here they are. One is cherry and the other hackberry which got a special walnut stain. Thumbnail 3 shows the shade assembled without paper. The diagonals are screwed together and the top 2 pieces are screwed together. There is not any glue used on the frame other than on the miters on the bottom frame.

 

James

[DexterSResendez]

On 11/1/2025 at 4:05 AM, JamesTinKS said:

Here is a screen shot of the shade detail. The paper is held into a groove in the frame at the bottom by a dowel and in the middle of the top pieces with dowels as well and then sandwiched with the part 12. The paper is very not stiff. It wants to roll and slump. My wife tried helping to give 2 more hands without success. After the poly dries on them we are going to try gluing the dowels to the bottom of the paper and see if that helps to get the paper to stay in the grooves at the bottom.
The shade attachment shows the paper. Cut 4 and then bend on the diagonal to get the bottoms to be on the same plane.

I don't have a lot of in progress pictures but here they are. One is cherry and the other hackberry which got a special walnut stain. Thumbnail 3 shows the shade assembled without paper. The diagonals are screwed together and the top 2 pieces are screwed together. There is not any glue used on the frame other than on the miters on the bottom frame.

 

James

block blast

Thank you for sharing! Great!

[JamesTinKS]

I didn't mean to fall off the edge of the world. Youngest son bought a house and that has consumed an enormous amount of my time. 

I finally got back to these lamps, made a jig (several iterations) to help hold the shade parts in place. 

It's not fully assembled but much progress has been made. 

James

[wtnhighlander]

These are shaping up to be very interesting. I'm glad you chose to share.

[Mark J]

I think the jig a clever idea, and very neatly executed.

[dwilliam]

I haven’t made a full video of assembling the rice paper shades myself, but a common approach is to pre-fit the paper while the frame is flat, use small clips or weights to hold it in place, then carefully glue each edge. Patience is key, and working slowly prevents tearing. Some people slightly moisten the paper to make it more flexible, then let it dry in place. Two hands are usually enough, just take it step by step.

[JamesTinKS]

On 12/19/2025 at 5:14 AM, dwilliam said:

I haven’t made a full video of assembling the rice paper shades myself, but a common approach is to pre-fit the paper while the frame is flat, use small clips or weights to hold it in place, then carefully glue each edge. Patience is key, and working slowly prevents tearing. Some people slightly moisten the paper to make it more flexible, then let it dry in place. Two hands are usually enough, just take it step by step.

I finally figured out that glue was required for sure. The thing holding me back from completing the shades now is having enough hands to get all of the 10 (11 but 2 get screwed together) pieces of the shade fitted together properly. I think I need to trim the diagonal pieces so that I can close the gap between the piece on top of and the piece below the paper. I just have to make the decision to cut them and hope I don't cut them too short and have to remake them. So much for these being Christmas presents.

I think I will finally get notifications for replies to this post now. I wasn't getting an email even though I told the forum to send them. I noticed the "Follow topic" switch below and have turned it on.

 

James

[wtnhighlander]

Looking forward to seeing these, it seems like a challenging project.