Rustic Driftwood Lamp

That's Clever! : Episode HCLVR-147 -- More Projects »
PHOTO

Project by Daniel O'Neil from Sewickley, Pa.
PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO
Born and raised in Sewickley, Pa, Dan O'Neil spent his childhood near the river. But it wasn't until later in life that driftwood along the banks of Pittsburgh's famous Three Rivers caught his attention. As an adult he started his own landscaping business and during the off-season dabbled in traditional woodworking. One day while flipping through a lifestyle magazine he saw a picture of a chair made from twigs. The beauty of the piece inspired him to make something similar with driftwood. Today, when he's not running his landscaping business, he's creating tables, chairs, mirrors and lamps from driftwood.

Materials:

driftwood for lamp and finial
compressor and sand for sandblasting
60- to 150-grit sandpaper
wire brush
water-based polyurethane
8" harp lamp hardware
lamp shade (to fit 8" harp)
3-way lamp switch/socket
brass finial knob
8' to 12' lamp cord with plug
3 feet of electrical lamp wire
wood base (cut from 1-3/4" thick spruce board)
1/4" hardboard (for use under wood base)
1-1/2" threaded steel nipple
Thread Lock adhesive
2 wood screws
1/2" nails
2 wire nuts
electrical tape
3-way light bulb
1-yard suede fringe
box of bronze furniture tacks
drill and bits
miter saw, chain saw or hand saw
jigsaw
pencil
safety glasses
safety equipment for sandblasting
clamps
workbench
damp rag or tack cloth
wood chisel
palm sander
hammer

Steps:
1. Gather driftwood and let it dry for 3 to 6 months. Once dry, select a unique piece for building a rustic driftwood lamp.

PHOTO

Figure A
PHOTO

Figure B
2. Cut the piece of driftwood to desired size using a miter saw, chainsaw, handsaw or bow saw. Make sure that it is flat and level on both the top and bottom (figure A).

3. Clamp the piece down to the workbench or work surface and drill through the length of the wood using a 1/4-inch wood-boring drill bit. Drill straight through the center of the piece, exiting out the bottom (figure B).

4. Sand the driftwood.

  • If sandblasting, you'll also want to hand-sand the piece with 150-grit sandpaper.
  • If you do not have sandblasting equipment hand sand starting with a rough grit (60), then working your way up to a 100-grit, and then finishing with a 150-grit to reveal a nice, smooth finish.

5. Wipe the piece down with a damp rag or tack cloth.