...but it really looks like s***. SWMBO purchases a lampshade that
she likes - rather art deco but square but still more deco than
anything else and not really to my taste - and asks me to make a floor
lamp out of it. Okey - what do you want it to look like? "Ummmmmmm,"
she pondered, "make it look like the Chrysler building." [Note: this
is a compression of multiple discussions for purposes of brevity but
the end result is the same.]
Well, you take a picture of the Chrysler building and put a lamp shade
on top. Think about it. Say no more. So through the tactic of a few
months of delay, I managed to make her want it so bad that she was
willing to let me try to give her the art deco thing she was looking
for while not turning our home into a cheesy paean to NYC
architecture. A couple more weeks and the design is complete, with
the design of the base suggesting the stalk of a flower and the design
of the shade suggesting the petals of the flower. You would have to
see it to fully understand (e-mail and I will send pix to the truly
bored) but I think I did a decent job of it (and even incorporated
some design ideas from the Chrysler building).
Construction (I used birch, thinking it would be easiest to bring to
the color of the shade)complete, the height is correct, and it is time
to stain it. The shade was made in China and has some orangish finish
on it - kinda dulls the grain like too many layers of flat varnish.
Perhaps shellac? The guy at my local supply place tried to give me
Cherry gel stain (luckily, I had the shade with me) which I had tried
already and found too red so I took a little can of antique maple or
some such. Try it out, it looks good. Close enough for trying to
match some weird Chinese shellac. Start to apply and dammit! the
birch has some spots that are rejecting the stain, almost like I got
wax on it or something. Okay, some small spots and a run where glue
hadn't been wiped enough but the real deal was a large area on
adjacent sides of the base that just wouldn't take the stain.
Now here I am, with a crappy finish and the project from hell has
never been further from completion (or at least that's how it feels).
It looks depressingly bad. I really don't care anymore if you can see
the grain, and I don't care if the color is mismatched between the
shade and the base. All I want is a consistent color.
Can I, could I, would it work, given that I don't care about the color
match and the grain on the base, just keep laying on that poly with
color? I know I am some kind of monster for thinking it but I don't
see any other option. I sure the hell ain't gonna strip it down to
bare.
Will this work or does someone have a better idea? Spray paint and
kindling are out.
Please, oh please, end my suffering!
App
spraypaint and kindling? Oh wait never mind.
laying Poly shades on for that much will leave you with paint (if I' m
interpreting you correctly). Another option it to lay down a thinned layer
(rub on, 60/40 mix) of poly (shellac might work too) and then go over it
with another coat of stain. This may give you more control over your
coloring and allow you to even the color. I was able to play with one of my
projects that way. I was able to give it a sort of antiqued look with dark
edges and lighter centers.
--
"Appkiller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> ...but it really looks like s***. SWMBO purchases a lampshade that
> she likes - rather art deco but square but still more deco than
> anything else and not really to my taste - and asks me to make a floor
> lamp out of it. Okey - what do you want it to look like? "Ummmmmmm,"
> she pondered, "make it look like the Chrysler building." [Note: this
> is a compression of multiple discussions for purposes of brevity but
> the end result is the same.]
>
> Well, you take a picture of the Chrysler building and put a lamp shade
> on top. Think about it. Say no more. So through the tactic of a few
> months of delay, I managed to make her want it so bad that she was
> willing to let me try to give her the art deco thing she was looking
> for while not turning our home into a cheesy paean to NYC
> architecture. A couple more weeks and the design is complete, with
> the design of the base suggesting the stalk of a flower and the design
> of the shade suggesting the petals of the flower. You would have to
> see it to fully understand (e-mail and I will send pix to the truly
> bored) but I think I did a decent job of it (and even incorporated
> some design ideas from the Chrysler building).
>
> Construction (I used birch, thinking it would be easiest to bring to
> the color of the shade)complete, the height is correct, and it is time
> to stain it. The shade was made in China and has some orangish finish
> on it - kinda dulls the grain like too many layers of flat varnish.
> Perhaps shellac? The guy at my local supply place tried to give me
> Cherry gel stain (luckily, I had the shade with me) which I had tried
> already and found too red so I took a little can of antique maple or
> some such. Try it out, it looks good. Close enough for trying to
> match some weird Chinese shellac. Start to apply and dammit! the
> birch has some spots that are rejecting the stain, almost like I got
> wax on it or something. Okay, some small spots and a run where glue
> hadn't been wiped enough but the real deal was a large area on
> adjacent sides of the base that just wouldn't take the stain.
>
> Now here I am, with a crappy finish and the project from hell has
> never been further from completion (or at least that's how it feels).
> It looks depressingly bad. I really don't care anymore if you can see
> the grain, and I don't care if the color is mismatched between the
> shade and the base. All I want is a consistent color.
>
> Can I, could I, would it work, given that I don't care about the color
> match and the grain on the base, just keep laying on that poly with
> color? I know I am some kind of monster for thinking it but I don't
> see any other option. I sure the hell ain't gonna strip it down to
> bare.
>
> Will this work or does someone have a better idea? Spray paint and
> kindling are out.
>
> Please, oh please, end my suffering!
>
> App