Build a Shoji-Inspired Lamp
5 Days, Open to All
Summer 2025
August 11-15
In this five-day design and build course, you will learn to use hand tools and power tools to create a timeless, functional, and beautiful lamp that will illuminate and add visual interest to any interior space. Rob will provide individual support through the design process to help you realize a lamp design.
The lamps we make in this five-day design and build class will have interesting geometry and gentle curves to soften their overall look. We will be taking design ideas from the lines of mid-century modern furniture and blending them with allusions to shoji techniques. Shoji is a Japanese tradition of applying paper over latticework to create an opaque lampshade or partition. This design work will be guided by Rob’s extensive experience in design and production to help you successfully navigate the idea generation process.
You will begin with either a pre-made basic design or, with the help of Rob, a modified lamp design of your own. You will then create dovetailed bases for the lamps using a combination of hand tools and power tools. The joinery for the lamps will include simple or complex joinery, depending on skill level, and it will develop your accuracy and planning skills. You will then learn to apply paper to the lamps and wire them, as well as install switches and a vent panel.
We’ll provide the electrical component, but folks could bring their own wiring elements.
Skills covered include:
Designing a small table lamp
Creating a full-sized plan and elevation
Planning and cutting joinery
Making bent laminations
Putting a vellum “skin” on a structure
Simple wiring off a lamp
Choosing/modifying switches and cords
Creating a vent with steel mesh, a wooden grid, or a kumiko panel
Tools
Required:
¼” Bench chisel
⅜” Bench chisel
Coping saw
Bevel gauge
Dovetail saw
Block plane
Razor Saw (X-Acto or similar)
X-Acto knife
Recommended:
Plastic 45/45/90 triangle (long side 6”)
Utility knife
Pencils (0.5mm mechanical pencils)
Measuring tape
4 – 6 inch combination square
12-inch combination square
Mallet
If you know that you want to do a kumiko insert panel, please bring:
your own set of kumiko blocks
A wide, sharp chisel (¾” or bigger)
A sharp Japanese fine-tooth saw (6” dozuki or similar)
Prerequisites
This class is open to all. If you have some basic skills in woodworking, that would be useful, but no experience is required. You will leave the class with a functional, finished lamp.
Class Information and Registration
Classes run 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday in Building 304 at Fort Worden. Map
Please read our What to Expect page for general information about the School.
Please also read our Registration Policy.
Please sign up for the waitlist if the course is full.
Class size: 10
Cost: $940
Materials Charge: $75
3-D Design, Woodworking, and Sculpture
Evansville, Indiana