A&C Ceiling fixture

Rennie Heuer

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I'm in the process of remaking our 70's ranch into a turn of the century bungalow, at least a little bit of the interior.:eek: This includes the living room and dinning room. The dining room will have (almost finished) 50" tall VGDF wainscoting with a plate rail, the fireplace will be the subject of another thread, and new lighting.

The cost of period fixtures that will fit nicely into a home with 92 1/2" ceilings is very high and they are few in number. So, I decided to make my own!:thumb: Jan had already picked out the pendant light she wanted over the kitchen sink so I picked up an additional four to make this ceiling fixture. Simply four pendants hanging from one base. Total cost $160. Not bad considering what I was seeing on the price tags of some other fixtures.:eek: Also below, a sneak peek at the wainscoting. Woods are VGDF and ebonized walnut.
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Looks very nice, Rennie. :clap: I need to take LOML to the Gamble House one of these days, just to see if she likes the style. It'd be fun to transform a "modern" house into something more like the Craftsman style.

I also wonder if I should go into the square ebony plug business. Between you and Glenn, I could sell a bunch of 'em. :D
 
I just caught up :eek:. Great looking fixture. The pendants look like they were made for it. The ebonized walnut came out nice and dark I would like to hear about your method (or get pointed to the thread if I missed it). But wait, more questions:

-Are the four plugs decorative or for the mounting screws?

-Dados in the top for wire-path or do they just stub through to boxes above?

I think you are going to have a really nice 'look and feel' for the room and look forward to other installments. Way to go.
 
I just caught up :eek:. Great looking fixture. The pendants look like they were made for it. The ebonized walnut came out nice and dark I would like to hear about your method (or get pointed to the thread if I missed it).
I used a process outlined in last month's American Woodworker.
Prep: dissolve steel wool in white vinegar for a week or more, then filter several times through coffee filters. Also, dissolve powdered tannin into water following directions on packaging.
1. Brush on (or in my case immerse) tannin mixture and allow to dry
2. brush on liquid rust and allow to dry
3. Brush on another coat of tannin.

But wait, more questions:

-Are the four plugs decorative or for the mounting screws?
I went into the attic and installed 2x4 blocking on either side of the ceiling box. The plugs cover 4 - 2 1/2" washer head screws that secure the fixture to the blocking. They are friction fit only.

-Dados in the top for wire-path or do they just stub through to boxes above?
I used a router to plow 1/2"" grooves 1/4" deep from each mounting hole (1 1/"2 hole 1/2" deep made with forstner bit) to the center of the fixture. I used a 1 1/4" washer to spread the weight of the fixture and the compression of the nut as I was concerned about the softness of the wood. The 4" ceiling box provides the room for the splicing and wire nuts.

I think you are going to have a really nice 'look and feel' for the room and look forward to other installments. Way to go.
Thanks!
 
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