Seeking feedback and suggestions in order to deal with a BIG GOOF that I just made

Frank Pellow

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Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
One of my many current projects is making a lamp (as described in the thead http://familywoodworking.org/forums...or-lamp-with-stained-glass-shade-Build-thread)

About an hour ago, I finished routing and chiseling the rabbets into which the glass pieces for the shade are to be inserted.

I did a good job on the rabbets, BUT I placed then on the outside rather the inside of the frames. :(

Prairie Lamp nn -I cut the rabbets for the glass on the wrong side of all four lampsieeices -sma.JPG

The screwed up oak frames are towards the top of the photo. The properly built pine experimental frame is at the bottom. The glass is supposed to be held in place inside the wooden frame pieces with small strips of 1/4 round.


What to do?

1) I could make new frames, but that would take at least 6 hours.

2) I could make some molding such as the sample shown in these two pictures.

Prairie Lamp nn -Cross section view of sample corrective trim piece -small.JPG Prairie Lamp nn -Sample corrective trim piece in view -small.JPG

That would take an hour or two but might make the lamp look "funny".

3) I could follow some other suggestion made by you.


Please respond ASAP becuase I want to get back to this project tommorow.
 
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That a bummer Frank:eek: but as nice as a job you are doing on it and with that nice glass and that it is on the outside, I would be inclined to make new, Sorry...
 
Frank,
if you 'kluge' them, you'll never be happy with them - no matter how good they'll look to others. Bite the bullet, and make them again.
 
Before I made new frames, I would be tempted to see how a molding such as the one you show in the second picture would look if you rip it in half or a little less than half... enough to lock the glass in place and still cover a quarter of the frame. That would give the frame kind of a stair step look and provide a little visual interest. Be worth a try just to see.
 
Before I made new frames, I would be tempted to see how a molding such as the one you show in the second picture would look if you rip it in half or a little less than half... enough to lock the glass in place and still cover a quarter of the frame. That would give the frame kind of a stair step look and provide a little visual interest. Be worth a try just to see.

I agree. Give it a shot.
 
Is there a reason you can't just turn the outside to the inside? Are they miter cut? (can't tell from the photo, sorry) If so, is there enough meat to miter cut them again the right direction so you could turn them around? Could you cut a piece that would fit at the edges that would in effect make the miter cut disappear. or even cut the miter off and use a cut piece as the new corner?...could be the same wood or a contrasting wood, or the same wood stained a different color. If not, I'd call them my templates, throw the pine one away, and start over. Jim.
 
If it was me and I was going to run with them I would make the molding for the outside out of a very contrasting wood like say walnut. At the same time I would start the new set. This set is not what you planed on building but it can be saved and a new set done the way you planed done up. Of course you realize that buy finishing this set up this way it means you have to build a new lamp for them.:thumb::doh:
You could mix in some of that walnut into the lamp to match the shade.
 
Is there a reason you can't just turn the outside to the inside? Are they miter cut? (can't tell from the photo, sorry) If so, is there enough meat to miter cut them again the right direction so you could turn them around? Could you cut a piece that would fit at the edges that would in effect make the miter cut disappear. or even cut the miter off and use a cut piece as the new corner?...could be the same wood or a contrasting wood, or the same wood stained a different color. If not, I'd call them my templates, throw the pine one away, and start over. Jim.

The miters have already been cut, so that option is out.
 
Thanks for the speedy and thoughtful feedback guys.

Ted, I simulated the stair step molding (as you call it) and did not like the look.

I am considering the suggestion of a walnut inset to hold the glass. I even went to the bother of simulating how it would look:

Prairie Lamp nn -How would it look with a walnut inset to hold the glass -small.JPG

I sort of like it one minute then the next munute I don't like it. :huh:

I will sleep thinking about the various options and decide what to do in the morning.
 
I was leaning toward the "do it over" camp, but I like the look of the inset walnut. You might just be onto something with that approach.
 
I'd say go for the inset. If you don't like it, you'd just have to do it over, which is what you are already thinking.

The one thing I've learned about you Frank is that you are quite creative, and meticulous. If you do use the inset, I'm sure you'll find a way to make them a 'feature' of the design that will pop and that few others have seen before. :thumb:
 
Matt Mackinnon on the Canadian Woodworking forum suggested something that triggered an idea for another fix. This one, I plan to try for real. If the result does not work, I will start over again.

I much prefer a solution to the problem that means the glass will be inserted into the interior of the frame and this is one of few such solutions.

I simulated this solution using a couple of my test pine frames.

Here is what I will do:

1) Cut bevels on the opposite sides of all four frames. This will leave a V shaped groove at all the edges:

Prairie Lamp nn -Bevel s on outside of lampshade frame.JPG

2) Cut small pieces of walnut trim to fit into the grooves:

Prairie Lamp nn -walnut strip.JPG

3) Glue the strips into the grooves:

Prairie Lamp nn -walnut strip in groove.JPG

I obtained lots of good advice about this problem on three different woodworking forums (here, Festool Owners Group, and Canadian Woodworking) and I thank everyone who responded to my cry for help. You folks are great!
 
Harry from New Hampshire on the Festool Owners Group has pointed out me that he suggested exactly what I am trying. I thought that the idea was mostly mine, but I now see that it was Harry's and I appologized too him for my confusion. :eek:
 
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