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