Mission Lamp, Prairie Style: Part Two

Mission Lamp, Prairie Style: Part Two
 Where to Start?
         The start of every project is some type of plan that probably comes from a vision originating from something that you have seen.  I  seriously doubt that I have ever had an original thought.  So, the start of my planning was a search on lamps and specifically mission/arts and crafts/prairie style.  I have a pretty extensive library of “how-to” plan books stretching from before the internet was a viable source of research and plans.  Some of the how-to books were quite good and some were pretty worthless.  The good have served as an inspiration for better work and the others as a seldom visited space occupying a shelf. 

This is an example of the books that offered "Easy To Make" lamps and shades that were really just a compilation of material from perhaps Popular Science or circa 1920s Mission books. In various older publications, I have the same material.  So, this book is part of the seldom visited spaces on the book shelf. It is useful for a reference, just not what I was after.  The lamp shade plans were  what I was after. BUT, the plans were really for a sheet metal style to be cut out of heavy gauge paper.  Not at all what I was after.  I ordered two of the books at the same time and both had the same content, just different titles.  I was after the wood, CCM plan and detail. The search for  lamp plans  was narrowed to wood, quarter sawn white oak and the compound complex miter (CCM) shade that would fit atop just about any base.  I spent waaaay more time than I care to admit searching for the lamp that I was after.

            There were plans for lamps to be sure.  But, most, if not all of them were not the style that I thought I was after.  There was a feel that I wanted and it would fit into what I was pretty sure was Mission/Prairie style lamp.  At the heart of the project was the shade.  I did  not know that the shade I was after was going to be a complex compound miter until I figured out that it was. TO be sure I knew that it would have angles, the details of the angles and cuts were unknown.  I found some original plans from the Popular Science OLD,  publications that were in an old plan book.  Not real helpful and the plans were for cardboard shades and then sheet metal. Not what I was after.

            I found some other plans that did not match what I was after, not at all, but there was a wooden lamp shade. Something out of the very Prairie style plans that would be at  home at Taliesen West or Waterfall, Frank Lloyd Wright. I had southwest style ingrained in me from an early age in Northern New Mexico.  Greene and Greene, lifting cloud style was prominent in the Mission/Arts and Crafts style.  The Prairie style stained glass shades had the shape that I was after, but the stained glass work was another project that I was not too interested in accomplishing.  That would be another day/project.

     This photo is from a free, really, free plan set from Minwax. Minwaxplan, https://www.minwax.com/wood-projects/accessories/diy-lamp-plans.   This is very Frank Lloyd Wright from my view.  I liked it but not what I was after. The cantilevered, Fallingwater/Wright base is stunning, just not what I was after. I wanted the full base that was more Mission Style with the full on base. The shade is right on, except for the art glass.  So, I kept looking.  I like the green hue of the art glass and with the correct installation, I would go with glass.  Again, personal preference.  I had the amber glow of mica from some vision in my past.  The search now had a shape for the shade and a base shape to be determined. I anticipated that the base would need to match the shade to assure there was a proportionate feel. A HUGE shade with a small base would just look awkward.

            So the style was becoming apparent although not defined.  I knew I would know it once I saw it.  After lots of on-line hit and miss, and exhausting my personal sources for direction and plans, I came across two books that promised “Mission Style Lamp Plans.”  I bought two of the books and they were just recitations of the material that I already had – not useful at all.  But, in the search I did come across some plans that were the look that I was after.  I needed plans because I am really not so good on angles, complex angles and certainly not complex compound miter angles.  The Minwax plans offered a concept for using half-lap joints on the frame that was different than the tongue and groove shown in other plans.  The small pieces of the shade sides, top and bottom stretchers just did not appear to offer enough surface area to complete the cuts.  And, using the half-lap allowed for the joint to be hidden in the underside of the frame. Here is an excerpt from the MinWax plan.

            Rockler offered WoodWorker's Journal, a downloadable plan that I had found for “free” on another site.  I paid the $7.95  download to assure the credit went to the author, Rick White. So, I highly recommend you order the downloadable article.  As stated above, Rockler promises plans and you get an article from WoodWorker's Journal. As with any article, some material will be informative and useful, the rest guidance. With Mr. White’s article, I needed the angles and take-offs as well as guidance to assist in the process of creating my first complex compound miter/CCM assembly.
     Lots of images abound on the internet for Mission Style lamps.  Some are really nice and others junk.  The nice work is usually by small artisan shops that offer an image with a promise to build to the spec provided.  Some offered the shape of the shade with the wrong base. I was after a proportionate base with a shade and the White article provided that.

     The photo on the left was from a Mark DeCou creation based on the information I have.  This image has Craftsman, Stickley and Greene and Greene lines.  Western Craftsman Stickley style? Here is the link to Mr. DeCou's website:  http://www.decoustudio.com/lighting.html     A basic GOOGLE based search for lamps found this image.   The lamp is stunning, intricate and detailed. Note the appliques on the mica shade, and shadow box light, three way electric switch. Now I was getting close. The White article image on the right  is from the look that I settled on. The shade shape and base were right on point.  The glass was going to be replaced with mica.  
Mission Lamp, Prairie Style

Next: Part Three: Planning the Planning: