The turned table lamp illustrated in Figs. 48 and 49 consists of two parts, the upright and the base. Before the upright can be turned, a hole must be made lengthwise through its center for the electric wires. This hole may be made either by boring through a solid piece of wood or by gluing two pieces together after first cutting a groove in each.

In the first method the advantage of having a solid piece of wood is offset by the difficulties encountered in boring the hole. The auger bit to be used should have a spur for end-wood boring, and, as the ordinary auger bit is not long enough, a hole must be bored from each end. If the ends are squared accurately with the sides and the holes started on a drill press, there is a good chance to have them meet in the center; moreover, any little unevenness may be readily removed by inserting a red-hot iron rod.

Fig. 49. - The base of the lamp is turned in a wooden chuck as shown in Fig. 50.

The only difficulty about the second method is to plane the faces of the two pieces accurately, so that they will make a perfect joint. A groove 3/16 in deep and % in. wide should be cut in the center of each piece before gluing.

When turning the upright, block the hole in the end running on the live center (the tenon) with a piece of soft wood.

The hole in the other end is left the way it is and runs on the dead center.

The base may be turned so as to avoid screw holes in the bottom. Get out the stock, plane one side, and screw it to the faceplate as explained in the preceding section.

Reduce the wood to the thickness and diameter required and cut a little depression in its center about 1/16 in. deep and about 1 in. less in diameter than the total diameter of the base (Fig. 50). This is the bottom of the base, and the depression is cut to make it stand well.

Bore a hole with a 3/8-in. auger bit into the edge of the base and well past its center. Sandpaper the bottom and edge of the base and remove it.

A device called a "chuck" is now made from a piece of wood, preferably soft and at least 1 in. larger in diameter than the base. This is screwed to the faceplate, faced off, and turned to its largest possible diameter.

Caliper the diameter of the lamp base carefully, mark this diameter on the soft wooden disk, and cut a recess into it about ¼ in. deep. The base should fit very tightly in this recess. To begin with, cut well within the line marked and gradually enlarge the recess until the right diameter has been reached.

Fig. 50. - The base is roughed out on the faceplate (left), then finished in a wooden chuck with a suitable recess (right).

If the recess should be too large, place a piece of paper over it and drive the base in place. If this should not hold the base tightly, face the disk off and try again. When the base fits properly and is driven tightly up against the bottom of the recess so that it runs true, it may be turned in the usual manner without danger of coming loose. This operation is called "chucking." To remove the base from the chuck, grasp it firmly with one hand and tap the face of the chuck with a hammer.

It is best to stain and finish the upright and the base separately. A 1/8-in. metal bushing is screwed into the hole bored into the side of the base, and a 1/8-in. brass nipple about 2 in. long is screwed into the top of the upright so as to project about % in. From the lower end of the upright, remove the wooden plug; pull the lamp cord through the hole, and glue the upright to the base. The lamp may be held in the lathe until the glue has set, the base fitting in the chuck and the brass nipple over the dead center.

Fig. 51. - This smoking stand is an interesting project from the turner's standpoint and makes a fine gift.

A two-light fixture, such as shown in Fig. 49, is screwed to the nipple. It is fitted with two pull sockets to which the proper wire connections are made. The other end of the lamp cord is fitted with a plug.

The shape, color, and fabric of the shade is a matter of individual taste.