Kumiko Lamp
Kumiko is an ancient Japanese form of woodworking. It is intricate, eye catching, and beautiful. Its small size lends itself well to this lamp. This lamp is my interpretation of a project that has been built for hundreds of years by Japanese craftsman.
If you’ve never tried Kumiko, don’t be intimidated. With a couple easy to make jigs, it's a straightforward process. Kumiko is a quiet, repetitive, and meditative pursuit. It's a great place to experiment with patterns. This project finds a nice balance between using power tools to get through the basic tasks efficiently, yet relies heavily on hand tools to perfect fit and finish.
The Kumiko Lamp measures 21" H x 6 7/8" W x 6 7/8" D
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- 11 lessons
- 124 min
-
$79.00
Here's what you'll learn how to build:
What's included:
- Detailed cut list and plans including a PDF and a SketchUp file (Metric and Imperial).
- Over 2 hours of detailed video instruction showing every step of Kumiko Lamp Build.
- All videos and plans are digital and available for immediate download after purchase.
- Access to the lesson comments section for questions.
- Closed Captions
What you'll learn:
- Milling up small parts for a small project
- A different way to cut small mortises with an end-mill and drill press
- Tenons on the table saw equipped with a dado stack
- How to miter tenons to fit into a 90 degree corner
- Mill stop rebates to house the Kumiko panels
- Glue and clamp the lantern frame
- Building accurate jigs to aid in precise, repeatable cutting of Kumiko pattern pieces
- How to complete a Kumiko panel, including milling strips to thickness, cutting precise half laps, assembling the grid-work, and fitting the pieces that make up the Asa No Ha pattern.
- Fitting panels precisely to the rebates in the lantern for a friction fit.
- Glue and trim shoji paper to the the grid-work
- How to wire up a a light socket, switch and plug using readily available lamps components.
- Apply Osmo for a simple, but beautiful finish
- How to be awesome.
What you'll need:
- Wood
- 4/4 Hardwood (Cherry) - 3 Board Feet
- 4/4 Hardwood (Basswood) - 3 Board Feet
- 8/4 and 4/4 Scrap for Making Jigs
- Tools Jointer, Planer, Miter Saw, Table saw, Dado stack, router table, drill press, small hand saw (pull saw works best), shooting board and plane, block plane (or smoothing plane), 1/4” chisel, 1 wider chisel.
- Bits
- Straight router bit with at least a 1/2” cutting height
- 1/4” roughing end mill or other method to cut a 1/4” mortise
- coutersink for #7 screws, drill bit to pilot threaded inserts (will vary depending on exact inserts).
- Hardware:
- Low wattage light bulb (anything below 100)
- Light socket
- Lamp rod and nuts
- Fabric coated extension with molded plug
- In line rocker switch (optional)
- Shoji paper
- Shoji paper with a plain look
- Rice glue
- Fine mist spray bottle to wet shoji paper
- Osmo Polyx Oil
- 8-32 threaded inserts (for jigs) qty-6 or more
- 8-32 3/4” long machine screws for jigs qty-6
- #8 washers (for jigs) qty-6
- #8 x 2” wood screws (for jigs) qty-6
- #7 x 5/8” wood screws to hold socket bracket in place qty-2
Reviews:
A great project! This lamp is one of my favorite things I’ve built to date. It generates a lot of curiosity and conversation. Mike’s instructions are excellent and all the videos are very helpful.
Yesterday I finished my lamp. I have enjoyed every step of the build and I have to say that this is the most rewarding project I have ever built. There is a great sense of accomplishment when you set your first kumiko piece, and when the lamp is complete it looks just gorgeous.
Mike is such a great teacher, the videos are really easy to follow. I cannot recommend this project enough.
As I enter my 4th year of woodworking, the Shoji Kumiko Lamp was the perfect project for me. It improved all areas of my woodworking including milling, joinery and especially hand tools. There are endless Kumiko patterns so this is a project I see myself making many times. It is a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Mike’s instruction was excellent and I really appreciate his extremely dry humor. I feel like this project was a challenge for me skill-wise and it really propelled me from a woodworker to a fine woodworker. I highly recommend this project to anyone looking to improve their skills.
About Your Instructor:
While woodworking is Mike’s job, it’s also his hobby. He’s been woodworking professionally since he was a teenager. He worked his way through college in a cabinet shop. After getting a desk job out of college, he realized that wasn’t for him. So he fell back to cabinet making, shortly thereafter, he opened his own small-time, one man operation. As the years went by and the projects went out the door, he found that he had fallen in love with his craft. It became his vocation and his avocation. To this day he still loves the smell of his shop as he flips the lights on in the morning, coffee in hand. He still gets optimistic butterflies in his stomach as he’s unloading materials for a new project. He hopes to share with you some of the skills he’s learned along the way, and if he’s really lucky some of his passion for our craft.
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