How to Make a Wall Mounted Lighting Piece

Power Tool Challenge – A Project Using a Drill

I was invited to join a few fellow bloggers for a Power Tool Challenge. The challenge is to make a project using one power tool and in this case, a drill. The challenge is designed to show new woodworkers and DIYers that a ton of fancy tools are not needed to create a fabulous project. I’m going to show how to make a wall mounted lighting piece.

For this project, I used an old lighting fixture I found at my local Habitat for Humanity ReStore which I took apart and spray painted a new color. I also rewired it to use new sockets and a plug. The wall mount light fixture hangs on the wall using a metal cleat and plugs into an outlet below.

Supplies:

• 1 – 1×6 board at 8′ cut in four equal lengths
• 1 – 1×3 board at 4′ cut at approximately 22″ long
• Pocket hole jig with 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws
• Wood glue
• Sandpaper in 80 grit, 120 grit, and 220 grit
• 1″ Forstner Bit
• 3/8″ drill bit
• Wood stain and sealer
• Old light fixture
• Replacement lamp cord with a plug
• Wire nuts & electrical tape
• Metal picture hanging cleat

I started by taking the entire fixture apart and wiping it down with a bit of vinegar. I then used a red oxide primer to prime every piece. I spray painted the entire fixture using spray paint in Cobalt Blue. I set everything off to the side to thoroughly dry.

The 1×6 board will be cut into four equal pieces which will measure approximately 23-7/8″ long. The 1×3 board will be cut into two pieces approximately 22″ long. If the boards are purchased at Home Depot, they will cut the boards for free. For future reference, they will not cut anything shorter than 12″ for safety reasons.

Set the pocket hole jig for 3/4″ material. Drill pocket holes along one long edge of each 1×6 piece except one. Also drill two pocket holes in the shorter ends of each board. Do not drill any pocket holes in the 1×3 boards. Secure the boards together using glue and 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws. Attach the 1×3 pieces to the sides of the 1×6 boards using glue and 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws.

Thoroughly sand the boards starting with 80 grit, moving to 120 grit, and finishing with 220 grit. Before I stained the boards, I marked the position for the mounting holes of my light fixture on the back side. I drilled the holes about 1/4″ deep using the 1″ Forstner bit. I used the 3/8″ bit to drill a hole in the center of the holes made by the Forstner bit. The holes are now countersunk to accommodate the nuts when mounting the light fixture. I also drilled a 3/8″ hole in between the countersunk holes to allow for the lamp cord.

I stained the piece with a dark brown stain first and let it dry, then continued with a weathered grey stain. I sealed the boards with three coats of polyurethane.

Once the boards were dry, I mounted the light fixture using 2-1/2″ long lamp pipe with light fixture braces. The pipe went through the countersunk holes I drilled with the Forstner bit and were secured with a nut on the back. The light fixture you use will probably mount to the boards in a different way. Please feel free to contact me and I will walk you through the steps to mount the fixture to the boards!

I wired this light fixture to use a plug and wrote a post on how to rewire a light fixture to use a plug.

The fixture was positioned over the lamp pipe pieces and secured with rosettes and caps that are original to the fixture.

I installed the metal cleat on the back of the boards according to the manufacturer’s instructions. These cleats are great because they are small and hold a lot of weight!

I purchased new globes (which were expensive but worth it!) then attached them to the fixture, and I installed new LED bulbs.

Here are projects from the other participants in the Power Tool Challenge:

Any questions on how to make a wall mounted lighting piece? Leave a comment below or contact me at cher {at} designsbystudioc {dot} com! I am always glad to help!

Originally posted 2015-05-14 07:00:18.