We became interested in the concept of creating a lamp from a laminated (glued up) stack of wood from our work making bandsaw boxes in this fashion. But then we realized a few drawbacks. First, if we laminated a stack of wood, most of the beautiful grain would be hidden away and we'd have nothing but end grain to look at. Second, we were hoping to achieve a more sculptural effect by having the layers 'undulate', rather than remain directly aligned top to bottom. Finally, and most importantly, it wouldn't make for much of a lamp if there were only one small opening for light at the very top. So, we selected a variety of woods and designed the shape of each ring, or slice, one at a time to relate to those next to it, offsetting each layer back and forth as we went. We then cut out the centers of each slice, and offset them one on top of the other via a series of wood dowels. In this way, all of the wood grains remain exposed and light shines through at every level. Finally, we placed the structure onto a thick pedestal to add more height and sculptural effect.

For visual interest, we used a variety of woods for this project, including tulip poplar, white oak, Osage orange, black walnut and curly maple. We added a splash of color to the two oak slices with a wash of silver-blue acrylic paint. Finally, the entire piece was finished with a hand rubbed oil and urethane finish.

This lamp measures X. X X. And would make a nice accent lighting addition to and end table, console table, desk or nightstand. It includes a cool 'Edison' style bulb and a six foot cord with an in-line switch.