Lighthouse Build Ideas?

[Jim M.]

Mike,
A couple years back I was going through a Habitat ReStore and saw these 5' wooden columns that were round, tapered and hollow. I was looking at them wondering what I could do with them, so for 10 bucks for the pair I grabbed them. A couple weeks later my wife wanted a lighthouse for the yard, these things were perfect for the main body, I just cut a foot from the bottom and top then added bases and the top pieces. I wish I had a photo to share, but I'm really bad at that.

 

[Flute Maker]

Dave I may take you up on that.(My tablesaw is one of the Delta combination drill press,jointer and tablesaw.The saw does work I just havent used it since I brought it home.Blade probably needs changing.

 

[Flute Maker]

Jim I think I will swing by our Habitat and just see what I might find.

 

[TENdriver]

Mike,
A couple years back I was going through a Habitat ReStore and saw these 5' wooden columns that were round, tapered and hollow. I was looking at them wondering what I could do with them, so for 10 bucks for the pair I grabbed them. A couple weeks later my wife wanted a lighthouse for the yard, these things were perfect for the main body, I just cut a foot from the bottom and top then added bases and the top pieces. I wish I had a photo to share, but I'm really bad at that.

Wow! That’s a great idea.

Ironically, our local Habitat also has had some of those columns but never knew how to use them.

 

[Berta]

The Winfield collection has the plans for under $10. I tried to post the picture. Site Problems.

I got the picture to post. There are 10 different lighthouse plans plus the the hardware for the light.

 

[TENdriver]

Mike, I lifted this from a 2006 NCWW post.

http://www.lhdigest.com/digest/Photopage.cfm?Photo=6034

You probably won’t want to show it to your neighbor.

 

[Flute Maker]

Oh my thats nice but I ain't building that

 

[bowman]

Mike, I lifted this from a 2006 NCWW post.

http://www.lhdigest.com/digest/Photopage.cfm?Photo=6034

You probably won’t want to show it to your neighbor.

Going to need a bigger lathe!!

 

[junquecol]

Going to need a bigger lathe!!

Don't use a lathe. Instead, build a box with an open top, the top side of which is tapered to match light house body, and large enough for body to go in. Build up column, eight sided as mentioned. Insert, or build plug in each end. Find the center as for turning on lathe. Drill a hole in each end, the size needed to thread a hanger bolt in.Thread a hanger bolt into previously drilled holes. On your box, drill hole large enough for hanger bolts to turn freely. Holes need to be same height from bottom of the box. Assemble box, with body supported between the ends of box by hanger bolts. Add a crank handle to one end. This could be a pair of jamb nuts. With a socket attached to a drill, use drill to turn glued up body. On tapered side of box, use a router with a straight cutting bit to round up body as drill rotates it. The router base will need an alignment block on bottom that fits between sides of box, to keep router centered. Turn drill on slow speed, and route column round.