Wood Beam Light

[Draco]

While our house was being built, my wife came to me and said she had found THE light she wanted to go over the dining table. It was a wooden beam light and she thought I could probably build it. I told her to just buy it as I didn't have time. She asked if I wanted to know what it cost and I said no, just get it it. She rephrased it and said "You WANT to know what it costs. OK, how much? She said $3000. I said "I will get right to it".

I decided to make a smaller one to go in my office first as practice. It would have LED strip lights in it but other wise be the same.

I started out by routing out the top to hide the wiring and connection boxes.

[Draco]

I suck at wood working so had to use a circular saw to cut out the beveled slot for the lights. Had to dress it up with a grinder and sanding disc. Drilled a couple holes for the wires and hooked every thing up.

Metal work was simple bending of flat strap with home made rivet looking headed nails. Had to beat the metal with a ball peen for that old look.

[Draco]

I'll post the big light tomorrow.

[Smokeater]

Wayta go dude! Cool looking fo sho! Time to go shopping now with some of the money you saved!

[Big_gun]

nice build

[Draco]

Wayta go dude! Cool looking fo sho! Time to go shopping now with some of the money you saved!

That was just the small one for practice. Now on to the big one for over the dining table.

I started by cutting down an old dead cedar here on our new place. I got the same guy that did the first light to mill this one to shape. I borrowed a friend's 5" hole saw and drilled the hoes for the reflectors first. Then routed out the top for the wiring and figured out a way to hold the reflectors in place. A finish of boiled linseed oil and I was ready to do the strapping to hold it to the tubing.

[Draco]

When it finally came time to hang it, the electricians wouldn't do it. My wife and I had to hang it our selves. Probably just as well as they didn't seem that bright and would probably have screwed it up.

[Calrob]

Thats pretty nice! Why wouldnt the electricians hang it?

[mev002]

Looks great!

[Smokeater]

Super nice Draco! Electricians just scared of the weight and not want to do the work needed to hang it safely or figured they could just move on to the next gig for easier money? Either way, dang nice work!

[ThisLadyHunts]

Great work, sir, and a beautiful outcome.

All told, how much would you estimate you have in it? What kind of wood did you use?

[Draco]

Great work, sir, and a beautiful outcome.

All told, how much would you estimate you have in it? What kind of wood did you use?

I cut the cedar on my place so no cost there but it cost $20 to have it cut into a beam. The 4 lights came from Amazon and were $17 a piece so $68 there. The tubing is EMT and was about $13 for a 10' stick. I had the flat strap for the bands as I'm a retired metal fab shop owner. It is hung from fan bases that were about $15. The fan bases make it easier to hang from a sloped ceiling and have room for the wiring connections. So about a $150 would be close. It came out very close to the one on ETSY that my wife wanted but I think better looking as it had chains and you could see the wiring and this one has the tubes and no wires showing. It was $3000.

[ThisLadyHunts]

I cut the cedar on my place so no cost there but it cost $20 to have it cut into a beam. The 4 lights came from Amazon and were $17 a piece so $68 there. The tubing is EMT and was about $13 for a 10' stick. I had the flat strap for the bands as I'm a retired metal fab shop owner. It is hung from fan bases that were about $15. The fan bases make it easier to hang from a sloped ceiling and have room for the wiring connections. So about a $150 would be close. It came out very close to the one on ETSY that my wife wanted but I think better looking as it had chains and you could see the wiring and this one has the tubes and no wires showing. It was $3000.

So cool!

[Travis Deveney]

Looks great!

[Texas Grown]

That's pretty kick-n, Bob! Love the rustic look too.