The Twin Sisters - Texas Style Table Lamps

deepcreek

Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2009
Messages
1,000
The Texas Furniture Makers Show opened this week and runs through mid-December at the Kerr Arts & Cultural Center.  This is our sixth year to have a piece selected for the exhibition.

[attachimg=1]
 

Attachments

  • Twin Sisters 01.jpg
    Twin Sisters 01.jpg
    1.3 MB · Views: 1,221
  • Twin Sisters 03.jpg
    Twin Sisters 03.jpg
    1 MB · Views: 240
  • Twin Sisters 04.jpg
    Twin Sisters 04.jpg
    697.2 KB · Views: 239
  • Twin Sisters 05.jpg
    Twin Sisters 05.jpg
    1.2 MB · Views: 218
  • Twin Sisters 07.jpg
    Twin Sisters 07.jpg
    1.1 MB · Views: 237
  • Twin Sisters 08.jpg
    Twin Sisters 08.jpg
    1.6 MB · Views: 262
“The Twin Sisters”
(Texas Style)

These matching table lamps honor the legendary pair of cannons that helped the Republic of Texas win its independence from Mexico.  Donated by the citizens of Ohio, the Twin Sisters fired the opening salvo at the Battle of San Jacinto.

The lamps prominently feature Texas Mesquite including an amazing specimen interwoven with holes left by beetle larvae.  The Mesquite is further accented with Hard Maple and genuine Gaboon Ebony inlays.  Appropriately, the Mesquite finials atop the lamps are artfully shaped as cannon balls launching from a muzzle.

Steel elements are hand hammered and carefully patinated to resemble vintage forging.  The faux rawhide shades are crafted with suede stitching, silver plated conchos, and decorative leather rosettes providing a decidedly distinctive western flair.

The lamps are wired with high quality UL listed components including a heavy duty brass 3-way socket (rated 250w 250v) and a braided fabric covered copper wire cord.  The bulbs are energy efficient 3-way LED (40/60/100w equivalent) with a 2700k warm white color.

The wood elements are finished with a European hardwax oil and hand rubbed to a velvet sheen.  The steel patina is sealed and protected with satin nitrocellulose lacquer.

These one-of-a-kind heirloom quality luminaires were produced with meticulous attention to detail using the finest components available to create stunning works of functional art suitable for any setting.

They each measure 35" Tall by 18" Diameter.
 
Nice job Joe...I like the small details you include in all of your projects.  [big grin]

Love the electrical cord...just perfect for this project.

Did the Twin Sisters have names or was it just cannon 1 & cannon 2?
 
Cheese said:
Nice job Joe...I like the small details you include in all of your projects.  [big grin]

Love the electrical cord...just perfect for this project.

Did the Twin Sisters have names or was it just cannon 1 & cannon 2?

Thank you for the kind words.  The great furniture designer, Michael Fortune, once judged one of our pieces (All Hat, No Cattle) and noted that we attend to every detail.

We specifically selected the cords to complement the lamps.  Everything matters.

There is a lot of mystery surrounding these cannons and their final fate is unknown.  Here is a link to the official State history.
https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/twin-sisters
 
deepcreek said:
Thank you for the kind words.  The great furniture designer, Michael Fortune, once judged one of our pieces (All Hat, No Cattle) and noted that we attend to every detail.

We specifically selected the cords to complement the lamps.  Everything matters.

There is a lot of mystery surrounding these cannons and their final fate is unknown.  Here is a link to the official State history.
https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/twin-sisters

Thanks for the Twin Sisters link.  [big grin]  There's a lot of history involved with the "Twins", too bad they aren't still around.  [sad]

I thought this was interesting,
"According to family tradition, the cannons received the name "Twin Sisters" at Brazoria from the twin daughters of Dr. Charles Rice who by coincidence were on board the Pennsylvania when it arrived in Texas."
 
Hand hammered & antiqued steel.

[attachimg=1]
 

Attachments

  • Hammered Steel 03.jpg
    Hammered Steel 03.jpg
    1.5 MB · Views: 256
  • Hammered Steel 02.jpg
    Hammered Steel 02.jpg
    1 MB · Views: 239
  • Hammered Steel 01.jpg
    Hammered Steel 01.jpg
    1.6 MB · Views: 869
Interesting work Joe...a ball peen and an anvil.  [big grin]. Food for thought.

Thanks for the Jax steel blackening tip. Will it still rust if it's not clear coated?

I have this vise that I'd like to blacken and provide a little more rust protection to.

[attachimg=1]
 

Attachments

  • 7714.jpg
    7714.jpg
    922.2 KB · Views: 873
Cheese said:
Interesting work Joe...a ball peen and an anvil.  [big grin]. Food for thought.

Thanks for the Jax steel blackening tip. Will it still rust if it's not clear coated?

I have this vise that I'd like to blacken and provide a little more rust protection to.

[attachimg=1]

[member=44099]Cheese[/member] They recommend either wax or a clear coat to seal the patina.  It can be left "natural" but it will rust.  If you have questions, contact Anthony at JAX.  He knows his stuff and was very helpful with application advice.
 
deepcreek said:
[member=44099]Cheese[/member] They recommend either wax or a clear coat to seal the patina.  It can be left "natural" but it will rust.  If you have questions, contact Anthony at JAX.  He knows his stuff and was very helpful with application advice.

Thanks Joe [member=6237]deepcreek[/member] ...I'll give Anthony a call.  [smile]
 
As they say, it's all in the details.

There were barely any holes showing when I started.  Just little spots of worm castings or sawdust that I removed to reveal their handiwork.

[attachimg=1]
 

Attachments

  • All in the Details 01.jpg
    All in the Details 01.jpg
    1.2 MB · Views: 766
  • All in the Details 02.jpg
    All in the Details 02.jpg
    620.3 KB · Views: 221
  • All in the Details 03.jpg
    All in the Details 03.jpg
    1 MB · Views: 235
We won our category.  Best Texas Style.

[attachimg=1]
 

Attachments

  • Best Texas Style Ribbon.jpg
    Best Texas Style Ribbon.jpg
    678.5 KB · Views: 736
Well deserved guys. I love the stitching on the shades.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Back
Top