gbeeton

rwtrip: A datasheet for the touch sensor IC can be found here:
http://pdf1.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-pdf/view/251974/QUANTUM/QT102.html

The IC is only available in a surface-mount package and I don't have the skills or tools necessary to work with surface mount components. So I cheated a bit. I bought an evaluation boards for that chip and connected my electrode plate to its input and my relay circuit to its output.

Unfortunately since I first started this project it looks like Quantum Research have been bought out by a company called Atmel and it is not clear if the QT102 IC is still available. I bought my evaluation boards from Digikey and they currently show zero stock for both the eval board and the IC:

http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Cat=2622557&k=e102
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Cat=2556696&k=qt102

However you should be able to find something comparable by doing a search for "Touch Sensor" or "Capacitive Touch".

GEide, I have a sketch with dimensions that I can share. Let me know how I can send it to you.

Unfortunately I have no sketches of the joinery or construction details as I did most of that in my head.

Higher resolution images of the above photos can be found here:
http://gbeeton.shawwebspace.ca/

Thank you for your kind words. I have added a few more photos to help explain the construction technique. It is fairly basic frame-and-panel construction. The stiles are each mortised on two sides to accept the top, middle, and lower rails. The middle and lower rails, as well as the stiles, have dados cut to accept the four face panels. The middle rails also have another dado cut on the inside face to support the lamp-base panel.

The kumiko (aka lattice) is captured by mortises in the top and middle rails as well as the stiles. The kumiko is cut to just the right length to achieve the desired curvature.

The stiles have a rabbet cut on the inside corner to provide a gluing edge for the rice paper panels. The paper panels are also glued to the top and middle rails, as well as the kumiko. Rice glue was chosen for the rice paper panels because a) it will not discolour the paper, and b) it is water-soluble so that the panels can be sponged off and replaced if they become damaged.

I didn't want an obtrusive power switch compromising the aesthetics of the design. Nor did I want to use a switch on the power cord because it would have been impossible to have the power cord both hidden and readily accessible at the same time. My solution was to make one of the face panels a touch-sensitive switch. The "front" panel (the one with the diamond) is backed with a copper-clad circuit board that acts as the anode for touch-sensitive electronic circuitry. The electronics is based on the Quantum Research Group QT102 integrated circuit, which is used to drive a relay to do the power switching. The circuitry is mounted to the underside of the lamp-base panel.