plywood unit

Shown here are the curved elements of the plywood range. The curved members are made up of 4 layers of 4mm plywood epoxied together around two curved formers.

Stacking unit

With the side components all glued up and the locating holes drilled for the dowels. It was now time to apply the finish to all bar the outside elements of each piece. I chose to go with a hard burnishing oil with a dark wax finish over this as this would be the most appropriate for the type of timber and the durability of the piece.

With all the interior components now finished it was time to do the final glue ups for each piece.

Receving the plywood prints

The moment of truth for the second of the multifunction themed projects has arrived with the plywood prints completed. I utilised the inkjet research facility at the School of Art’s Print media department for this task and am stoked with the results. I took inspiration for the images from a series of photographs i had taken at Floriade, Canberra’s annual flower show, in mid September.

construction of stacking unit

The above images show how i went about inserting the locating points for each join. Using the metal work lathe and a couple of cradling jigs i had constructed i was able to access the same reference points to have a consistent dowel locating system.

Once the locating points had been completed i was then able to do the glue ups for all the side members. This was made easier with the jig constructed earlier to position each side pieces at the correct shoulder height while under clamping pressure.

The making of the Winsor chair pt1

Building of the green wood Winsor Chair 2nd yr design arts degree, 2007.

The timber is delivered and rough sawn with the chainsaw. The process that follows would prove to be one of the most enlightening experiences in the wood furniture genre.

Shaping of the seat base from campher laurel and using the pole lathe to shape stock for legs and rails.

Once the legs and rails are turned you then rapid dry the tenon sections of these components in hot sand. this enables you to shrink the tenons which when placed into the mortice will draw moisture from inside the mortice and expand the tenon, locking it tight. An amazing exponent of working with green wood. This process has been known and used for centuries. The rest of the process will follow…

Running repairs

As with the nature of timber i had alot of reverse grain sections in the American Walnut stock i had for this piece. This proved problematic as i had a limited amount of stock to work with and have been required use the majority of what i had. This meant i had areas of tear out through about eight of the elements needed for the sides of the larger bench unit. To counter this problem i created the jig shown in the image above which has a shallow curve to the top which, when used with a one to one router removes the torn grain section of the stock.

With the torn stock now removed i am left with the curve of the routing jig, i then cut and machined veneers form the limited remaining stock i had and glued this into the removed section of side pieces.

The successful result from the repair process.

Stacking/ nesting multifunction furniture

Shown above are the two smaller units in there nesting option. This element allows the pieces to be stored in the minimal of spaces and also allows for easier shipping and transport.

As a set of four this unit can be stacked to form a shelving unit. The slatted elements act on a practical level as a locator, however on an aesthetical level it offers a harmony between the individual elements to achieve a feeling of wholeness and continuity.

Another option for the five piece set is for a flat screen entertainment unit, with the bench piece providing the location for the flat screen and the shelving providing the storage. These elements can also be used as individual pieces as stools and tables if needed.

cardboard memories

As i await for mamterial to mount the fabric images i have assembled the unit so far. The outter shell has been veneered and doors and drawers temporarily mounted. I have also purchased stock for the feet from the Canberra Timber and Working with Wood Show. For this i have bought a small amount of Wenge, (for those unfamiliar with this timber it is a dark wood, similar in colour to ebony only alot cheaper.) The idea at this stage is for the feet to be 80mm high and a turned taper from approx 60mm to 25mm. This style of foot and the nature of the selected timber will hopefully provide the cabinet with a feeling of levitation as the grounding of the feet should disappear underneath the unit.

In construction i am leaning toward fixing threaded rod to the feet and installing threaded inserts into the base of the cabinet.

Stacking/nesting multi function furniture

The image shown above is of the many many sticks needed to create the stacking unit, and guess what, this is only about half of what is needed. The timber i have selected for this piece is American Walnut, a truly stunning timber when properly finished.

The construction of the side members shown here has been broken down into 20 x 20mm components which will then be bookmatched and glued back together. This serves several purposes, firstly it enables me to keep a greater continuity between the individual unit when they are stacked. and it also allows me to cut all the joinery individually which is a massive blessing as everything is set on a 4 degree rack with the cross rails meeting the sides on a 43 and 47 degree shouldered mitre. Let me just say the math was doing my head in.

Nesting/ multifunction stool and table

Shown above are some quick sketches to demonstrate the multifunction aspect to this piece i have mentioned briefly earlier. In the both these sketches the concept is for the user to purchase three pairs which can be locked together in the following ways:

- The first sketch showing the three larger of the pairs locking together to become one larger coffee table while the three smaller stools remain seperate to be used in and around the newly formed coffee table. An ideal way to gather socially whether eating a meal or playing a board game.

- The Second sketch demonstrates a lounge type arrangement where the three same size pieces are joined length ways creating two seats with a table in between and a book shelf type rack is created under the table.

These next pics are a half scale model of the proposed pair of stool/tables. From making these models the process has influenced the design of the final pieces, hence demonstrating the great importance of model making in my design process.