Description

When designing handmade furniture, takegreatcare in locating a place(s) of rest. Then consider the manywaysyou can express the supporting vertical force. Thin,straightvertical lines create the strongest expression, but thisiscertainly not the only option. As a point of contrast,hidingvertical forces with horizontal lines can be quite effective.Inthe most successful design applications, a massive objectmayappear to float above the ground.

Can you imagine other ways to stabilize the 'stacktable'?Variations on resistance are as endless as the imagination.Acommon mistake in building diy bookshelves is to leave outbracing.If you just build a rectangular box with shelves suspendedbetweenthe sides, it only takes a light push to deform the box intoaparallelogram. A strong push creates enough momentum to flattentheshelves completely, regardless of the strength of the fasteners.Acommon way to resist lateral force is to put a sheet ofbackingacross the entire bookshelf, which also serves to preventobjectsfrom falling between the bookshelf and the wall. What if youwantedto see through a set of shelves and access it from bothsides?Little right triangles tacked on to each corner would do thetrick,or larger triangles at the four outside corners.

There are common sense approaches to assembling furniture.Alwaysbegin with a rough layout. The framework must be constructedfirst(in most cases). Bracing is applied after the structureisassembled, but before it becomes too rigid foradjustment.Finishing touches or cosmetic notions are usuallyapplied as lateas possible in the fabrication process. Finishes arenearly alwaysapplied last. These ideas should be applied to thedesign processin this order as well.

Don't just throw screws into a piece of furniture. Once youhavespent quality time on the design, design the placement offastenersas well. Especially if your design requires fasteners tobeexposed, they are a part of the expression of forces. Align themtoexpress vertical or horizontal lines, cluster them tocreatechunky, punched corners or spread them as thinly as possibleforbalance and elegance.

I discussed the choice of fasteners earlier, but if you areusingscrews with large heads you may opt to hide them as often asyoucan. If most of the structure can utilize hidden screws, it maybethat you can use finish nails on finished surfaces to maintainaclean look. Whenever you do use screws, drill pilot holes intotheoutside surface to ensure it does not crack. I prefer the pilotanda deep countersink. The pilot should be a loose-fit hole.Thethreads do not need to grip the outside material at all. Whenthethreads grip the deeper material, the head of the screw pullsthetwo pieces of wood tight.

Wood can be painted, stained, or left nude. For indoorfurniture,these choices rarely have practical implications butthere is a bigmovement against chemical finishes which produceoff-gas. Thesechemicals release unhealthy gases and particles intothe airthroughout the life of a piece of furniture. I prefer todesignheavily for wood grain and leave the wood nude. To protectthe woodI use a natural wax product, such as Butcher's Wax. Ofcourse thereare times when the wood at your disposal is simply notattractive.Textures, glazes and contact paper can be livelyalternatives tostaining or painting and you can design and buildyour ownfurniture