X + O + S
Adventures of “Billy the Architect” in his Design Laboratory
X + O + S
For the past ??? years since “Billy the Architect” was in grad school he has been experimenting with some furniture design pieces using plywood. The first piece was a drawing table made with a single sheet of 4′ x 8′ plywood. One end with a parallel bar used back in the day for pencil rendered architectural drawings. The other end reserved for building architectural models and spreading materials out. I’ve always used a 4′ x 8′ sheet of plywood for my work tables since then. To keep the 3/4″ piece of plywood stiff and flat I would glue and screw a exoskeletal (XOS) wood structure on the bottom of the board using a piece of thin wood similar to “strongback” in boat building or a “stinger” in a surfboard. This would provided longitudinal and lateral support for the sheet of plywood. This concept was used for tables, shelving and chair designs over the years.
Currently I’m working on a platform bed design using the same principle with a large single sheet of Baltic Birch plywood 5′ x 10′. The bed platform will be 5′ wide and 8′ long with the remaining 2′ of extra material used for the “strongbacks” that will be glued and screwed to the bottom to stiffen the bed platform.
All my designer friends say it’s not going to work. My friends in the trades say it will work. I guess we will see! Follow the continuing saga of “Billy the Architect” as he designs and builds his most current piece.
Check out my friends work:
Jim Adamson The Jersey Devil
David D’Imperio Lighting Design and other stuff
Pedro Milan Art Craft Cabinets: 786-704-7056
Recent Comments