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Monday, April 25, 2011

A "well-rounded" project

So you want to build something round?  Well you've come to the right place.  You may recall a finish video I did some time back that featured a faux mahogany finish on some round tops.  Well I just got a second order in for some bridal pedestals, and figured I might as well record the process this time.  I seriously doubt anyone out there would actually want to build one of these, but it occurred to me that many of the elements of construction are actually pretty useful if you're ever doing curved or round aprons, or round table tops.  In this episode, I show you how I made the cylindrical bases for these platforms, including a neat sort of screw clamp trick I learned (just wished I'd figured this out for the first half dozen of these).  

Also, don't think I've forgotten about the tool chest project.  I am officially taking the summer off for any and all commission work, so there should be no more distractions.  Right after this mini-series, I'll jump right into what can only be described as "death by dovetails".  





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6 comments:

Vic Hubbard said...

Very cool, Rob! Thanks for FINALLY showing that! I need to find a source for the wiggle board. Are you getting it at a regular lumber supplier, or??

Jeff Branch said...

I've never seen wiggle board - interesting. I like your band clamp. Mine is a low tech version of that.

Rob Bois said...

I've found wiggle wood at a few different suppliers. My regular lumber dealer carries it, but it's a more finish-grade version than what I used in this project. The upside is it requires no final veneer, but the downside is it doesn't bend nearly as much. The stock I used for this project came from a marine plywood supplier in my area. I've also seen it stocked at local lumber yards as well (but not at the big box stores). It can also be called bending ply, or wacky wood (not sure if these are brand names or just different nick names).

Anonymous said...

Nice work Rob. The form and technique are great. The question I have is why did you make the base a hollow ring? I would think the form itself would have been a better solution as a platform base because of the additional support it could provide. Your base would be really cool if it were for a glass top table.

Rob Bois said...

Ah, you're already getting ahead of me in the series! As you'll see, the final base includes support from 2x6 lumber which essentially carries most of the weight. The base shell only needs to be strong enough to hold up to external abuse. That being said, the ring itself is nearly an inch thick and would likely perform fairly well on its own. However, I was commissioned to make these bases as strong as possible (withholding any comments about why that might be).

Tuxedo Cut Man said...

Thank you ffor sharing