Beginner Looking For Advice On Materials.

[ged47]

ive enclosed a picture of a piece of furniture I would like to recreate. I am a beginner and am at a loss as to what the timber is , is it posts, joists, beams ect? not sure where to look or source this material. the measurements overall are width 120cm , height 30cm and depth 40cm. any advice greatly received.

 

[owen]

They'll be 6 by 4s rough sawn that have been sanded a bit by the look of it. New sleepers would probably do the job..

 

[owen]

Or you could recreate it with 4x4 posts, but use three side by side instead of two

 

[marcros]

just lost a long post. I will retype some of it.

I made something not dissimilar from new oak "sleepers". They will move, so you need to be prepared for that. I just used a dowel and a generous hole to locate the parts, mainly so if knocked they wouldnt fall apart. I do intend and expect to disassemble them at some point and level out the parts- the side table that i have made about 6 months ago has a minor wobble- i hope to get through to spring/summer before doing it, when it will have had a few months of central heating.

I was trying to recreate old beams, so just knocked off the hard edges, gave it a rough planing and a sanding. tools used, hand plane, sander, chisel, mallet and a brace and bit. It is an easy enough project for a beginner- just think about movement. I repeat, they will move, and will crack. This is what I wanted.

Have a look at http://tarzantables.co.uk/oak-tv-tables/ for ideas. They used to show their special joint, which was 2 pieces of stainless steel routed in. This was so that there was no wood to wood contact.

 

[ged47]

thanks to all for there replies. what would be the best way to bring it all together? screws, bolts, dowels???

why will it move if secured? and what do you mean you made a generous hole to locate the parts?

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

he means that due to the moisture content of the wood. As wood dry's out over time (particularly when brought from outside into centrally heated indoor spaces) the moisture content changes, sometimes quite rapidly. This sets up tensions in the wood and frequently causes all sorts of problems including cracking, cupping, bowing and twisting and in some cases all of the above.

With rough sawn timber, especially sleepers, they're unlikely to be kiln dried and will therefore be very very wet. Once you've assembled them, they will continue to move, ruining your design. So you need to be working with timber that has a low enough moisture content (typically below 12% for indoor projects).

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

This BLOG written by a regular contributor here explains it a lot better than I could. Richard is a professional furniture maker by the way.

http://www.richardjonesfurniture.com/Ar ... fault.html

 

[woodfarmer]

You could assemble it by drilling holes with flat recesses on the outside. Then clamp them together using threaded bar, flat washers and nuts. Tighten them every 3-4 weeks, when you find they don't shrink any more for 2-3 months cover the nuts with plugs, then finish it as you wish.

It is the method I use for structures such as verandas, and porches.

hope that helps...

 

[ged47]

thanks for the advice, was size/length threaded rods should I be using ? and how do they work. Would timberLOK screws do the job?

 

[ged47]

What timber should I use for this project...would soft pine sleepers do the job.

 

[SlowSteve]

I would suggest that you use m8 threaded rod, with as large a washer as is practical to get.

Steve