Bent Plywood

[SketchUp Guru]

The other day I was poking around on one of the design blogs I like to follow and they showed a small stand made out of sheet metal. It is designed to hold a computer bag or similar. I thought it might be interesting to do something similar in wood and I was looking for a practice SketchUp project anyway. (Someday, I swear, I'm going to master it. Hasn't happened yet, though.)



So let's make the top part out of a few layers of bending ply and veneer the outside faces. 6-8mm thick. The legs are 12mm thick Baltic Birch. How would you attach the top to the legs with no visible fasteners? My thought is to use a couple of dowels, one on each surface and kind of snap the top into place on them.

What's your approach?

By the way, I'm not sold on the feet or the arch on the stretcher. They were just put in for the idea.

 

[barkwindjammer]

Neat project Dave, looks very comfy with the 'spinal' cut outs, ergonomic, kinda like the way modern bicycle saddles have that 'coxyx' cut out.
Looking at the drawing there seems to be lots of support on the leg panel, I'd just attach cleats to the underside of the seat to stop the seat top from sliding side to side ?

 

[SketchUp Guru]

Thanks BWJ. It's actually not intended for sitting on. It's to put a computer bag on.

I was hoping to figure out an attachment that's entirely invisible.

 

[JasonMuteham]

I'd make a feature of the dowels.........

What radius are you bending the ply? It looks quite tight.

 

[SketchUp Guru]

That's a very nice piece.

I don't remember the radius but I figure with thin bending ply, it'll make the bend.

Maybe the dowels should be a feature. i just thought I'd see if I could manage without.

 

[JasonMuteham]

Thank you.

That piece is made of 5 layers of 1.5mm ply sandwiched between veneer. The radius is 44mm, 1.5mm will bend to a 40mm radius. 0.8mm ply will bend to 15mm radius, obviously you would need more layers to build up the thickness with 0.8mm ply.

 

[Shultzy]

Dave, the problem with dowels is that you would have to put them in all at the same angle so that you can "slide" the seat on to them. Better to use biscuits or a loose tenon.

 

[SketchUp Guru]

Biscuits could be good. I was thinking that the bent piece could be flexed enough to sort of snap over very short dowels. I don't know that it would work for sure but as thin as the bent part is, the dowels couldn't be very long.

 

[Shultzy]

but as thin as the bent part is, the dowels couldn't be very long.

That's why I suggested biscuits or a loose tenon as they would give more bearing /gluing surface.

 

[SketchUp Guru]

It's a good idea.

 

[mailee]

May sound silly and I am not sure how much weight it will need to take but could you use sliding dovetails on the legs into the seat base?It would mean cutting a pocket to start the joint. Just a thought as it wouldn't take a lot of weight.

 

[RogerBoyle]

May sound silly and I am not sure how much weight it will need to take but could you use sliding dovetails on the legs into the seat base?It would mean cutting a pocket to start the joint. Just a thought as it wouldn't take a lot of weight.

Got to admit when i read this thread in the early hours the first thought i had was a stopped sliding dovetail
Now that I've slept on it i still think it would work granted a bit more work than dowelling or using biscuits but would be a stronger joint

Roger

 

[SketchUp Guru]

You may be right about the sliding dovetail thing although they'd be quite small and shallow. Maybe like this?



Sliding dovetail on the back and a tenon on the bottom. both held short of the curves.



Then, on the underside of the top, the dovetail socket runs out the bottom and there's a mortise for the tenon.

 

[RogerBoyle]

Yes
As long as its kept away from the bend it should work nicely

LOL you make it in sketch up faster than i could draw it freehand :mrgreen: =D> =D>

Roger

 

[SketchUp Guru]

Once the basic sketch is made in SketchUp, the modifications are quick and easy. And you don't have to redraw the entire thing.