How Would You Make This? (Photo Included)

[MooreToolsPlease]

Morning all,

I'm just in the middle of pricing up some work for an existing customer, mainly joinery, and also the 4 bar stools as shown here:

He wants them made as close to this pic as possible, and wants them to meet up neatly, and look like a panel for the breakfast bar.
Usually, I would make it as a frame work, with mortices and tenons, with panels rebated into them. This option is out for this design, as the cuatomer wants the continuous grain run.
The only option I can come up with so far is to make it out of mdf, and then have it veneered afterwards.
The only part of this that I'm concerned about is the corners. If the glue hasnt properly taken, its liable to peel up etc
I've never done any veneering before, and I will pass that aspect onto someone else if it comes up, but I just wondered a couple of things:
Is it possible to veneer something like this? and are there any other methods of construction that I've forgotten.

Thanks

Matt

 

[wizer]

I don't see any reason why you couldn't use veneered mdf with mitred corners so that the grain runs left to right. Quite a neat idea really.

 

[woodbloke]

I don't see any reason why you couldn't use veneered mdf with mitred corners so that the grain runs left to right. Quite a neat idea really.

I've seen stuff done like this in the trade and it does work well but unless the set up to produce the long mitre is absolutely spot on (in other words no gaps when the mitres come together) it's quite difficult to do. The way I saw it done was straight off a panel saw...a very expensive panel saw :shock: My K419 is nowhere near accurate enough to do this sort of stuff so I guess the other option would be to use a router with a 45deg cutter, and then biscuits in the mitres to hold it all together - Rob

 

[wizer]

Yes, I wouldn't want to do it myself. I think I'd go for solid wood corner posts. But that's not what the client wants.

 

[Karl]

Rob - you could make yourself a big shooting board and use that long woodie of yours on it :lol:

Personally I think the best way (assuming a lack of high quality panel saw) would be to use a V cutter in a router with a straight edge, so that the point of the cutter just broke through the other face of the board. Re-inforce with biscuits.

Cheers

Karl

 

[CNC Paul]

Matt,
The last thing I would make chairs or bar stools from is veneered MDF, out of any furniture chairs take the most abuse. with a veneered mitre they are extremely delicate as you are unable to put an arris on the edges, without a better view of the actual chair I would make them from solid.
When the chairs start to deteriorate the customer will be on to you.

How do you intend to pull out the middle bar stools ?



Paul

 

[woodbloke]

Rob - you could make yourself a big shooting board and use that long woodie of yours on it :lol:

Karl

:lol: :lol: - Rob

 

[Racers]

Hi,

Lock miter cutter for the sides and it you where veneering them you could rebate a small piece of solid along the corners first. Its not the sort of job I would like to do.


Pete

 

[OllyK]

I'd still be inclined to go a frame type route and then cover the backs of the chairs, top to bottom with the panel cut in to sections, the panel only' needs to be a few mm thick as it's providing finish rather than structure.

 

[Derek Willis.]

You could mitre the corners with a Lockmitre cutter, but, pack out your fence 6to9mm. to reduce the inital cut as it can be a bit viscious.
I have used this joint on two similar projects in the past with a great deal of success.
Derek.

 

[Derek Willis.]

You could mitre the corners with a Lockmitre cutter, but, pack out your fence 6to9mm. to reduce the inital cut as it can be a bit viscious.
I have used this joint on two similar projects in the past with a great deal of success.
Derek.

 

[OPJ]

I was gonna suggest using a router with a 45º chamfer cutter against a straightedge but, a mitre-lock cutter would probably be even better (you wouldn't have to worry about biscuits joints).

 

[Ironballs]

If I were you I'd PM Dan T and offer him some beer tokens. I'd certainly weigh up the options with risks and costs and then present it back to the customer as a choice, they are then taking the risk/choice and if you have explained it properly then there should be no come back if the pieces deteriorate

 

[Oryxdesign]

There has been loads of good post about this but, just to go over some points again.
I would be concerned about the wear and tear on veneered mdf, you could minimise this by making all the vunerable corners and edges in solid wood.
I doubt you would need a structural frame but it wouldn't hurt.
On the design point of view: unless the floor is perfectly level and smooth the stools will wobble: along the length of the island if the floor isn't evel and smooth the stools will sit at slightly different angles which will make the gaps look uneven and the stools out of alignment, this problem may be compounded because the gap to the worktop needs to be spot on to give that crisp look.
If you are in control of all these parameters you may decide to go ahead as planned but perhaps you could manage the risks with some design tweeks, such as putting a small (maybe 10mm foot detail) under each corner and increasing the gap under the work surface??
Trying to help, Simon

 

[Grinding One]

Somebody trying for a cheaper fix would say use a wallpaper type of roller.Paint the grain on,they make a roller to put different wood patterns on wood, then poly over it.

 

[matt]

Three suggestions:

1. Charge the client a lot of money to make them.
2. Make the back out of one large solid panel then cut in to panels for each stool.
3. (As already mentioned) - Beware the uneven floor etc. I'd be tempted to either include adjustable feet in a recess in the base (i.e. so they just protrude a small amount). Or, consider building a base in to the cabinet where the stools go so you have control over the space they sit in (although this could be a pain in use).

 

[MooreToolsPlease]

Thanks for all theposts so far on this,
The other work I am doing for the client is internal doors.
the only thing I have been asked to price for is the stools, all of the other parameters are out of my hands.
When I first saw the llustration, the first thign that came to my mind was for veneer, but have alway sbeen dubious about it, from the wear and tear front, and also with 2 young kids, care of the furniture is never going to be top of their priority list.
I'll have to discuss it with him to see what he is happy with