Another example, a twisted tale.  The is a lattice table/plant stand that I made many years ago. Teak veneered plywood.  A quick and dirty project. It followed a series of explorations I did with lattice shapes and strategies for minimizing the material needed to make a table. You can see some water stains from dripping plants on the bottom strip connections. For a longer tale I've written this up and posted on my blog:  https://4dfurniture.blogspot.com/2022/04/lattice-table-little-twist.html.

 

4D

 

Quite unique and creative 4D. Lot of patience too tightening all the machine screws while keeping everything aligned. Perfect look for a plant stand.

Thanks GPDave. When I built it teak was available for a reasonable price and I had several board feet of it. I think the top was cut from the scraps left over from a student cabinet that used the teak veneered plywood. 

The screws weren't a challenge to line up as the holes for them were all equally spaced.  I assembled the lattice flat on a bench before pulling the ends together for the final row of screws.  I tightened all the screws after it was screwed (wood screws) into the sub top locking the geometry and cylinder size.

4D  

Sweet design!

Nice piece, Thanks for the lattice explaination

Now that right there is a cool design 4D, and I was blown away by the lazy susan feature

Thanks Cal.  It has been a few years since I had a plant on this table.  When I did, and set it near be south facing glass deck door, the plant would noticeably grow toward the sun between dawn and dusk. Each time I watered it I would rotate the top 180 degrees, and within a day or two the plant would be leaning back toward the sun. 

I sent the idea of motorizing the rotation to a youtuber who liked such challenges. Sorry but I can't remember his name right now.  He came up with a solution that rotated the top just a small amount each day. Put less stress on the plant apparently. 

4D

I would have posted a photo of another lattice plant stand I did, but it now resides with my ex wife.  Ex still has it and uses it.  Quarter sawn red oak lattice strips, with a Corian (Dupont solid surface) top.  The only piece of furniture other than the bedroom suite she had picked out and paid for that she took when she left. When Dupont came up with their solid surface products they gave samples to my university to see what our students could do with it. Most evidence of the projects we used it for has now disappeared, having not survived building remodels, student graduations, and new generations of administers and faculty.

 

Before I retire and get distracted with new adventures I'm revisiting past projects.  We gave our students in the final furniture class the assignment to design an heirloom. A piece of furniture that might be handed down to future generations. One that could survive and remain desirable and functional for 50 years or more. Students enjoyed the challenge, although many struggled to imagine themselves 50 years in the future. I still have most of the projects I made in college in the 80s. A few perished. Deservedly so for flaws I couldn't anticipate then but did learn from. A few survive in part as pieces of later projects. 

 

Then there are the wanderers.  Furniture I made for siblings or clients.  My siblings do tell of the life or death of whatever they had of mine. I've only had a few clues of what became of client projects.  I'm a little curious of and would like to hear tales of past projects that may have revisited you.  Anyone?

4D   

1 hour ago, 4DThinker said:

I'm a little curious of and would like to hear tales of past projects that may have revisited you.  Anyone?

When my brother got married, I made them a solid walnut “Butler’s Table” from the New Yankee Workshop plans. Later I learned they sold it at a yard sale and couldn’t believe how much someone paid for it. I couldn’t believe they sold it!

 

Of course there’s always the china closet fiasco!

Edited May 8, 20224 yr by lew

9 hours ago, lew said:

When my brother got married, I made them a solid walnut “Butler’s Table” from the New Yankee Workshop plans. Later I learned they sold it at a yard sale and couldn’t believe how much someone paid for it. I couldn’t believe they sold it!

 

Of course there’s always the china closet fiasco!

 

Well Lew, it may still become a family heirloom - just for a family different than originally built for.  Isn't that what happens with a lot (most) antiques?

11 hours ago, 4DThinker said:

I'm a little curious of and would like to hear tales of past projects that may have revisited you. 

 

I hope this topic takes off 4D.  My early projects were mostly outdoor furniture.  Most everything that I built for friends and family still remain in use, although some have not withstood the elements.  One of my earliest projects, an adirondak set, not sure what happened to one of the chairs - the second chair was destroyed by a large limb that fell on it earlier this spring.  The accompanying table just got repainted by SWMBO to go on a small patio with some store bought plastic chairs.

I've made a fair number of blanket chests for friends, family and clients.  To my knowledge they all remain in productive use

These highly modified Limbert tables will likely be my last pieces of furniture. Doubt that they will ever become classic antiques. More like the stuff nightmares are made of. But, the recipients will have humorous reminders of their grandpa's engineering skills.[insert sarcasm emoji] 

There have been a few furniture pieces to come out of the shop that are examples from my long and storied career...[another sarcasm emoji]. There's a few Morris chairs, Highboys, desks, rifle and, pistol cases and, assorted book cases that have survived. And, there's a few river style coffee tables still out there somewhere. 

I think...no, I'm POSITIVE... future projects will be small enough to be held in one hand. No more hefting 6/4 lumber or, 3/4 sheets of ply. Phyl's getting too old. 

 

 

Out door furniture is a big market.  Every cruise ship has decks full of outdoor furniture.  Every house with a patio or deck is a market for outdoor furniture.  I've only got one piece I made that was imagined for life outdoors but it never made it.  It still lives comfortably (but alone) in my basement family room. It is a folding lounge chair.  The original was made from red oak and won an award at the IWF Design Emphasis Student Furniture Competition in 1982. In those days we had 5 minutes to show/explain our entries to the panel of judges. I noticed another lounge chair from another college that was rosewood and ebony and leather and beautiful and would surely win the chair/seating category. As my design would fold up flat for easy carry and packaging I mentioned I'd made one from redwood to use as a deck chair in the summer and bring it in to use indoors the rest of the year.  That ended up giving the judges the idea of awarding my chair first place in the outdoor furniture category. 

But I hadn't really made one from redwood then. When I bought the house I'm in 22 years ago the rear redwood deck had to come down. I salvaged many of the redwood boards from it.  Remembering my white lie from the competition I made a copy of my folding lounge chair from redwood. Made from wood that came from a deck it is clearly a deck chair. 

4D 

3 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

future projects will be small enough to be held in one hand. No more hefting 6/4 lumber or, 3/4 sheets of ply. Phyl's getting too old. 

You may have envisioned the same future I've seen. My vision sees me making all sorts of projects, but all at 1/4 scale or 1/5 scale. 1/64th or 1/125th the material required. The secret future device which apparently you can buy at amazon.com then is a project enlarger.  A future version of a board stretcher. You place the model next to the device.  Enter the scale factor (4x or 5x) on the device and press the GO button.  Every household has one. Anything ordered or bought at local stores comes 1/4 or 1/5 scale. Save on shipping.  Saves on upfront costs.  Save on sales tax paid.  Once home the enlarger scales them up to full size using only the detritus and sawdust and smog particles around.  Cleans the air and your house each time you by a new thing.

4D 

Edited May 8, 20224 yr by 4DThinker

Don't know about all the turnings I have done but the furniture is still in use except the crib and my son still has it. All the Furniture was for the wife and she still wants (at least I think she does) a end table.

19 hours ago, 4DThinker said:

You may have envisioned the same future I've seen. My vision sees me making all sorts of projects, but all at 1/4 scale or 1/5 scale. 1/64th or 1/125th the material required. The secret future device which apparently you can buy at amazon.com then is a project enlarger.  A future version of a board stretcher. You place the model next to the device.  Enter the scale factor (4x or 5x) on the device and press the GO button.  Every household has one. Anything ordered or bought at local stores comes 1/4 or 1/5 scale. Save on shipping.  Saves on upfront costs.  Save on sales tax paid.  Once home the enlarger scales them up to full size using only the detritus and sawdust and smog particles around.  Cleans the air and your house each time you by a new thing.

4D 

 

Your envisioned future is already here 4D... and it's even better than you imagined!  In three forms!

Form 1 - comes flat by mail, or even electronically if you prefer.  Just add scrap pallets and glue/sawdust mix and watch your project come to life!!!

- we call such things "plans"

 

Form 2 - also comes flat, saves on shipping, etc.  We call this "Ikea", even better - no enlargement necessary

 

Form 3 - in all seriousness, more of the "press go" is the rapid advancement in 3D printing.  Not just do-dads, but houses and cars too:

https://www.3dsourced.com/rankings/best-3d-printed-car/

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/07/us/3d-printed-house-united-states-for-sale-trnd/index.html

 

You only slightly missed the problem but did provide 3 great answers Cal! Gene doesn't want to have to make or haul heavy projects or materials. He still enjoys making though.  I personally can't Ikea.  Something genetic perhaps.  I have a couple 3D printers but they take the fun out of making. I can make  or buy plans, but they alone aren't that useful.  You have to make the large thing described in the plans to enjoy it. The large thing and the heavy boards needed to make it are the things to avoid in this game. 

 

There are certainly a few thousand small things you can make from wood. Cutting boards, trivets, wine bottle/wine glass stand, little boxes, pens and a desk set with pen, clock bodies, etc.. I've noticed many Youtube woodworkers have their 10 favorite things to make and sell.  I often make scale models of my designs just to see them realized without a big investment in materials or time. I've even 3D printed some project models. Useful to study.  Not so useful to use.  Saves making a full sized prototype just to discover its fatal flaws.  I can throw away a 1/4 scale model with no guilt.  A waste to throw out a full sized flawed table or chair.  

4D

49 minutes ago, 4DThinker said:

There are certainly a few thousand small things you can make from wood. Cutting boards, trivets, wine bottle/wine glass stand, little boxes, pens and a desk set with pen, clock bodies, etc...

...and my personal favorite as well as quick to turn out on any given day....kindling + sawdust