CARPEntryDIEM: deconstructed futon frame

2012/04/20

Corner Bookcase is here

The twelve slats from the futon frame are marked for layout and assembly.

After using the six odd boards from the reclaimed futon frame for my personal experiment, it's time to move on to the production piece.

The twelve members to the right are used to assemble the newly designed corner bookcase.

Each of the twelve remaining boards measures 51-3/8 x 2-1/2 x 3/4 (inches).

Four members compose the basic frame for each half of the corner bookcase.

Two similar panels are constructed as above, and interlocked below.

The two basic panels are blocked out together to rest for square and fit.

The back half of each shelf is then attached.

The detail shows how the panels interlock after the final two members are added to each panel.

This detail shows how the two pieces of the frame interlock.

The Corner Bookcase via the sawdust filter...

The connection is made with dowels so that the case can be split apart and transported.

The first bookcase, made from the six odd-sized members, illustrates the idea of giving objects plenty of space within the shelves.

If you give the objects enough space, as above, there will also be room to hang small art pieces within and around the two frames. I will move the Corner Bookcase into Hip Thrift tomorrow, so look for the update.

] j [

2012/04/19

A Very Lightweight Bookcase: Rough Design

Against the near wall in my workshop are 18 boards reclaimed years ago in Brooklyn from a broken futon frame. It sure did take a long time for this bastard wood to tell me what it wanted to be: a complete departure from my previous pair of bookcases.

leaning against a wall of my workshop are 18 boards reclaimed from a broken futon frame. The nearest 6 boards were used to build a functional rough design.

Using only the four short and two long boards, I set myself to the task of making an experimental bookcase for my own use.

This model is low and long and close to the ground, well suited to my "Spartan living style" (as described by motorcycle fabricator Norm Plombe).

The rough design is finished and placed, without books.

The shelves are rather narrow and bouncy, and the bottom "shelf" is the floor itself. These factors make the prototype unsuitable for mainstream consumption, but perfect for my meager needs and open spaces.

Here, the finished rough design is shown filled with most of my book collection, down to less than 20% of its prior typical size . . .

Using the remaining twelve regular boards, the upcoming shelf will more than double the weight of my experiment. It will also measure twice as tall and nearly twice as long, gaining stability by wrapping completely around the corner. After framing it I will decide on the use of backing, which would bring another material element into play. I hope instead that my design can allow the bookcase to fit snugly against the wall.

] j [