Adjustable Modular Furniture

This is a piece of furniture that can be bent like a snake and is screwed solid with nuts. You can create lots of different tables and chairs. I will make 8 sections but you can choose to make as many sections as you want. You can always add sections later.

Step 1 Materials to make 8 sections

• 32 - 1 foot sections of 2x4
• 9 - 15" sections of threaded rod ( I used 5/16" rod )
• 18 - grade 8 nuts (size of rod)
• 100 - 1 1/4" outer size fender washers (size of rod)
• 300 in² - 60gt sandpaper
• Wood Stain
• Glue

Comments

[hbueso]

This is actually an excellent idea. And it also gives you inspiration to create more variations of this, hmmm!!

[tdawber-mandeno]

its not hex its a octogon

[gamemasterful]

Might try this idea with cardboard instead of lumber.

[pleszmc]

if you were making a box or a chair or a table with this, how would i support its self? it looks like it would sag at the bend points (not the corners, the're fine)

[fspatz]

really great idea! i think IKEA (swedish furniture factory) will copy this ;-)

[Derin]

By grade 8,do you mean M8 nuts?

[gossumx]

http://www.boltdepot.com/fastener-information/materials-and-grades/bolt-grade-chart.aspx

[Apple_4_life]

ok, now THAT is effing amazing

[shabagana]

This is awesome!! 5 stars

[Pyr0technician]

Yeah, and IMO it looks nice enough to sit in the house as well, like he has it in his room. Great idea!

[frazeeg]

A chisel would probably be faster and give you more accurate results. A nice sharp blade would cut through that pine like butter without over-rounding the right angle there.

[theRIAA]

I tried a chisel first, this way was about 10 times faster, and I was in a rush.

[dunnos]

i like it :) but me not have the patience for it

[afatflatcat]

This idea actually has potential. Show it to like Ikea or some lawn furniture place. Youll be rich in like a week.

[camp6ell]

i love the technique for making the sandpaper washers. i can see that being parlayed into other things. thanks.

[Pkranger88]

So are you actually using it as modular furniture or as a conversational starter? Also, to avoid the issue with the nuts, you could recess the nuts using a forstner bit. Also, you don't need grade 8 nuts. You bought standard threaded rod, right? I believe that stuff is only grade 3 or grade 5 at best if you got it from a box store like Lowe's or Home Depot. I think the ingenuity is great though. It would be cool if you incorporated a cross member with preset holes in it that would align the furniture for different positions enabling "quick change" style adjustments. Good luck.

[soapbox derby car]

is it too much to ask for both? why not sit on it and then talk about it? -the best DIY functions for a purpose, but also is intriguing to talk about, would you agree?

[Pkranger88]

Nope, I was just asking. I was hoping he was actually using it. As for the best DIY... I would say function, reliability and servicability are the 3 most important aspects of any design. Then we can get into "intriguing to talk about." But I'm a design guy. But I can say I agree.

[theRIAA]

also grade 8 nuts will make it stronger. If i use grade 5 rods and nuts, the nuts will be the weakest link, they will always strip out before the rod. Using grade 8 nuts will give a slight increase in strength but will strip the rod when too tight. I'm tightening these things down a lot.

[theRIAA]

I used grade 8 so they wouldn't strip on the outside (if i got lazy and used pliers). I actually would ideally like to have the nuts strip before the rod, but I also liked the zinc color, so I went with grade 8. I will be using it in a apartment in college and will probably change it's shape a couple times so it fits where I want it, or to change it's purpose. I wish I had this thing in my dorm last year :P

[Kristell]

no..if you had this in you dorm room..i wouldve taken it for myself =P

[baggot]

The weak link is the threaded rod. it will snap before the threads will strip. Unless you cross threaded ;-). Nice chair I would use something along the lines of a quick release setup from a bike wheel to tighten the diff positions. Nice

[Pkranger88]

Correct, the weak link is the threaded rod, which is much more expensive than the nut. Another (stronger) option would be to use solid rod and use a die, preferably a roll form die, rather than a cutting die to create the threads. Then you can buy just about any grade of steel you want. I would probably go with a stainless rod. Cross section area of the rod is the critical part. A 5/16th rod has a minor cross section diameter of about 0.24 in. If you were to use a solid 5/16 rod you get the full .3125. Does is really matter? Yep. The solid rod can withstand 69% more shear force and axial load. Which means that if a 200 lb person would bend the 5/16th threaded rod, it would take a 337 pounder to bend the solid rod. I personally have had many experiences where a threaded rod bent and even broke.

[theRIAA]

that's a great idea, although 18 bike quick releases is out of my price range...maybe i could make them... but anyways, I've experienced a lot of striped threads on nuts in my life, but have never had a threaded rod snap on me, so i went with this. You don't have to use grade 8.

[sallost]

I love this idea. This summer I'm going to try this for sure! Just 1 question: How long do you thing the sandpaper washers hold until you need to replace then. Thanks

[theRIAA]

I think they will last very long, If you only adjust the thing into a different shape maybe twice a year, I don't see why it wouldn't last a lifetime. I'm more worried about the washers sanding down the wood so much that the cracks touch and the washers are just inside the wood with no friction.

[arashiodori]

Perhaps you could use soft washers, and use the nuts to 'squeeze' the construct in place when the desired position is achieved? Should last longer. ;P

[theRIAA]

you mean rubber washers? That might work but idk if it would hold as much weight as these sandpaper washers. Friction is critical if you're going to be sitting on it. are rubber washers expensive? humm idk...

[arashiodori]

Well, I tried it in the past with my DnT(Aka Workshop period) project, and I cracked the 2 'main' wood (Resembles White Oak visually, forgot the actual species) itself (The wood was slightly thinner than the ones you used) while testing for the structure. Worthless experiment yes, since I had to use a clamp to actually gather enough force to break it, but the wood was free. :P So yes, Rubber washers take quite some punishment.

[theRIAA]

hummmmmmmm

[blckpythn]

the "hex" has 8 sides...

[theRIAA]

I'm still surprised no ones called me out on the toddler-sized mini bar...

[theRIAA]

well maybe it's just an ironic nickname...

[Tape-structable]

Should be an octagon. ;P

[Crucio]

Fantastic result. What color stain is that?

[theRIAA]

black walnut danish oil. I wish it was easier to buy pure black wood stain... I was gonna cover it in poly too but i felt lazy nearing the end there.

[imrobot]

will this work with your cardboard lumber? and how do i keep the cardboard from rotting outside?

[theRIAA]

It might if you use 100 or so overlapping 2" strips of cardboard (instead of 8 wood sections coming together like I do) do not laminate the cardboard together, it will not be strong enough for this design. This design takes cheap studs to their limits. You could make the cardboard somewhat weatherproof by drenching it in clear polyurethane.

[Kristell]

how much does it cost for all the materials? ..and of course i get to use your new shop smith :D

[theRIAA]

About $3.50. More than you can afford.