Cardboard Lumber

Step 8 Cut!

I used a circular saw and a T-square to cut three even sides. I was pretty surprised with the firecracker-like sounds the cardboard made when i cut it.

Then I used a table saw to cut everything into 1.5" strips. I would highly recommend a partner to help you cut up the block. It's heavy and unwieldy.

Comments

[Almasy]

has anyone ever tried using a router to cut the cardboard? Just curious if the shape of the bit will hold or if it ends up looking like crap.

[biondosmith]

that looks really good - I bet if you laminated some thin wood veneer on this, you would have a product that you could finish just like oak but cost only a fraction. good work!

[dobeedobeedo]

Wouldn't it be simpler to just make the "lumber" to the size you want rather than these big sheets that then have to be cut to size? Just wondering since I'd like to do this but have very limited workspace (none of if outdoors) and no table saw.

[theRIAA]

you can cut and glue in any order you like. In college I cut up a bunch of one inch strips, then made a "C" mold out of boxes to me a chair mold, and glued them one by one. That worked great, but this process is easier and has greater possibility to look nicer.