Introduction: Adjustable Modular Furniture

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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

Step 2: Cut the Boards Into 8 Peices

I cut my 8' 2x4s into 11 3/4" pieces with a chop saw. Just try and pick a length that you want that uses your wood efficiently.

Step 3: Cut 3" in on Each Side

There's probably a better way to do this (like a band saw), but I set up a jig on my chop saw. You SHOULD cut slightly to one side to compensate for the blade thickness, but I will just fill in this gap with washers.

Note that the chop saw will not cut 3" straight all the way down, I had to flip the boards over and even then, there was a "V" shape left inside.

Step 4: Cut Off the Blocks (or Try)

I clamped 8 together at a time and ran them through the table saw at the right height to cut out the blocks. Notice they still stay in because of my faulty technique in the previous step.

Step 5: Pop Em Out and Sand Smooth

They snap out with a hammer easily and left less of a problem than I thought. I just sanded the "V" smooth with a circular sander.

Step 6: Drill Holes

A drill press and quick jig would make simple work of this but I was without one. Marked the spot and just eyeballed what's straight. Make sure to use a bit that is quite larger than the threaded rod, don't use the same thickness, it'll be too tight!

Step 7: Make Sandpaper Washers

The friction of wood against wood alone will not support much weight so washers covered with sandpaper are put in between all the cracks; 63 needed, I made 70. View picture comments for instructions.

Step 8: Sand and Stain

I sanded with a random orbit sander and stained them with black walnut danish oil.

Step 9: Cut Your Rods and Bolt Your Peices Together

Cut the rods to 15" or however short you feel conferable (the width of 4 2x4s is 14"). Screw the nut on the end, slip two washers on and push the rod though the pieces, adding sandpaper washers in between each piece. Finish the end off with 2 fender washers and another grade 8 nut.

Tighten the nuts at least a quarter inch in on each side and It will be rock solid. To change the shape, unscrew the nuts until they're loose and at will move around easily.

Step 10: Imagine the Possibilities, All Infinity of Them.

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