Hello !

In this Instructable we will a build set of units which can be joined to create simple anywhere furniture. The individual units can be connected together to form stools, benches and small chairs for kids, etc.

If you’re interested in building this set of connectors you can find the plans with all the details included in my written article, so be sure to check that out.

Step 1: Materials and Tools

Materials

1. Plywood or mdf 18 mm - 1 sheet ( 8 ft x 4 ft)

2. Pine mdf sheet 3mm

3. Lightweight foam : thickness 15 mm, 7 mm – 1 sheet each ( 1 m x 2 m)

4. Threaded rod 16 mm

5. Nyloc nut (nylon inserted lock nut)

6. Fevi bond ( rubber adhesive)

7. Wood glue

8. Paint ( water based paint used here)

9. Wood filler

10. Acrylic putty

11. Primer

Tools

1. Table saw

2. Band saw

3. Router handheld

4. Clamps / vice

5. Sander

6. Sandpaper, fine emery paper

7. Rod cutter

8. Drill machine

9. (A) Drill bit 3 mm (or less diameter drill bit to mark the holes)

(B) Drill bit : Forstner bit 18 mm diameter

Step 2: Templates

Use the provided AUTOCAD file to cut out templates from the 3 mm mdf sheet.

A drawing of foam piece is also provided.

Size of the mdf sheet used here : 900mm x 600mm.

Step 3: Cut the Plywood

Cut the 8 ft x 4 ft sheet of plywood in 10 pieces .

Set the moving scale of the table saw at a distance of 400 mm.

Cut the plywood in pieces of 400 mm x 400 mm on the table saw.

Here, we will be making 2 large and 2 small units each so we need 10 plywood pieces.

Step 4: Cut the Piece

Keep the template on each plywood piece and mark out the piece to be cut.

8 units with gap and 2 complete covered ones.

Cut the marked pieces on band saw. Turn the pieces slowly around the curved area to maintain the curve and uniformity.

Clean the outer sides of the pieces on the sander to get a smooth finish on the sides. You can use the template to get exact lines.

Step 5: Drill the Holes

Mark the centre of holes to be drilled with a 3 mm drill bit.

Use a 18 mm forstner bit on a drill machine to drill the marked holes.

Forstner bit is used to get a smooth surface along the drilled hole.

Depending on the drilling machine the the drill bit might become extremely hot, slightly burning the wood and may give out fumes. Progress slowly with the drilling in that case.

Step 6: Chamfer the Edges

Hold the piece tightly in place and chamfer the outer edges of the piece using a handheld router to make the unit look sleeker.

Sand the surfaces using a handheld sander, sides and inside of the holes with smooth sand paper. Make sure the pieces are smooth throughout.

Cover the gaps using wood filler and then sand.

Step 7: Finishing and Painting

The pieces are coated with primer before painting and dried for a day.

Any small gaps on the surface or sides are filled with white acrylic putty and sanded with fine emery paper.Make sure the surface is even and smooth. Once satisfied with the outcome take it ahead for painting.

I choose to go with an grey to complement the black foam seating. You can choose a colour of your preference .

I have used water based paint here. They tend to get lighter after drying.

Painted in the paint workshop in college

Step 8: Foam Seating

Use the provided AUTOCAD file to cut out the foam pieces.

Once the pieces are cut flatten them out, if required keep below heavy weight.

Stick them using fevi bond ( rubber adhesive) in arrangement of colors you prefer,

here arranged as 2 black :1 orange : 1 black.

Put heavy weight on glued pieces or hold them tightly using clamps or a vice. Use flat surfaces on the outer sides of foam to keep the surface clean and level.

Finish the outer edges and sides on a sander if required.

Step 9: Size the Threaded Rod

The entire threaded rod measures 2000 mm (2 m) here.

Cut the threaded rod on rod cutter according to required length. Here I have taken the length of 300 mm for stool dimensions and 570 mm for small bench dimensions.

This length is decided taking into consideration the total length of joining units and 10 mm extra on both sides as they are fixed with nyloc nuts.

Step 10: Assemble the Smaller Piece

Once all the individual elements are ready – the frames, the foam seating and the rods cut in required dimensions, we can start with the assembly.

Here, we will be making two small and two large pieces.

For the smaller one take one normal frame , one foam piece and one full covered frame (out of the 2).

Stick them with wood glue (fevicol MR) in such a way that their holes align properly. You can insert a small rod for alignment. Keep heavy weight on it to reinforce the unit.

Put a block of thermocol with similar thickness of foam at the ends to make sure the frames remain parallel to each other.

Step 11: Assemble the Bigger Piece

For the larger one take 3 normal frames, 2 foam pieces .

Stick them with wood glue in such a way that their holes align properly.

You can insert a small rod for alignment.

Stick 2 frames and one foam piece first and then go for next layer. Keep heavy weight on it to reinforce the unit and make sure the frames remain parallel to each other.