Pedestal question

[James Arvanetakis]

Hi all. I saw this pedestal and can't imagine the easiest way to create it. Would it be steam bending or building it up with multiple cut pieces of mdf? I am not planning to build this...was just really curious as to how something like this is made.


Thanks in advance,
James

http://i31.tinypic.com/2m815xw.jpg
http://sawmillcreek.org/%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i31.tinypic.com/2m815xw.jpg%5B/IMG%5D

[Brian Weick]

in my opinion (and i am not a furniture maker) would be to use a solid piece and band saw it , or frame cage construction and laminate in layers ~ thats an unusual design ,rather shapely ~definitely doable with the right equipment.
Brian

[Frank Drew]

James,

When that table was made I imagine the method used was bricklaying -- build up the mass and height by stacking pieces of an easily worked secondary wood to a form larger than but roughly approximating the finished shape, perhaps leaving a partially hollow center, then sawing, carving, spokeshaving, planing (whatever) to the final shape, which would then probably be double veneered (two layers of veneer to make sure the "bricks" didn't telegraph through.) Getting nice veneer joints at the corners takes some skill.

These days, you could perhaps achieve your form with bent laminations which, I guess, you'd then mitre together then veneer. Still, not a piece of cake. I'd still bricklay, because it's predictable and stable.

[James Arvanetakis]

I understand bricklaying some MDF...and even the laminations, but those mitered joints would kill me!

Perhaps one could cut all four sides simultaneously, miter and then laminate?

[Jim Becker]

Built up substrate and then veneered would be how I'd do it. Since it's a table pedestal, it needs some heft, so bending is not what I'd choose and the angles would be murder.

[Jamie Buxton]

If I were to build it today, I'd build up a block with the grain vertical, probably from pine or the like. I'd hack and blast with a chainsaw to clear a lot of the waste. (The thing is too big to fit in my bandsaw.) Then I'd build a router jig. The jig would have an axle, and the router on an arm hanging on the axle. The router would have an ordinary straight bit. The axis of the router bit would be running the same direction as the arm. When the arm+router pivots around the axle, the tip of the bit describes a circular arc. Move the arm a bit along the axis, swing another arc, and repeat. The result is that the tip of the bit cuts a cylinder. That cylinder is one face of the pedestal. Do this four times, and that completes the pedestal. Veneer, and I'm done.

[James Arvanetakis]

Jamie that is a very nice solution with the router jig...and it took me several readings to picture exactly what you wrote. I think I get it :)

Your jig would cut a circular arc/cylinder, but when I look at the pedestal I think the face is more parabolic....maybe the top portion of the pedestal gets cut with one pivot point and the bottom would get cut with another pivot point?

Thanks for all the comments it has certainly helped me see more possibilities.

Jim, In building the individual substrates, would one angle each piece to conform with the overall arc of the pedestal? I suppose you would have to in order to properly veneer the piece.

[Jim Becker]

James, I would orient all the substrate stock vertically for this one and cut the arcs using my band saw or whatever method was available. Once the contour is cut, it would be smoothed to the intended arc and then veneered.

[Jamie Buxton]

Here is a less-"craftsmanly" approach, but one which wouldn't involve a huge bandsaw or exquisite hand work....

You start by building an armature. It contains several (square) horizontal slices through the column, but is not solid, and it doesn't contain the faces which you will eventually veneer. You can see it in the drawing below. You skin this with a layer of eighth-inch plywood, nailing and gluing the plywood to the armature at each cross-section. You can see the first skin one face on the armature in the sketch. Don't worry too much about getting the skins to meet exactly at the corners; rough is good enough. Then you Bondo the corners together. You squeeze the bondo into the gaps at the corners, and scuplt it so it meets smoothly along the corner. After it cures, recheck it for bumps, and sand those out. In doing this, you're doing exactly what an auto-body place does. Then apply another skin of eighth-inch plywood. This layer will add stiffness to the column faces. With the first skin in place, you can cut the second skin a little more easily, and a little more accurately. This should give you a little less bondo at the corners. Then you veneer.

One of the nice things about this approach is that it should give you nice smooth faces to veneer. A possible issue with other methods is that humps in the substrate may lead to sand-through of the veneer.

[Mark Singer]

There are many ways to make it. One simple way is the glue it up out of solid stock....poplar say. Then band saw in one direction, all the way along the curve. do the second one..then, put the pieces back in rotate and bandsaw the other direction. The just fair it with sanders or a flexing fid with sandpaper glued to it

[Jim Becker]

That's a great idea, Jamie!

[James Arvanetakis]

Hearing your ideas was very helpful...Jamie, thanks especially for the thought provoking drawing...I seem to recall in an earlier life that Bondo works for everything! ;)