Thread: My school project

Hey DW - just on species selection, Pine will be strong enough but if you want this to not look like something you made at school and rather look like something people went out and paid money for I suggest you steer clear of Pine or Meranti. Tassie Oak is fairly reasonable and does look good but I found that US White Oak (at least in Sydney) is priced between clear pine and Tassie Oak, in fact US white Oak from Trend Timbers is cheaper than clear pine from Bunnings.

Ok thanks for that ill use Tassie Oak. But would i still use that for the legs or should i use something like Oregon?

I repeat what has been said by others

I wouldn't put tassie oak with oregon. totally different grain patterns, would I think clash rather then go together
you can get tassie oak in different sizes larger and thicker is more expensive of course

You might want to go down to your local timber merchant and have a look at what's reasonably available, take your notebook pencil and tape measure, that way you'll know actual dimensions of the dressed timber and can plan around that knowledge. You can also check out prices and slightly dampen the timber - bit of saliva on your finger to show how timber will likely look when it is lacquered

good luck

If you have the time, nick by a pine furniture store and have a sticky beak at how the stuff's made. Just by looking you'll get a heap of confidence in what you're doing as well an idea of timber sizes.

Treated pine has copper, cyanide and arsenic impregnated into the fibres. None of these are good to breathe in as dust from cutting & sanding. Also it looks plain horrible as furniture.

Oh ok then Tassie Oak it is i might go down by the local hardware store later on and have a look. Might even buy the wood and take it all to school.

not sure about 'hardware stores' (i.e. mitre 10, Bunnings) stocking tassie oak. i got my tassie oak from a timber yard, and it is great. i dont know maybe where you live thye do stock it, buit around here i am pretty sure thye dont. also a timber yard will be able to do the exact sizes you require whereas a hardware store only has what they have.

Rhys

Well if i can't get Tassie Oak what else should i get?

Slow down Dark one. Good to see you so keen.
Now take the following steps:

1. Look up the yellow pages for your area. That includes Ballarat!
2. Ring up prospective suppliers and ring them.
3. Tell them you exact requirements e.g. 3 piecesof 150x25 @ 1500mm. Etc.,etc.,etc..
4. Ask them to give you a price.
5. If this is OK do what you did as a kid. Nag your parents to take you to pick the timber up. Do it skilfully and convincingly, no whining and whinging. Tell them of the absolute need for this and how important it is for your schoolwork and future prospects. I'm sure they will understand.
6. Should this approach to your honourable parents fail then you will be forced to throw a bloody good tantrum.

Now should you still need help I am sure others here are willng to give advice more sane than mine.

Couldn't have said it better meself
might have used different adjectives ...

Good to see that you get to do your own design work in yr9. Looks like it'll be a nice piece.

Have you ever thought of using computer aided design? I often use SketchUp (http://www.sketchup.com/). You can get a free trial version, and it's very easy to use.

I had a little play and started to sketch out your design. Didn't finish it though. It's your design after all. (the small blue thing is a DVD case):


It's a great way to try out ideas in 3D.

Good luck with your project,
Gumbatron

Hey looks sweet. Just hope it doesn't look like that lol. It wont be so tall well it will be those measurements but it doesn't look so tall. The legs will be thicker.

But cool lmfao

looks good in that design, even if you want the legs thicker you will have to consder the processs in glueing them, and that is extra time. so maybe those sized legs are the way to go??

my 2cents worth.

I'm having a crack at Google sketchup.

I will prefer having thicker legs so it will support whatever i put on top easier. I'm pretty sure i have a double woodwork tomorrow so i will start.

How would i be able to do the top so i can glue it AND screw it?

Sounds stupid

My brother who is 18 turning 19 made a brilliant looking bench at TAFE Don't know why when he was studying mechanics. But they made them use thick MDF 10mm i think they glued it and screwed it down. Then they got another board of 10mm MDF and they just glued it over the top. He made it over 2-3 years ago. But when i thought about it thats what given my the idea for my bench or whatever you call it

Lots of ways you can secure top to frame, do a search on here for buttons (you can make your own) or there look about halfway down this page. A 20mm thick bench top isn't very thick. You will probably find most of the guys on the forums with good benches will have tops that are around 50mm thick. The good thing about screwing an MDF top on is you wont get the movement from expansion & contraction in wood and when it gets scrappy, unscrew the top layer and screw down a new one. The only downside is it will always be MDF. It may be going a little over the top for the level of work you are at but a couple of torsion boxes as your upright supports could help you out by giving the thickness you seem to be after and also the strength without adding a truckload of weight. I am sure I will be corrected if I am steering you the wrong way.

Good luck,
Corbs