2 X 4 (More or Less)

The Project: Our first project in Design Studio and we got to play in the wood shop! Very cool.
We each took an 18" length of 2 X 4 (actually 1 1/2" X 3 1/2") made of construction grade pine and designed and made a self-supporting system from it. We were challenged to use all the lumber leaving only a bit of sawdust as waste. Further, all joinery had to be done without use of screws, nails, or adhesives.

My approach: I started by making a bunch of sketches. Then I googled key words and phrases such as "system", "2 X 4 furniture", "2 X 4 sculpture", "arches" and several others to fuel my brainstorming. I knew pretty quickly that I wanted to take this rectangular prism chunk of wood and turn it into curves.

One early thought was to cut small pieces, about 3 to 4 inches by 2 inches by 1/8 inch and curl them up on the ends and stack them like a Christmas tree. (See sketch below.) But the wood is pretty brittle and shredded along the grain and broke against the grain so on to the next idea. (I still like this idea and I may get some fir or oak and give it a try.)

I sketched a lot of ideas, but it wasn't until I started playing with the wood and table saw that I decided on the final plan. Below are sketches of most of my discarded ideas.






I told my better, sweeter half about wanting curves and he told me about curfing--cutting small notches in the wood at intervals which effectively gives a thinner, more bendable piece while maintaining a fair amount of strength.




Gary made a piece for me with lovely, even notches, and then I had a go at it. Using a miter jig and the table saw I created one very snaggle-toothed piece. I finally got a respectable looking curf after about 4 tries. Then came the bending. About 16+ tries later only one piece survived the double processes of curfing and bending. (I think I used up an entire tree's worth of lumber during this project! So much for my commitment to sustainability!)
At any rate due to the time I spent perfecting the curf, the design of the project got short shrift and it's pretty clear I plopped an arch on top of a piece of 2 X 4. So for me this was more an exercise in working on a particular woodworking skill, rather than composing a harmonious, composed design.

Steps in construction: I cut a 1/4" piece from the long side of the 2x4 for the curfed arch. Then I cut 3" off the length. About 1/2' from each end a cut a dado sized to hold a 1 1/2" piece (made from the 3" piece). I used a band saw to cut notches in the 1 1/2" pieces to secure the ends of the arch.


Thoughts on the project: Surprisingly challenging to use a 2x4 completely! My favorite projects were the ones that obliterated any notion that the designed object started as a humble chunk of pine. (Kurt's and Ben's and Liz' come to mind.) It was great fun playing with power tools. The project helped me develop a bit more confidence in woodworking--I plan to do a lot more!