Darryl Keil Last Activity 2024-10-10 3:42 PM
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jerry

Posts: 23

Joined: 2007-02-22

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Subject : torsion box
Posted : 2011-05-02 7:49 PM
Post #36358
i just read the article in fww'ing about building torsion-box style table tops with honeycomb cardboard - 2 pieces of the honeycomb sandwiching a 1/2" mdf and then skinned over. got me thinking about using a similar construct to build an assembly/work table. wondering if anyone has had any xperience using the honeycomb for the basis of a torsion box and what you might have learned.
thanks, jerry



 
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Darryl Keil

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Joined: 2003-05-22
Location: Maine

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Subject : RE: torsion box
Posted : 2011-05-03 4:01 PM
Post #36364 - In reply to #36358
Jerry,

I think that article cover the process very well, whether you do a double or single layer of honeycomb. There's nothing I would really add, except if you do a double layer you can use a much thinner separator sheet in between the two honeycombs, like 1/8" material is fine.

Darryl Keil


 
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Don Stephan

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Joined: 2003-07-18
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

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Subject : RE: torsion box
Posted : 2011-05-03 7:03 PM
Post #36367 - In reply to #36364
Being stupid by responding without reading the article, but will the result be strong enough to stand up to occasional clamps? I often using a bar clamp to hold something down to my assembly table. Several months ago a woodworking forum pointed me to using strips of 1/2" MDF, maybe 3" wide?, with 3/4" MDF top and bottom skins. I don't worry about clamps punching through. I think this was first demonstrated by David Marks on one of his TV episodes, and perhaps then made into a podcast by Wood Whisperer?


 
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Darryl Keil

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Joined: 2003-05-22
Location: Maine

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Subject : RE: torsion box
Posted : 2011-05-05 10:29 AM
Post #36376 - In reply to #36367
Good point Don. Clamping would tend to be around the edge of the table not out in the middle so I would put wider edging in, (like 4" wide) so any clamps used to hold the work piece would not be in the honeycomb area. I think 1/2" skins would be plenty.

Darryl Keil


 
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Gary H Phillips

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Joined: 2007-05-06
Location: Seekonk, MA

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Subject : RE: torsion box
Posted : 2011-05-10 12:53 PM
Post #36379 - In reply to #36358
I have wanted to build one of these for my drill press. We do a lot of drilling of pieces that can be as long as 10'. I'd like for it to be light and easy to elevate when needed. Solid wood is quite heavy.

I think I would use half/laped pieces of wood to make up the honeycomb though...and make the part that is removable so I don't drill up the nice new table.

Gary



 
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Don Stephan

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Joined: 2003-07-18
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

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Subject : RE: torsion box
Posted : 2011-05-10 7:26 PM
Post #36380 - In reply to #36379
Craig has kindly shared some of his secrets re torsion boxes, and I think he would suggest burying a 3/4" or 1" square tube or two the length of your drill press table. If you don't need to use point clamps on the interior of your shelf, resin coated honeycomb should be fine. And the honeycomb is SO much lighter than solid wood or sheet stock lattice. In addition to the outer frame around the honeycomb, you could include a rabbeted middle square frame to accept say a 3" x 3" x 3/4" plywood piece to drill through. Squares would be very easy to make as needed. Only issue I see is finding 10' long 1/4" thick sheets for the top and bottom surface. Plywood would be much lighter than MDF. But if you imbed rigid tubing you probably could get by with staggered seams top and bottom. Baltic birch would be my first choice, but it's only available in 5' length around here. Still, you could skin one side with 2.5', 5, 2.5' and the other side with two 5' pieces.
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