Torsion Boxes are Awesome!
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- Опубликовано: 17 окт 2024
- I build a torsion box...to build a torsion box! The dining table that I'm working on, has an apron with internal drawers...and everything needs to be extremely accurate for the pivoting drawers to work correctly. Solution...build an assembly table that is dead flat, strong and rigid...aka, a torsion box.
Now, if you don't have an outfeed table or other large surface to build on, you will need a series of straight boards, aluminum channel, etc. to create a flat workspace. Use a level, laser, string or all of the above, shim these "runners" to make the surface dead on balls accurate and flat. Add a couple of sheets onto that, then build your torsion box frame. Lots of ways to do things...the end results are what count!
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HA! What a blast! I went looking for a link to explain to a client what a torsion box is, and stumble across exactly what I've been building for workbenches for more than 50 years, and I learned this from a guy that made his first set of 'beams' (6"x6"x8' torsion box for field use) with a hand saw! A couple of refinements? 1 1/2" dividers yields a lighter table, that's just as stiff and more importantly allows you to mount a bench vice with a shallow mortise. I use a 8"x8" grid, but I think that's immaterial. If you joint and plane down a 2x8 and mount it inside one or two edges, it can be used to drill holes for bench dogs as well.
Rock on my friend, it's good to see the good stuff like this thriving into the future!🥰
Good points! This torsion box in particular was instrumental in my table build. Lot of work but totally worth it. Thanks for watching!
Ramon,
That’s a awesome design.
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for checking it out 😬
I made a unique pivot hinge front entrance door using this method. So strong and rigid!
I bet that’s super cool. My door between my shop and garage is a torsion box as well. Love em! Much thanks.
You continue to be my favorite woodworker on Instagram and RUclips. I really appreciate you putting out these long form videos. They are super educational
I love hearing that…thanks for watching and for this feedback!
Really appreciate all you share with the community
I appreciate you taking time to watch! Thanks
You impress me every time!! Thanks for sharing.
That’s a heck of a compliment! I love sharing what works for me. Much thanks.
really nice. i would have found some way to keep that torsion box no matter what. even if I had to put it on a lift frame and pulley it up to my ceiling. it's exceptionally nice to have a big huge true flat surface to work on for a number of reasons. perfect for a router sled, cnc, assembly table or many other uses. I was a little jealous at how your existing table was flat enough to make the torsion box on. one my rolling work tables has a granite slab that came off a kitchen island during a renovation and it's got a significant dip in the middle. I was sort of expecting it to be very flat.
Yeah, you’re right. I wanted to keep it. My brother’s shop has it now as an assembly table. That’s strange about the granite chunk not being flat! Anyway, thanks a ton for watching!
Very impressive. There are so many rabbit holes on your table build so I look forward to seeing more videos as you work through it. As an aside, I just googled what weighs more MDF or particle board and found MDF is about 12% heavier than particle board. Ouch. Last year I made a stand at table using full sheets of 6mm MDF for the skins and 18mm for the "skeleton". So, the table totaled 3 sheets of MDF 2 x 6mm and 1 x 18mm. Whoa, was that thing heavy but it remained close to flat, so I can appreciate what you were wrestling with in your workshop. Really enjoyed this intro to the table build. Thanks for the video. Cheers, David
Years ago I worked as production manager at my brothers shop. We went through a unit (34 sheets) of 3/4” melamine a week and 5/8” every two weeks. I’ve spent my share of cutting cabinet parts on a slider and pulling sheets off the rack is work! But yeah, we didn’t use much MDF. I bet yours was heavy! This thing is heavy but has been soooo great for keeping my table build flat and accurate. More to come ! Much thanks.
Ramon I love your work and your passion for building. Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge!
This is certainly a comment I like waking up to 😬 thank you …more to come.
That was very interesting Ramon, literally can’t wait to see the finished table, I already know it will be a work of art! 👏👍😀
Thank you! I can’t wait to show more of this table! And chairs (I built them in 2017)
Incredible project
Thank you tons! Finished project coming soon !
I was considering a torsion box where I've been just using a sheet of ply for... too long... anyway what's weird is that while I'm not going to rip you off or copy what you've done, and my projects are completely different than yours... I still learned IMMENSELY from watching your video. It means so much to hear and see another person's perspective at each turn and get out of ones own head. Thank you as always R!!
You’re welcome to copy what I’ve done…it’s been hugely effective! I love sharing/showing what works for me. Thanks for watching and for the good words.
Ramon you must be mad genesis. y I love the tortionbox and triangle shape design very impressive work thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much for watching! It’s been a fun but very challenging build…more to come.
Mad skills on so many levels, enjoy watching your stuff
Thank you tons…it’s been a long, challenging but fun project!
The table top is gorgeous! I hope you’re planning to release a series of videos on the table build. I’m keen to see the finished table.
Thank you tons. Yes, it will most likely be as a couple of different vids since there is so much work involved.
incredible talent
Thanks so much…it’s just a huge passion of mine!
Many thanks for the video Ramon. Your table top looks stunning !
Thanks a lot. Please come back for the table build…it’s gonna be good! Maybe in a month or so
At this point I can only aspire to get to your level of capability! Some day, when the planets align, my ship comes in, and my horrorscope allows it 😉, I'll take one of your courses on how to do marquetry. I can watch you do it - and it still remains a mystery to my congealed noodle. 😉😜
Keep up the great work, man. It's guys like you that challenge the rest of us to keep upping our game.
👍👍💪💪
Dang man…these fantastic comments are making me feel like all the hard work making these videos is totally worth it! Thanks a ton
Amazing work. Thank you for sharing
Thank you! Check out my current videos to see what the torsion box was used for!
Another crazy design ! Awesome work as always, Ramon you do outstanding work, I can't wait to see the finished product.
Thank you! It’s been in my head for years! Excited to show more soon.
Man I have no idea how come up with these ideas! Beautiful work.
Ha ha…I’m not sure either. Halfway thru I was in my head saying “what were you thinking!?” 😆 Thanks a ton
Astounding-how could you not have 500,000+ subscribers?
I wonder that all the time! 😆 The channel is growing but slowly. Anyway, thank you tons.
@@ramonartful Maybe because a lot of what you do is so artistic and so skilled that it’s beyond aspirational - few can even fool themselves into imagining that they could do what you do. Intimidating content, although unintentional and well-meaning, doesn’t attract a crowd.
This is an amazing project Ramon, I absolutely love it!
Thanks! I’m excited to show more soon. It’s been a hugely challenging but super fun build
A Senco M III. Dude! Breaking out the antiques! 😎 I used to have a couple M II’s but they finally wore out and I couldn’t find parts. Still have 3 generations of the newer models. 5:13 5:13 Seems Senco isn’t the level of quality it used to be but most of my guns are when they were built to last.
Great video as always. Love your work.
Yeah, those guns were nearly bomb proof! We assembled commercial cabinets with them…unbelievably strong! Thanks a ton for checking out the video!
Insane! Amazing work Man. Wow!
Thank you! I’ll have more on the actual table build in a month or so. It’s gonna be cool!
I trust it will be as awesome as everything you do. 💪🏾💪🏾
Hey, Ramon. Would this torsion box be any less rigid if the bottom skin were just 1/4" plywood, or would this unbalanced construction have a negative result similar to what can happen with unbalanced veneered panels?
That’s a good question. I think it would still be quite strong but maybe not as strong. Twisting a sheet of 1/4 inch versus one of 3/4 inch thickness is dramatic. Once glued though, It may have been plenty strong with 1/4” on the bottom and not as heavy! 😆 However, I am so glad I made this heavy duty…it’s been fantastic in helping achieve the accuracy I needed. Much thanks.
@ramonartful Thanks, Ramon. I asked my question in planning for a series of lightweight jobsite MFT-type tops for modular platforms I take to my finish carpentry gigs. The footprint of each is only 18 x 60, so I think I'll probably be fine with the thinner bottom skins. At my age, I find myself opting for smaller and lighter wherever I can in the arsenal... (I need a caddy to lug around modular tool cases that have endured decades in the field. It's weird how they've somehow gained weight over the years...
There must three sheets of particle board used up with that top, bottom and inside ribs. Can you not just glue together three boards and be done with it?
Excellent question and at first blush, that seems like an easier solution.
When moisture from the glue gets added to one side of a panel it expands that side…creating a cupping effect. It’s true that double up or even tripled…that the forces should counteract and it would remain flat. I didn’t want to take the chance. After countless glue-ups using all types of glues and materials, this can be a touchy area.
A torsion box can be made dead flat. If I remember correctly, this one had a dip in one small area about the thickness of a sheet of paper. I needed something like this to create my complicated table build. It proved to be completely worthwhile. Thanks a ton for the input. Cheers
@@ramonartful That's true about glue. I guess the ideal would just be three boards floating on top of each other then. I would lay three on top of each other and throw in a fat dowel through each corner to prevent lateral movement.
It's surprisingly difficult to get a flat surface. I've never built one if these torsion boxes, and the thing worry about is that it's easy to get it wrong - a bit too much glue in one place and not enough in another; screwing down one board just a little too tight. It would kill me to go through all that effort and not have a perfect flat surface.
@@DavidLee-cw6ci Yeah, I did think about the process for a while prior to building it. One almost needs a dead flat surface to start! Fortunately ,my outfield table is quite flat, since it's also a torsion box! Anyway, this thing was kinda big at 62" square (1575 mm) and my brother ended up with it in his shop...he used it as a work surface. Perfect! thanks
Biggest jig I’ve seen for a single use.
Yeah…you’re right. But I couldn’t have made the table and all the accuracy that was essential…without it.
I bet there’s some beginner woodworker or production shop around you that would take the torsion box off your hands! I know I would. Great video!
Awww…great idea! I hadn’t thought of that! When I’m done with it…I’ll ask around. Much thanks!