A friend has asked me to build a hollow wooden base for a poof that will go in his living room. The base will be 15.5 inches in diameter and 9 inches tall. Essentially, the piece will be much like a drum. It has a round shape and will have an equivalent round top and bottom (both flat of course) to support the poof. The poof is a round cushion which has a similar shape and size to the planned base. When you sit on it, it condenses a bit from the weight of the person sitting on it but not a whole lot. The base needs to be strong enough to support the weight of an adult.
Can anyone provide some advice on how to create this piece? The round top and bottom is not the issue but the rounded base itself. I am not sure how to go about it. Alternatively, if you can direct me to an article or a book that would cover the topic that would be great.
Replies
If the base is like a drum, could you use an unfinished drum shell? The sizes are even in diameter, 14", 15", 16", if that's OK, you can cut them down to length if needed.
http://www.precisiondrum.com/html/shells.html
Don't know what your skill level is but coopering seems to me to be the best way. A coopered base can have several choices of numbers of sides which could be left as sides or rounded over to be smooth. There would have to be an internal circle glued into each end as well as the final top and bottom pieces for strength. Seems like a kinda low seat to me at 9 inches.
Pix are examples of a coopered cylinder and a coopered bird house.
Round
Bendible plywood -
SA
round base
There are commercially available plywood and cardboard cylinders . If you wrap a long sheet of paper around one you get a straight line to cut. Cap the ends and veneer it or laminate it with post form grade plastic laminate.
The cardboard cylinders you mentioned are a good idea. The fireplug in my avatar is made out of cardboard forms used for making cement footings for decks and sheds. It's sturdy and thick walled. That fireplug was made for taking cover behind in IDPA shooting contests. The top was an old jam chuck for use on my lathe. A compartment inside the bottom held sand for weight and balance.
Fireplug
All this time I just thought you didn't like the fire service ?
SA
I just thought you didn't like the fire service ?
Or the postal Service. At the same time, I made a large street type, big blue mailbox to hide behind. It had a door in front with U S MAIL on it. I coulda put it on the street and folks woulda put mail in it. They both are still in use, I think, during competition at the Blue Ridge Arsenal in Virginia. As for me, I can no longer drop on my knees behind a fireplug or mailbox and, Glock or M4 in hand, take out a bad guy target holding a hostage target with a double tap to the head. I get fluid on my knees something awful... worse than that, for mr. macho man, me, it is called HOUSEMAID'S KNEE, and that drops me faster than a .45 to COM (center of mass) (heart).
Skills
Swen
That's a diversified set of skills you have there ! Woodworker, artist, finisher and marksman. I'd hate to owe you money ! Tell me you do some gun smithing and fill your own loads ? I'm glad you didn't shoot the silver chest stand when the colors were giving you grief :>) Remind me to send you some ice + aleve for those knees when they act up - Good aiming for the New Year -
SA
Westchester
Thanks for the kind words. I did do some reloading with a friend and neighbor who is a cop and a long distance marksman, helping him weigh each powder charge and each finished round so that his ammo matched for competition at distances too far away for me to even see the target. Those guys are awsome, reading the heat waves coming off the ground to figure windage. The very best of them get to shoot pirates from a pitching boat to save oil tanker captains. Bless them all. I just had a cat scan of the right knee... it's a combination of old age, 428 parachute jumps in the '60s and too much rock and ice climbing.
An artist and finisher I am not. That's why I'm lucky to have guys like you to bail me out when I get in over my head.
Hope you had a great thanksgiving . Take care. GAS
cardboard forms
I was just over at Home Depot and they do have forms lots bigger than the 8 and 10 inch forms that I used for the fireplug.
An artist and finisher I am not
Swen
You think not ? Come up here to NYC and there are crafts people making nice salaries and they could not do what I've seen on this site of your work. I haven't heard anything on the news lately regarding piracy - seems those marksman are on target.
Two of my Son's handle fire arms for their jobs - the other son puts out fires :>)
Swen, thanks for all you have contributed to this site - it's why we keep reading - wish more would contribute but many are still mad with FWW.
Roc where are you ? say something ! Did that mac break down yet ?
SA
Thank your sons
Be sure to thank your sons for their service from all of us. I lived in the NY Metro area from 1939 to the late 50s and saw changes you would not believe. My dad was born in the Bronx in 1904 and there were cows and pastures there.
As for roc, he is discouraged. I don't think a lot of folks are mad at FWW as much as the lack of response they get after posting. Some, like Mel are just busy making lots of sawdust. A lot of them are over on The Burl but I never was able to post pictures on that site with the ease that I can here.
Yes but it's Da Bronx for us home boys ! Born and raised there - still tralvel there 2-3 days a week -
What would Mel, Roc, Steve, Howard, Don, Bones, Gretchen or Ralph know about the Bronx anyway. Maybe Hammer might buy his Italian bread there ?
SA
da Bronx
Out West, we only have da broncs. Or, da mules, da burros, etc. ;-)
DA Bears.
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