Strength In Numbers

The following project was conceived while driving home through an industrial area.  There is a lumber company that puts pallets of cedar off cuts out for people to collect as free firewood.  I wondered if I would be able to create an entire project based solely around this otherwise scrap material.  The off cuts themselves were never more than 1" x 1" x 6 feet long. This somewhat limited my options for what I could create, but I then thought about the large amount of these small strips I had access to.  I have always loved concrete, and never really had a chance to work with it. So I decided to create another table using those two materials.

I began cutting the strips into 15" lengths, I had brought home quite a bundle of material so I ended up with several hundred sections.

I then ripped those sections to approximately 1x1cm square.

Once everything was cut to size, I had to start finishing them. There was no way I was going to sand them all individually, so I clamped several together at a time and used an orbital sander to make things a little more efficient.

Since these sections would be set into concrete, I wanted to ensure a secure hold. I notched sections out of either end so the concrete would actually form in and around them.

I now needed to clear coat everything. At this point I was starting to question why I decided it was a good idea to create so many sections..... It was a little time consuming. Lucky for paint sprayers.

Next was to create some sort of structure that would hold all of the sections perfectly level and spaced.  I cut MDF strips exactly the size of my desired spacing, and formed a grid which held the cedar supports.  I then cut a frame that suspended the supports. This would hold them at the perfect height for when it was time to set them into the concrete.

Since I have not worked with concrete very much I wanted to run a few tests before doing the actual pours.  Through my research I discovered I would need a very specific type of concrete. The problem was that with most concrete projects, one is able to trowel the surface smooth after the pour. With my project there was no way I would be able to trowel in between what turned out to be 65 individual supports.  I needed to come up with a mixture that would be strong when cured, but flowable enough to self level through vibration.  I was pleased with my first test, but there was definitely room for improvement.

My third test turned out better than I imagined. Using some very unique additives I was able to increase the flowability of the concrete while actually using less water which strengthened the final product. 

Now it was time to pour the table.  I created my forms from melamine and attached corner pieces to make sure the supports were centred within the form.  I mixed the concrete and roughly troweled it in.

Since concrete tends to retain a lot of air, I had to vibrate the form so the air could escape, minimizing the appearance of holes on the top and sides of the slab.

Just before I put the supports in I troweled the surface smooth.

Prior to the pour I attached some mesh to the supports again to increase the strength of the slab.  When I set the supports into the concrete, the weight was so evenly distributed that I had to vibrate the form again until it slowly dropped into the mixture.  I then continued vibrating until the surface was reasonably smooth.

I poured the top of the table first and let the concrete cure for several days. Now for the bottom. I cut six square holes out of my form so I could create the legs of the table.  Using angled strips of melamine, I created bevelled edges so I knew the concrete would release from the form.

So after waiting several days for the base to cure, I stripped the bottom form to reveal the finished product.  I used beeswax polish to shine and protect the surfaces.  Once I looked the the table I decided I must have drawn some inspiration from the movie Inception.  The rows of supports oddly resembled the city created in the movie, with its rows of tall identical buildings.  

The interesting thing I find about this table is how these light and fragile sticks can support so much weight. Out of the 60kg table, the supports weigh under 2kg.  It is also quite an experience to walk completely around the table. As you pass by at different angles, the supports transform from perfect rows  into thick walls of cedar, switching back and forth several times as you move around it.

I also tried to ensure its oddness or aesthetic qualities were balanced with function. 

With the Supports being spaced and sized as they are, it is excellent for storing books or records in a number of different orientations.