# Room Dividers



## b00kemdano (Feb 10, 2009)

My wife is hosting a wine tasting event at church in a week and a half. She wants a room divider type thing built to block the light from the kitchen service window and door so it doesn't disrupt the ambience. She hasn't given me any dimensions yet, attached is a photo of what I am thinking. 

Right now, the center panels will be fabric held in place by spring rods. Each section will simply be hinged to the next.

(It's a Mardi Gras theme - that's why there are crazy colors!)



The question is - will biscuits, dowels, or M&T be better since there will be a spring rod putting constant outward pressure on the frame? I'm leaning toward M&T because I've never done it before and it's intriguing! 

In the past, I'd have just countersunk some holes and screwed the butt joints!  But now that I have a real shop, I'd better make something more professional looking... and hopefully longer lasting. :shifty:


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## BHOFM (Oct 14, 2008)

I made a set for my Mom a few years back,

I used a rod through the sides that held the frame
together and allowed easy change of the fabric panels.

I used dowels but M&T would be better.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

An interesting and easy joint to make would be a keyed miter/loose spline. The frame members themselves could be mitered. It's pretty strong too:


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Truthfully, you could just use glue to hold these things together against the spring pressure. It would only be until you dropped it on a corner would it break. Dowels, biscuits should be more than adequate. If the rear side is never seen then pocket screws. If you are making the to be a heirloom and passed down then you should do them M&T. But if all you need is function, biscuits or dowels.


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## pianoman (Jan 16, 2008)

I think M/T would be good locked with face doweles...just my thoughts... Rick


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## Handyman (Jan 2, 2008)

b00kemdano;65664.....Right now said:


> B00kemdano We have about 50 or so of these at our church. They are a 4x8 sheet of vinyl lattice with a 2x2 wood frame around them. They used to zip tie them together in a zigzag pattern to make them stand upright until I made some removable legs for them. The legs are a vertical 2x4x4 with 2 2x4x3 on each side at the floor in a "T" shape. Then I ran a 1x2x4 on all 4 outer edges of the upright 2x4 to form a "H" pattern if you are looking at it from the top. The 4x8 frames sit on top of the horizonal 2x4 and in between the 1x2s. We still zip tie the legs to the panels to keep them from getting knocked over.
> Now backing up a little, when the 4x8 panels need to block out light, they cover them with paper or cloth or even black visqueen. These things get used 10 or 12 times a year for wedding, and just in general dividing the gym up in smaller areas. If the rain slows up today I will go take a pic of the legs and panels. They are stored in an out building, so getting in it in the rain can get kind of messy.


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## b00kemdano (Feb 10, 2009)

Thanks for the idea, Handyman. I'd like to see them. We have some upright 2x4 stands with 2x4 feet on them that were used for ... something or other in years past. They have holes in the top for a piece of pipe that they hung material on to make a curtain, wall, whatever it was. 

In a dimly lit area for our "elegant" wine tasting event, I'm afraid the feet sticking out of our existing stands would be a trip hazard.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

Mortise and tenon would be best.
Lap joints would be my second choice based on strength and speed to make.


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## b00kemdano (Feb 10, 2009)

*update*

I built a couple prototype panels with scrap to check dimensions and to make sure that my choice of joints (biscuits and glue) would be sufficient. Due to budget restraints and a big interest in keeping these things light so old ladies can move them around at church, I talked my wife into letting me use 1x stock. The prototypes were ripped down to 3", but when I went to buy more 1x, I stuck with the 1x4s since they were only 1/2" bigger.

I bought knotty pine because it was half the price of the heart wood and she wants them painted anyway.

Each panel is 7' x 2' and there are 8 panels. Once they are sanded and painted, most people probably won't notice that the two prototypes are a little different! 


















We have spring rods that fit the inside and when I'm done finishing these frames, I'll put together some fabric panels that will fit the middles.


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## b00kemdano (Feb 10, 2009)

In action:

Ugly kitchen!











Not so ugly anymore!









We had our wine tasting last night and it was a lot of fun. The attendees were mostly people who go to our church, so they are familiar with how loud and bright the kitchen corner can be during an event like this. They were very happy with my room dividers! They worked as intended and are lightweight and storable. The church ladies were thrilled that we would be able to use these in the future. 

Nobody even noticed that one set (my prototypes) were a little different. :shifty:


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## Dan Mooney (Feb 1, 2009)

b00kemdano said:


> My wife is hosting a wine tasting event at church in a week and a half. She wants a room divider type thing built to block the light from the kitchen service window and door so it doesn't disrupt the ambience. She hasn't given me any dimensions yet, attached is a photo of what I am thinking.
> 
> Right now, the center panels will be fabric held in place by spring rods. Each section will simply be hinged to the next.
> 
> ...


 
Wine Tasting? at CHURCH??:huh::huh:


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## b00kemdano (Feb 10, 2009)

Dan Mooney said:


> Wine Tasting? at CHURCH??:huh::huh:


lol! yes, we're episcopalians. since Jesus turned water into wine, we believe it's ok to have wine at a fellowship function.


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