# How to Make This



## sean882 (Dec 31, 2012)

I'm looking to get a rough idea how something like this would be made. I'm not planning on constructing anything like it in the near future (I live in a college dorm) but what steps would be involved?

I'd assume that first, multiple piece [2]'s would be cut from plywood with the proper radii, but how would the whole thing be assembled? It seems as though nothing would be structurally sound until it was all together. 

Additionally, how would the narrow parallel pieces [1] be joined together? I'm assuming each one would be nailed to piece [2], but would they also be glued to each other lengthwise?

I appreciate any responses; I'm not too familiar with wood projects and techniques, but have a sincere interest.

Thanks,
-Sean


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## blaineo (Dec 29, 2012)

whoa..be a nifty project.. amazes me the things people come up with sometimes...I'll have to keep an eye on this thread


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## DaveTTC (May 25, 2012)

I can't quite get the resolution up enough to tell but it may be that the 2 circles are made out of tongue and groove flooring. Simply cut a few hundred to length and glue them together around a form (ply or MDF or the like)
If you want a neater join and timber can be used, rip it at the appropriate angle and glue around form (but not to form). Biscuit or dowel would prob be best. 

Once your 2 main circles are done cut the shelves / spacers and nail into place. If the circles are made around each other the shelves can be glued and doweled or biscuit in place as you form the second circle around the first. 

Backing is simple. Place the shelf face down and nail on. It can be solid slats or ply etc.

Dave The Turning Cowboy


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## sean882 (Dec 31, 2012)

Thanks Dave!

I was thinking something similar with the backing at first, but upon a closer look at the picture, it appears to be only about halfway through the depth, as if the shelf is open on both sides. Similar idea though, just place between the two circles and join it?


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## DaveTTC (May 25, 2012)

sean882 said:


> Thanks Dave!
> 
> I was thinking something similar with the backing at first, but upon a closer look at the picture, it appears to be only about halfway through the depth, as if the shelf is open on both sides. Similar idea though, just place between the two circles and join it?


Yes your right, sorry I missed that. Make the divider first, attach the shelves. Put it one side down. Make a form to go between the shelves on your work surface (probably the floor in this instance). 

Glue the 2 circles around your divider and bottom form, your top edge should be ok as you are forming around 2 other circles but you can make a form for the other side also if required.

Dave The Turning Cowboy


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## Woodwart (Dec 11, 2012)

The circles may be made the way kayak builders build hulls out of cedar strips. One side of each strip is convex and the other concave, and they are built on forms of the shape and size needed by edge gluing.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

DaveTTC has it. You would have to make two forms with the different diameter and cut multiple pieces of solid wood instead of plywood on a slight angle perhaps less than on degree. It would just take some tinkering to determine the correct angle. There would be a great deal of sanding inside and out so solid wood would be better than plywood. You could also laminate bendable plywood around the form and then veneer. Bendable plywood is plywood normally 3/8" thick that will bend almost like rubber. When you glue two sheets together it becomes more rigid. 

If you are going to make it like shown with individual pieces if the joints are well fitted you can just glue the pieces together holding them together with masking tape. It would be better if you recruited some help and laid the form on the floor and put the wood around it like a barrel. If you worked fast enough you could put all of the pieces together and put a band clamp around it or use a ratcheted tie down strap around it to put pressure on it. You are right it wouldn't have strength until it is assemblied. The back could be made out of plywood. The size of it may be necessary to glue too sheets of 3/4" plywood together. Then lay both circles on the plywood, make sure the diameter is true on each and mark a cut line on the plywood and also put marks on the circles aligning the back so when you assemble it you put it back together the way you marked it to cut.


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## aerocustomsexotics (Jul 21, 2012)

Looks like those strips are much thinner & narrower than flooring tongue & groove.

Bill


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

I think woodwart got close. Looks like the edges are done like a canoe bit set. One edge is a bead or bullnose and the other has a flute. Most sets I've seen sold for table routers will do a max of 3/8" thick stock. One could get around that by picking up a beading bit and a bullnose bit of the appropriate radius. Here are some pics
http://www.google.com/search?q=cano..._7Buns2QWp_YEI&ved=0CIkBELAE&biw=1228&bih=772
:smile:


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## sean882 (Dec 31, 2012)

Thanks to all of you, I appreciate you taking the time to help me understand this better. Perhaps I'll try a project similar to this over the summer when I have a bit more space to work with.

Thanks again!

-Sean


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Looking over the picture again what isn't shown in the picture is the outer circle can't be a perfect circle or the thing would roll away. There has to be a area at the bottom that is flat or has some kind of legs going out left and right.


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## frankp (Oct 29, 2007)

Steve Neul said:


> Looking over the picture again what isn't shown in the picture is the outer circle can't be a perfect circle or the thing would roll away. There has to be a area at the bottom that is flat or has some kind of legs going out left and right.


Yeah, I'm thinking legs/chocks of some kind. Making it round everywhere but the bottom would be a royal pain, plus it would make it very hard to get it in place. "Removable" chocks would be a simple and elegant solution.

I don't think the slats are tongue and groove, from what I can tell. I believe that would make it much easier to build, though. There are actually a whole bunch of ways to build this, from coopered slats to tongue and groove and a couple of other, less appealing, options.


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## Al B Thayer (Dec 10, 2011)

Number of pieces divided into 360 divided by 2 will give you the correct angle to cut each piece. I doubt if any fancy joining would be required. I would make a quarter form and glue up four sections first. Way too much to try all at once. Time and prep will save a life time of sanding.

Al


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## DST (Jan 10, 2011)

I think I would run a cut at the back end of each stave so I could inset my back piece.


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## DST (Jan 10, 2011)

And maybe a stopped dado on the staves the will accept the shelf pieces. That would add strength over just end grain gluing


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## johnmark (Jul 21, 2012)

i would get really long stock and do a little math. i'm with the canoe/old bucket route.

you would start with circumference of what you want the inner and outer diameters to be. 

let's say 9 foot is the outer one. 

circumference is pi times diameter. so 27 point whatever. 

then you would get long 4 inch stock. 27x12=diameter in inches. divide by 4 inch stock. 81. this is how many you'll have to make. 

you would then do 360 divided by 81 to get the degrees. then divide by 2 because you'll be doing that angle twice per piece. it actually comes out to 2.2 degrees. that's not much.

set your table saw just slightly off and run your pieces through. 

the rest of it would be simple dado's for tongue and groove.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

johnmark said:


> i would get really long stock and do a little math. i'm with the canoe/old bucket route.
> 
> you would start with circumference of what you want the inner and outer diameters to be.
> 
> ...


Correct me if I'm wrong but I think you are 15 1/4" short on boards. It looks like it would take 85 4" boards trimming the last one. The problem with using math is it's wood. Wood isn't going to cut that accurate and when you assemble it even the amount of glue can affect the final dimension.


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## johnmark (Jul 21, 2012)

Steve Neul said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong but I think you are 15 1/4" short on boards. It looks like it would take 85 4" boards trimming the last one. The problem with using math is it's wood. Wood isn't going to cut that accurate and when you assemble it even the amount of glue can affect the final dimension.



i wasn't using pi. i rounded to 3 for quick math, but you're correct. it's closer to 85 for a 9 foot outer diameter of the outer ring using 3.14159265358979...


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## goatgirl132 (Jan 19, 2013)

Would you beable to do this without a mold?


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## DaveTTC (May 25, 2012)

goatgirl132 said:


> Would you beable to do this without a mold?


It is amazing what can be done when you have incentive and desire.

Dave The Turning Cowboy


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## michialt (May 22, 2013)

The way that I think I would do something like this is to first make my flat ring out of plywood.
Next I would prop that ring up off the floor to the height of the center.
I would use a Housing Joint cut into the planks at the middle.

I would use biscuit to join the planks.

I'm not so sure that you would need to sand the planks round, there is such a small angle from one piece to the next that the size alone would make it rounded.


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