We decided to make our furniture assembly manual, inspired from Ikea. It is slightly different from our second prototype, it looks more like the final one.
Actual Construction:
For the presentation, we are presenting the mock-up as an example of the function of our concept while a realistic render presents the form of our concept.
As for actual construction, the Ikea construction manual could be made possible via snap-fit and secure hardware. Such hardware is a fixture of Ikea designs. It allows for flat storage and shipping of furniture. It is available in Canada and around the world via Hafele, a hardware company that was referenced to us by a furniture maker.
the screw-in connecting system used in Ikea furniture
The top of the piece must be light-weight to put as little strain as possible on the cantilever. A material known as “verti-cell” could be used as in interior structure to reduce weight. Verti-cell is a honeycomb paper product that is meant to provide rigid structural integrity while being light-weight. This material can be covered in veneer to give the appearence of solid wood. Typically, verti-cell is used in the construction of large furniture such as board-room tables. As an added point, the material is ecologically friendly as it is made of recycled paper.
honeycomb paper core
http://www.dufaylite.com/honeycomb/applications.asp – this is a provider of said material
As for the construction of the side-table itself, it would be best constructed from easily renewable and cheap soft-woods such as pine or cedar and then veneered with a hard-wood. A & M Wood Specialty is a Canadian company that can provide such hardwood veneering and they provide the ecological information for all wood they stock and they do not sell endangered species.
http://www.amwoodinc.com/ their website
