Check out my articles in the latest issue of American Woodworker Magazine. I talk about all these issues. Plus show how to make adjustable legs for the torsion box top! It is 8' long, 18" wide and weighs less than In the first pic it is supporting over of bricks concentrated at mid-span. I never loaded it to failure, but believe it could probably hold ! Join Date Jan Posts I dropped my plans to do one a while ago Great info, btw, that everyone shared..
But it fell from my todo list.. I'm going with some hollow core doors for my outfeed table, hinge style off the back of the table saw. Works for me and will be light.. Maybe later..
But for right now I've redirected onto more important things. Like the endless quest on some tool setups. If you are getting satisfactory results from your door and saw horses, your good. It is nice to have at least one dead-flat surface in the shop to use as a reference.
Mine is my tablesaw and extensions. When I had a contractor saw with stamped wings I was planning on making a torsion box just to have a reliable reference surface available. I just stalled long enough to not require one anymore. My bench and worktable are adequately flat for assembly thanks in large part to building them on my tablesaw surfaces ;-.
Originally Posted by Scott Hildenbrand. Page 1 of 2 1 2 Last Jump to page:. Sponsored Forums Private Forums Authors. All times are GMT The time now is AM. All rights reserved.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. Yup, torsion boxes are strong!! Status Not open for further replies. Alan in Little Washington Alan Schaffter. Corporate Member. If you didn't already know, torsion boxes are very strong and in the case of the one I just built, extremely light too!!! I built the 8' long X 3" thick X 14" wide torsion box below for the article I am working on.
As you likely know, hardboard this thin is very flimsy and a narrow strip held at one end can snap under its own weight.
For a test, I loaded it at mid-span with over of bricks. I would have used more, but didn't want it to break, in case I need to take more pics of it later. Here is the internal web. I have already spread glue on the web edges to attach the second skin which is at the right of the pic:. I swear you need to start a career going around and fixing up other guys shops with all the stuff you do.
How did you cut the notches on the hardboard? Did you use a router table? Click to expand That's a great demonstration of the strength of the torsion box. After I posted that, I got to thinking about some of the principles you brought up. Something else for me to try I can't wait to see your article.
SteveHall Steve. Alan, just curious why you notched and fitted the ribs instead of simply cutting a bunch of cross pieces all the same size and glueing them individually. Does it help to align the forces through each a bit more precisely?
I'd think the sawing time would be quicker, although perhaps the gluing time is faster this way, too? Do the little leftover portions of cross rib do anything? Where does one get HDF that is smooth on both sides? The typical box stores have it finished only on one--would it matter structurally if only the outside faces were finished?
That is one inexpensive way to build a flat assembly table. I've been using four 12" x 84" solid core door segments on saw horses but they don't have the rigidity of a torsion box this deep. Sorry for all the questions, this is an inspiring idea and experiment. Alex Franke New User Alex. When I needed a flat, solid, durable and inexpensive top for an assembly table, I planned on making it as a torsion box. I researched the subject and found a lot of conflicting information. I also talked to some experts-and learned a lot.
In this article, I'll show you how I built that assembly table top, but you can use this method to build a torsion box of any size or composition. If you stretch your Imagination a bit, you can find many ways to use torsion boxes in furnituremaking: they can be desk or dining table tops, pedestal ends, shelves and, of course, doors.
A basic torsion box is composed of two types of parts: skins the top and bottom and webs which form an internal grid, and include the sides of the box. Skins are usually made from an engineered material, such as ply-.
After cutting each notch, pick up the piece and reposition it on the indexing pin. American Woodworker, com The webs and sides may be made from engineered material or solid wood. The web pieces do not need to interlock, as mine do, but it is quicker and easier to make the grid that way.
Plus, the box will be stronger. Though heavier than plywood, MDF has a more consistent and uniform structure. It is fiat and stays flat, if properly stored. It has no internal stresses, resists compression and tension atong the surface, machines easily, holds glue relatively well, and is relatively inexpensive. Using the same material for all the parts minimizes the amount of sheetstock you have to buy, and gives you more flexibility in cutting it up.
Break down the sheets into manageable pieces Fig. E , then cut all the parts to exact dimension see Cutting List, page Rip the web, sides and leg socket reinforcing parts F at the same time to ensure they're exactly the same width.
Make an indexing jig to space the notches Photo 2 and Fig. The jig is just a fence for your miter gauge with a small notch cut into it, plus a pin to fit the notch. Cut the notch after you've adjusted the width of the dado set. Adjust the width of your dado set to make these pieces easy to fit together. Adjust the distance from the jig's pin to the dado set, then fasten the jig to your miter gauge.
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