A Shop Tip & A Door Model
Sunday, February 21, 2010 at 10:49AM Shop Tip
During the construction of a project there is often a need for organizing and storing parts. This is obvously a temporary need because as the work progresses, you construct parts and then assemble them.
I like to use a 4' scaffold as a mobile cart to store and organize the parts that I have made.
Using 4' scaffold as a mobile parts cart.
I bought my scaffold for $99 although I have noticed that the price has risen on them over the last couple of years. It comes with steel platform shelves to stand on and I used plywood to make more shelves. If it is not in use and I need more room, the shelves are removed so it can be folded and put in the storage room.
There are some nice storage carts on the market but I can still use this on a remodeling job as a scaffold. So it serves a dual purpose as it works well in the shop and in the field.
Designing & Project Modeling
I see a lot of discussions online about how to model and when it is appropriate. There are articles that describe a romantic process of applying the formulas for determining proportion, balancing that with artistic expression, and topping it off with a little social sophistication.
I do model work quite frequently for my projects and it is a function that seems rather pedestrian and normal in my shop.
I am currently working on some rustic cabinetry that is being constructed from doug fir beams, these were left over from the construction of a timber frame home (See previous entries to find out more.) I did the drawings in SketchUp and they looked pretty good.
SketchUp detail of cabinet doors.
However, I did have some reservations. One thought was that the rail on the bottom of the upper cabinets looked a little narrow. I also wanted to confirm the placement of the middle rail which separate the upper and lower panels.The best way to confirm the design was to make a full scale model.
The thing to remember with a model, is just that - it is a model. It is not necessary to use the intended or traditional joinery to build it, nor is it necessary to use the actual material. It can be hot glued, super glued (cyanoacrylate), stapled together out of cardboard, styrofoam, or any inexpensive material to create a representation in form.
In this case I used the actual stock because I wanted to see how the material I am using would handle. To date it has been giving me fits that at times just kills me.
For this model, I cut the pieces to the exact width and length so that I could arrange them on the table. This allowed me to see the outside dimension and play with the negative space, that would be where the panels go, by moving the middle rail into a location that "felt" right visually. This confirmed that the best location for it was where I had placed it in the SketchUp drawing.
The real quesion in my mind was about the bottom rail. I was not sure that it actually was wide enough to be properly in balance and proportioned to the overall width and height. There seemed to be no exact answer on this matter, but there was a range of acceptability.
My original drawing started out with a 3 1/2" wide bottom rail.
3 1/2" bottom rail just a bit small.
You will notice in the photo above that there are three more blocks of wood laying next to the door model. By adding each one I could make the rail 4 1/4", 4 1/2". or 5" wide.
The 3 1/2" rail felt narrow so I decided to go to the far end of the range of acceptability. I tried 5 1/2" but that was a bit too wide, so I immediately cut it down to 5" and it seemed that I had hit the other end of the limit pretty good.
5" bottom rail just a bit too big.
After trying all of the sizes I decided that the 4 1/2" bottom rail felt the best. It would also work with the overall plan in consideration of the other cabinets that will be part of the project. Some of the cabinets will go floor to ceiling and they may need a larger bottom rail yet. Everything will need to tie together proportionally.
After getting the layout and component sizes confirmed, I used cyanoacrylate glue to assemble the panel frame pieces. Remember - this is a model, there is no need to use traditional joinery. However, there is value to using the intended joinery if you need to do test runs to understand the handling characteristics of the material.
A quick assembly with cyanoacrylate.
I attached a piece of plywood to the backside and inserted some panel material that was too warped to use in the actual project. I cut the panels to drop into the frame then glued and face nailed it with the brad nailer.
Inset panels are added to the model, they are just glued and face nailed.
Now I have an accurate representation of how the actual panels will look.
I did not need to use the actual material, but I had enough and wanted to test it's handling characteristics. I can also show the clients a picture via email or the actual panel so they can have confirmation of how it will look.
Finished model confirms door proportions.
As you can see, models are quite often a part of the normal design process. Drawings in proportion will reveal a lot of issues with proportion and balance, but sometimes you just need the full mass of the project in front of you to make a final decision. If the project is too large, even a scale model will help.
I hope this helps you understand the function and importance of modeling. It is not just for artsy studio projects, but for common projects like cabinetry as well.
Your friend in the shop - Todd A. Clippinger
Share the Love ~ Share the Knowledge
Reader Comments (4)
Hey Todd,
Good post on modeling and the benefits of seeing a mock-up in life size. I agree completely.
I'm interested in one thing; in your write-up you seem to discount proportioning via any formula or rule of thumb and then tweaking to suit your eye. However, I see you are using a fibonacci gauge in the pictures. I'd be interested in understanding how you use that tool in your work. Can you describe?
Thanks for the subscription link. I'm subscribed to all of your posts now!
--Mark
The Craftsman's Path
Mark - There would appear to be a conflict of statement concerning the use or disregard of the golden ratio.
I most often design by feel and out of curiosity double check it to see how it compares to the mathematical formulas for proper proportion. I am not attempting to train my eye to the actual formula, but I have intense curiosity about why we will gravitate, in general, to a particular arrangement. People have varying degrees of ability to actually create a project with good balance and proportion.
I deal mostly with given constraints because I have to fill an existing space. I start with the outside dimensions and apply the necessary standards for height. I also have to accommodate hardware and any special installation issues. Using these constraint issues I basically reverse engineer the project.
Once in a while I will fall back on the formulas to help hash out the proportions of a design element. It is amazing to me how often actual dimensions fall close to the answer that the golden ratio will give.
I also need to mention that one of the LJ members "Studie" http://lumberjocks.com/studie gave me the gauge and I like playing with it.
Todd,
Thanks for the clarification.
I think for any real application of a design (i.e. outside a strictly artistic expression which usually has no real boundaries), constraints are the key starting point - as you've mentioned. No matter what a formula may indicate, if the constraints do not allow it, it is left to the designer to solve that issue while still maintaining a pleasing aesthetic for the piece.
It is uncanny how what is pleasing to the eye will often approach the various rules of thumb (golden proportions, integer ratios, arithmetic series, etc.). Like you I always start with the constraints and then design what my mind's eye sees.
By the way, I think you nailed the door design perfectly with the wider lower rail!
--Mark
The Craftsman's Path
Mark - You are much more articulate on the matter than I am. I appreciate the input and feedback.
I will have my next post out in a little bit.