Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/08/13/this-designer-makes-furniture.html
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Cool, but:
retails for $899
That’s kinda steep for bare plywood furniture.
I mean we know roughly the materials cost for the piece:
Plus probably $50 in adhesives and acrylic. I’m not sure exactly what kind of UV acrylic he is using (the ones I’ve found thus far are only shipped in tiny quantities), but $50 is probably a reasonable guess.
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I made a small computer desk for home from baltic birch - all cnc cut from a single sheet, but baltic birch in this case comes in a 5x5 sheet, not 4x8. Build pictures here.
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I remember buying a book in the mid-70s, How to Make Furniture Without Tools by Clement Meadmore. All of the designs even included cutting diagrams for 4’x8’ sheets of plywood or particleboard in specific thicknesses so you could have a lumberyard cut the wood for you. All you needed was sandpaper, white glue, masking tape and then paint for the finished product. I had some of the pieces for almost 30 years.
The projects were much easier than Ken Landauer’s designs.
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IKEA hates him.
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“Mid-century” sends it greetings (with an understandably superior smirk):
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I did a similar exercise at 'ture school! Here, you may admire the resulting disassemblable-yet-sturdy corner bench:
(and yes, it took a lot of work to make it look that simple)
(also, it’s not a single 4x8 board; but if you made, I think, three of them it would come to an integer number of boards, or something like that)
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We have a (repro) Eames all-plywood lounge chair in our living room, it is very comfortable. The original intent of the mid-century designers was to use modern materials to make inexpensive furniture for the masses, but it all turned out to be too expensive even then. From the article it sounds like Landauer started from similar roots (inspired by the OWS movement) but has a similar outcome.
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It has a Shaker aesthetic working for it. 
Where is @Wanderfound in this discussion? Ive seen his work in the maker thread. Talented guy, makes furniture.
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@Wanderfound specialises in construction-lumber furniture and firewood-scrap woodturning.
Plywood is expensive.
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Say what? Just ask for it? Go through the trash? Know a guy?
That’s nice if you can get away with it, but I usually have to pay for mine. However, it’s very cheap when compared to flashier woods, particularly if you want to build solid, chunky stuff.
My desk, coffee table and workbenches were all built from 45x90 construction pine (AKA metric 2x4s). About $5/metre in Oz, much less in the USA.
The other good option for cheaparse woodworkers is pallet wood; that’s often available for free. Just knock the nails out and get to work; if you plane it smooth and give it a sand & varnish, it looks just fine.
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Plywood is definitely better than particle board, but I still think the future is cardboard furniture. (honestly not far from what Ikea’s selling)
(though not the over-$200-for-only-a-few-sheets items like chairigami and refold, cool as they look)
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I suppose I should watch a video, get the right tool… the few pallets I have torn down were a frustrating duel.
Thanks for the tip, Im going to look around for more lumber sources.
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Given that the wood is (hopefully) free and that the nails are usually all at the ends of the boards, there is another option: just lop off the bits with nails in. Two seconds with a circular saw.
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Apparently you should check their markings to make sure they haven’t been treated with noxious chemicals.
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ikr
This could be ideal for people of limited means who want beautiful things
and instead it is positioned for wealthy people who need another conversation piece.
