Cutting Corners, The Table

Project duration

5 Weeks

Fall 2024

Materials

Aluminum 6061

Maple Plywood

Fabrication methods

Waterjet Cutting

Woodworking

Laser cutting

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key skills

Interlocking Design

FEA

Prototyping

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Designed for the Stanford Design Loft, a space where Design Master's students ('loftees') work, play, and hang. As designers we learn to build a solid ground on multiple disciplines, and how to work across them. We find ways to merge and fit things together in clever ways. And sometimes as we work on our designs, cutting corners presents itself as the best option. This table is a metaphor.
In the cou

The loft needed a table that is:

  1. big enough for the space.
  2. we can use for work, meetings, events, and also card games.
  3. easy to move when needed.
The first prototype
Prototyping

Looking at the space, I figured a square top would work best, so I started experimenting and prototyping with the table legs and the side profile. I also used the prototypes to test how balanced the structure is.

Materials

For the materials I wanted to have an interaction of wood and metal. I wanted the legs to also feel solid but also light for practicality. I went with 1/2 inch thick aluminum 6061 and for the wooden top I took an aluminum piece (my Oloid) to the lumber store to see which color work best. I ended up getting maple plywood.

Design iterations: 

I started with a design where the legs attach to the top of the table in the corners but the prototype had a spring like effect when pressed down and the attachment point would be under a lot of force. I also didn't like that the side profile is the same from all directions.

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I then moved towards the final design with the legs attach to the top from middle and every two legs cross with each other. this iteration both made the table mode balanced in simulation and prototypes, and also provided a unique side profile that is different from each side.

Final iteration was cutting the corners. Because the legs attach to the center, a force applied to the corner has most leverage. Cutting the corners both make the table more approachable and eliminates the problem.

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Tolerance test: 

A crucial test to the design was making sure the aluminum would fit perfectly with the wood and the fit would be strong enough. I measure the wood thickness and did multiple test on the waterjet ending with a nice fit at 0.012 inches interference (0.3 mm)

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Cutting the table top: 

We started with a 4ft square piece of plywood. We cut a scrap piece of wood to 45o and taped it to the side of the square piece to the corners. We also adjusted the blade to 45o to be able to rotate the corner triangle and attach it back seamlessly.

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Cutting the legs:

I started with a four 44x4x1/2 aluminum 6061 bars. to save time on cutting the shape and also to save material, I designed the profile of the leg such that I only need to cut the features while using the full width of the aluminum I'm buying. To achieve a repeated accuracy in the 4 legs, I took the following steps:

  1. Clamped a piece of sheet metal and cut the profile on.
  2. Use the outline of the cut to align my aluminum bars in place before clamping them.
  3. Used the same starting point for the tool path in all 4 pieces and both leg designs (top leg and bottom leg)
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Finishing the legs
A table for the loft: