Saturday 2 November 2013

Tetris Style Shelves

Sorry I've not posted on this blog for a few weeks (I've been busy having more children!) So it's meant I've slowed down on the work front a little bit.
I have, however, just completed this shelving unit for a friend/customer and I'm rather pleased with the result.
The brief was to make up blocks in tetris style shapes and have a unit where all the blocks could be rearranged if you wanted to. Unusually I worked with the customer on this project and we got on like a house on fire.

The first step was to construct the bottom storage unit that would support all the blocks. We made sure this was really strong as there was to be a fair bit of weight above it.

The first blocks we made were in MDF. Once we made a few we decided that achieving a good finish was going to be a problem so we decided to switch our material to WBP ply, leaving the cut edges exposed.

The first unit we made like this looked good so we set up a mini production line

We made a total of 14 blocks, all joined together with biscuit joints and a PU glue

Starting to stack the blocks in the unit. They were all made with the measurement 265mm as the standard "unit" size, so that it's completely interchangeable

Brian using a homemade beeswax polish to finish the shelves. This picture gives a good idea of how big the units are.

The completed unit with storage cupboards underneath

The completed unit

Completely interchangeable and a really good fit

Three sets of cupboards under the tertis blocks make really useful storage. These doors will be painted white.

We made the doors and hung them on kitchen hinges so it gives a clean finish when they're all shut

Some interesting patterns

I'm lucky in my job that I enjoy what I do, but when I get a project like this I enjoy it even more. I've built some amazing things over the years but this is pretty near the top of the list!
I've still got a few more projects to do in this house so watch this space!

13 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Yeah I seem to have had some good projects lately

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  2. Brilliant!

    How about you get your clients to tell you the dimensions of the space they have in mind and then you create the Tetris blocks that will fit in and completely fill the space in only one way? It'd be like a Chinese puzzle. If they want variations, they will always have at least one block that will not fit.

    Sell me something like that I would be at it for hours!

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    1. I like the idea of that! I'd tell them that, but rreally there would be no way it would work! That could drive people mad slowly!

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  3. Superb work there that we both like a lot! And wouldn't it be fun to paint some of them bright colours? Fantastic!

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    1. Yeah colours wuold look great but I think you've have to get a really high gloss finish to do it well! Thats why we decided to leave it with the original edge of the ply, the look goes well with their house

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  4. Fabulous work. It puts my hammer-n-nails carpentry to shame.

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    1. Don;t worry there is always space for a bit of hammer and nails carpentry! I'm never happier than when I'm smacking in a nail on a roof somehwere!

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  5. Hi I have a question for you about a facsia board you posted a blog about

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  6. Very nice. Very different to the usual options for shelving

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