The Alice Bench

Furniture Project | Fall 2023

Skill Development: Woodworking, CAD modeling, full-scale prototyping, basswood modeling.

A Rustic Storage-Smart Bench for Anywhere in the Home.

Meet Ivan.

Ivan is a 47 year old homeowner living in Woodstock, Vermont with his two children. His charming three bedroom home was built in 1913 and he has decided to redesign his interior to fit a more modern appeal. Ivan wishes to upgrade the furniture in his home without losing the historic beauty of his place. He struggles to furnish certain parts of his home that are not exactly living spaces, but feel empty without something there. This includes a corner of his mudroom/reading nook. Ivan needs a piece of furniture that both uses his space productively, while also being aesthetically pleasing to look at.

Inspiration.

Filling this space requires attention to aesthetic detail of the home it will reside in. Looking to inspire a piece of furniture that feels warm, rustic, wooden, and also modern while still adhering to a historic and timeless feel.

Ideation.

Then starting with sketching, working with some brainstorming thumbnail pages, then moving into more finished sketches. Choosing to continue with six finalized directions and choosing three to move forward with for mini-modeling.

Basswood Modeling.

Creating scaled down study models with laser cut basswood for final decision making on durability and aesthetic before creating the final product. The left features a one person bench connected at the base to a corresponding side table. The middle is a chair featuring two angles front legs and an open back rest. The right is a single bench with side handles and shelving storage below for shoes/ books, etc. All focused on utilizing negative space for aesthetic, while remaining sturdy and functional.

Redesigning the Final Direction.

Deciding to move forward with the bench design. Changing the angling of the handles to feel more continuous with the bottom leg. Also changing the bottom shelving to angle along with the side leg angles. Sizing up the modeling scale for this investigation.

Reworking sketches with a real life user in mind. Thinking of opportunities for shelving, a space for reading, putting on shoes, and sitting. Looking into different angles and sizing with users to investigate the final dimensions and form.

Prototyping.

To begin a deeper visualization of jointery, a full-scale scratch model was created. Using 2x4s and starting with measuring. Then creating the model using the jointer, planer, band saw, chop saw, table sanders and wood glue. Using mortise and tenon and lap joints for connection.

The Final Prototype: What I learned.

The handles needed a new joint solution: the lap joint needed to be replaced for better strength.

Both legs needed to be measured at the same time to avoid incorrect angling.

All pieces of wood needed to be jointed and planed all at once for the same height and level to be achieved.

The joint of seat and handles needed to be reinvisioned without the chisel.

Finally, the height could be higher and the seat width could be an inch or so shorter.

Moving Forward.

To set these changes in motion, a new direction for sizing and jointery was created and planned through CAD modeling in Fusion 360. The new version would allow for easier and stronger final assembly.

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Final Process.

1. Leveling and Measuring

Deciding on poplar due to its strength and color that aligned with the final aesthetic. Ran through the jointer and planer all at once to achieve the same leveling.

Changing measurements for a higher bench and shorter width. Changing the handles to match the angles of the legs exactly.

3. Laminating and Sanding

Using wood glue to combine the pieces together. Using mortise and tenon joints and clamping for twenty four hours to eliminate any air within lamination.

a motorized hand sander used to remove any uneven surfaces, rough edges, or glue marks. Starting with 80 grit and working up to 220 grit paper.

5. Assembly

Assembly began with the base and the shelving. The moving to creating the seat top with the handle joints in mind and finally the handles were placed last.