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Wooden triangle shelves - invisible connection no glue

3K views 27 replies 13 participants last post by  ducbsa 
#1 ·
Hi there!

I designed a few cool triangle shelves for a furniture company.
Although I found some DIY instructions on the net, I did not found the one that suits me.
http://themerrythought.com/diy/diy-wooden-triangle-shelves/

All of the DIY instructions either glue it, or use bolts on the end side.*
However, for the furniture company it is important that the connection is invisible, the customer needs to build it himself, and no glue can be used.

Do you guys know any method? An Ikea male and female kinda like is not working here because of the corner.

Thanks a lot in advance!

Kind regards,
​​​​​​​Stephen Lammens
 
#4 ·
I'm talking about connecting the corners of the triangles, sorry if this was not clear. But this was also helpful, thanks Steve!

Will the DIYer be making these from scratch or just buying everything pre-cut and just assembling them? If the company will be precutting then the could be assembled using sliding dovetails. The dovetails would not extend all the way to the front so that they would not be visible.
Possibly starting from scratch. Although nothing decided yet.

Dovetails is something that can be done by woodcompany as well? Is it much time consuming?

Do you have any other options that might work? Trying to balance every options time vs. monet etc. :)

Thanks in advance!
 
#3 ·
Will the DIYer be making these from scratch or just buying everything pre-cut and just assembling them? If the company will be precutting then the could be assembled using sliding dovetails. The dovetails would not extend all the way to the front so that they would not be visible.
 
#10 ·
Sad to say, but many DIYers will have trouble glueing 3 boards together because they own no clamps.
So, to make this almost foolproof, I think you will need to include short dowels with each shelf. Two per joint or 6 to the kit.
With the dowels in place, the DIYer can glue it together without clamps.
 
#11 ·
Sad to say, but many DIYers will have trouble glueing 3 boards together because they own no clamps.
So, to make this almost foolproof, I think you will need to include short dowels with each shelf. Two per joint or 6 to the kit.
With the dowels in place, the DIYer can glue it together without clamps. The dowel will be invisible.
 
#14 ·
A sliding dovetail would be easiest for the customer to assemble - no tools needed except a mallet. But they would require precision machining and a dedicated jig if you were to make them in production. I think pre-drilled holes and screws would be the most economic assembly for someone with limited tools and abilities. The screw heads could be hidden with dowel plugs (and a drop of glue).
 
#24 ·
Here are a few of my thoughts about the problem:

* The triangles must be as strong as shelves. Duh. That includes the triangle with the point down, where the weight of objects will try to wedge the joint apart.

* I assume that the triangles are to be assembled by the end user, who has only the most basic skills.

* It is reasonable to assume that the package will be small; the size of the three sticks, bundled together.

* I assume that the end user has minimal tools and skills. It is reasonable to assume that the end user has a hammer, screwdrivers, and pliers. It is NOT reasonable to assume that the user has glue, dowels, chisels, or other woodworking-specific tools or knows how to use them.

* The product should be easy to assemble correctly. The product should be difficult to assemble incorrectly.

* The product must be easy to manufacture with high quality and high production yields, at a low cost to produce.

That's as far as my thinking takes me. Here are two possible solutions that meet the above requirements:

1. Use nails:
* Pre-drill the ends of the segments.
* The end user pushes the nail into the hole far enough that it engages and aligns the other piece. Enough of the nail should be engaged so that the user cannot easily bend it on the next step.
* The end user hammers the nail home.
Comments/Issues:
* The design must make it easy to align the sticks and hammer the nail. Perhaps a small jig that holds the pieces so that the nail is vertical for striking?
* Nail heads are not pretty to look at in the finished piece.

2. Use screws:
* Pre-drill the ends of the segments. Countersink one side to hide the screw head.
* The end user inserts a screw into the large hole, with the tip engaged in the other piece.
* The end user tightens the screw with a screwdriver (or you could use Allen screws and provide a cheap Allen wrench).
* The end user takes their thumb and presses a decorative plug flush in the screw hole. The decorative plug could match the wood, or it could be a contrasting color to look more like a dowel. The plug should be tight enough to be held in place through friction.
Comments/Issues:
* More expensive to design and produce.
* Quality control will be more challenging.
* Much easier for the end user.
* Looks better than solution #1, above.

Does this make any sense?
 
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