Chaos Table

This is a concept I explored years ago doing bent wire sculptures with students. For several years I have thought about making a piece of furniture based on this concept, but struggled to imagine how to plan it out and conceptualize it on paper. It wasn't until I began incorporating CAD into my woodworking planning process that I had the skills to plan this project.

I used Autodesk's Fusion to plan out the path of the base, to plan the orientation of each lap joint, and then referenced the file directly as I built. 3D modeling was essential in designing and creating this project. A viewable, interactive copy of the model can be accessed here even if you don't currently use Fusion.

This project is an experiment and prototype, and there is room for improvement in many areas. While there is enough instruction here to build this table as shown, hopefully there is also enough inspiration for you to experiment with the concept and improve on the design.

Wood

1in x 1in Cherry x 30 feet (minimum)

1. I prepared about 40 linear feet of square stock so that I had extra if needed

Acrylic/Glass

11in x 11in

1. I used 1/8 in acrylic because it was what I had on hand, custom cut tempered glass would be better, but also more expensive.

Preparing Stock

Every component is made from 1in x 1in square rods.

Begin by using a planer to thickness each board to 1 inch, then use the table saw to rip 1 inch widths. You may also be able to buy your lumber already surfaced to 1 inch thickness.

1. My stock ended up slightly under sized, closer to 7/8 inch square. This does not impact any of the overall dimensions, but I did have to account for this when setting up the table saw for the half laps and rabbets.

Finish prepping the stock by sanding all surfaces now - which is easier than when they are all cut into smaller components.

Cutting Individual Components

Cut each individual component based on the cut list below.

1. I used a table saw sled and stop block, but a miter saw would also work well.

Cut List (length and quantity)

3 in: 2

3 5/8 in: 1

4 in: 9

5 in: 8

6 in: 11

6 3/8 in: 1

7 in: 7

8 in: 4

9 in: 4

11 in: 1

12 in: 2

Blade Height

Use a flat top grind (FTG) blade for the lap joints, or a dado stack. This ensures that the face of the lap joints will be flat.

Set the blade height by slowly sneaking up on 1/2 inch, testing two pieces until they are flush when assembled..

Fence Distance

Set the fence to 7/8 inch (the width of your stock minus the kerf of your blade). This will serve as a stop and set the width of the lap joints. Check this distance by creating to mating lap joints with your sample pieces.

The Cut

With the blade height and fence set, I used a miter gauge to make repeated cuts to remove all material for each lap joint.

Online Copy of Model

Cut and Assemble

Working one piece at a time, use the 3D model to choose the correct length and to mark where to cut the lap joints. Each sub assembly is represented by a different color in the model.

Glue pieces together with a clamp, cleaning off excess glue, and checking for square.

Sand

Once all the sub assemblies are complete, sand each joint to prepare for final assembly.

Final Glue Up

One component is assembled entirely, and sanded for a final time.

The second component is assembled and sanded except for its final 12 inch horizontal piece. This is glued in place

once the two assemblies are interlocked.

Again, sand and inspect all surfaces.

Finish

I used an oil based wipe-on finish because it is easy to apply on a complex object like this. Simply wipe on, then wipe all the excess off.

Stock Prep

With the remaining 1x1 stock rip rabbets into opposite corners per the plan on the table saw.

The first rabbet is to create a shadow line where the top meets the base. The table saw fence is set to 7/8 inch, and the blade height is 1/8 inch. Feather boards are used to keep the stop against the fence.

The second rabbet accepts the acrylic/glass top and allows it sit flush. The table saw fence remains at 7/8 inch, and the blade height is raised to 1/2 inch. The depth of the rabbet depends on the thickness of glass being used.

Miters

With a crosscut sled and the blade at 45 degrees, 12 inch lengths are cut to make up the frame.

The frame pieces are glued together with a band clamp, then sanded.

Attaching the Top

5/32 inch holes are drilled through the base. Clamp a sacrificial piece of wood underneath each hole to avoid tear out.

Countersink the underside of the holes to allow screws to sit flush.

Clamp the top to the base, and mark the location of each hole with the same drill bit, leaving a small indent on the underside of the top.

Use a 1/8 inch drill bit to pre drill holes into the underside of the top.

The top and base are attached with 1 1/2 inch screws.

Glass

As a prototype, I used a piece of 1/8 inch acrylic for the surface. The acrylic is cut to 11 inch x 11 inch.

A piece of tempered glass would be better, and can be custom ordered.

The side table it fairly sturdy, however I wouldn't stand on it to change a light bulb.

Long horizontal runs create the most flex in the base. Creating 4 sub assemblies rather than 2 would reduce these runs and make it more stable.

It was cumbersome to sand and finish the base when the two components were interlocked. I would not have the 'legs' interlock in future iterations.