Scale Model Plywood shipped!
Finally ordered the plywood for the scale models... I settled on 1.5" = 1'-0" scale, so every piece assembled can be seen in enough detail. The thickness of the plywood determines the top of the tables, so the plywood banding can be perceived to scale, giving it a more realistic effect. I selected Poplar and Birch, you don't have much choices when it comes to scale models : the wood either comes from Russia/Baltic area... They seem to have the market cornered. I ordered from a company that sells in bulk, shipping from Athens, Georgia to my location. Other larger hobby companies sold wood for much much more, the local shop was selling for 5 X what I paid online! I would have gone with them, but customer service was not that good, and they didn't seem eager to help me find what I was looking for, most hobby shops want you to come to the store. Their website quoted prices way beyond reason. They shall remain nameless.
Ordered 1/16", 1/8", 1/4" and 1/2" thick plywood, the Fedex info says 28 pounds! I find that hard to believe, I guess even scale plywood carries moisture. This weekend a scroll saw needs to be picked up and a Dremel to replace the 15 year old one I had that finally took a shit. That little Dremel of mine built MANY MANY models, and it was my breakthrough tool, before that I only had sand paper and a utility knife... I built some awesome models with those tools...
I have a ton of things on my plate, I can't blog about them all because they all aren't about the furniture. I'm working on the design of the new shop I'll be creating here... Researching wood dust collectors, power tools with vacuum attachments, and reconfiguring the office space. It'll be fun converting this space to a proper "taller", so that we can work on the prototypes right here!
dl.v
The Formaldehyde Issue explained…
I have continued my research on materials and have ordered samples from Timber Products Company and North Brook Farms. Timber Products makes a similar product to Columbia Forest Products, which they call Green-T they also state they don't ADD formaldehyde to the glues...
Watch this little video to understand a little of the dilemma... I don't endorse just inform...
Lets quote some research on this issue of formaldehyde in plywood and how it affects ambient air quality, in order to get a better handle on what the issue is. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission formaldehyde is present in the air we breath at 0.03 ppm (partsper million), this is both indoor and outdoor air. Some offices and residences have more than that, depending on how many items that contain formaldehyde are placed inside of these spaces. "As formaldehyde levels increase, illness or discomfort is more likely to occur and may be more serious". <--- This is why any designer making wood furniture should limit the amount if not seal it permanently, or not use any product with formaldehyde at all. In order to not increase formaldehyde levels in indoor air.
Remember the BPA (Bisphenol-A) scandal? That the human population is being exposed to a chemical in just about everything? That BPA can negatively affect their endocrine system functions? Remember that label that showed the type 07 plastic on the bottom of bottles and we went looking for plastics with that designation? Well, wood doesn't have that, and its up to us to make sure you aren't exposed to it (at least its our fiduciary responsibility don't you think?). If you think this is all bullshit and you think Bisphenol-A is actually good for you, then go here, all kinds of data to make you feel good about bathing in BPA... I'm fair and balanced like that...
Both Timber Products Company and Columbia Forest Products state that they don't add formaldehyde to their products. In essence the only formaldehyde is that which is naturally occurring in the wood they use to make plywood (which can't be removed). Urea Formaldehyde resin is used in most plywood because it is does well against the elements and keeps from breaking down rapidly. It works well to protect the warranty of the plywood manufacturer. In other words, if they didn't use these nasty chemicals the products would fall apart, and then you would sue them for doing so. So they use the chemicals to prevent breakage but then the product kills you slowly. Nifty right? We have enough business plans running along this same logic to make it way more confusing to understand who what when and where was the source of your cancer... Brilliant. (I am trying to magnify the hypocrisy through sarcasm)
Northbrook Farms on the other hand makes a material completely free of all this stuff, except maybe BPA (found in the original recycled raw material?) which doesn't add pollutants to indoor air (don't lick it). They make Plastic Plywood, made from recycled polyethylene. It can be worked just like plywood. Although 40% heavier than plywood, and a little more expensive this material might be perfect for some uses in my pieces. I've got the samples and have been studying how to bond them, mechanically affix them, and where to use them. Its not a new product, but the fact that it is recycled makes me want to use it. It comes in the same dimensions as wood plywood.
In this last paragraph I wanted to show a video link that demonstrates how plywood is made from the trunk of a tree. The entire tree gets used, it is basically the best way to use a tree, in its entirety.
dl.v
Material Theory Part 1
I like the idea of Cradle to Cradle (less the certification part: do good cause its the right thing to do, I can't knock their business plan it is brilliant). As a small business owner with very little resources to certify anything taking a grass roots approach to C2C is better than nothing.
I am considering:
- Material Sourcing
- transportation distances and method
- post consumer recycled packaging
- wood/metal waste recycling @ 100%
- non toxic stains and sealers
Carefully thinking about that list, studying and researching where materials come from, how they get to the studio, how I use them and where the scraps go. Interestingly I'll share how little the regional suppliers care about anything I've described above...
Thinking about what wood I'll be using to build these pieces I've looked up local wood suppliers, and Dixie Ply moved to the top of the list. Last week I packed up my son Marcus into the wagon and headed to their warehouse to see for myself how they operate (located about 7 miles from the studio). When we got there we saw a large warehouse with doors wide open exposing huge stacks of wood to the Southern Sky, the smell of fresh cut wood and glue filled the air... I noticed that next door to the warehouse were rail road tracks so I was excited at the prospect of actually having wood that was transported from the middle east coast forests to this warehouse by train! So I quickly wrote the "green expert" on the Columbia website and this is the reply I got (read on to know why Columbia).
"...The green plywood products sold at are Miami location are transported primarily by truck. The non-formaldehyde plywood comes from North Carolina and Virginia. We use standard diesel fuel in the delivery trucks..."
There goes that idea, but diesel is better than gas (I guess), so I'll take that! Hopefully its a fully loaded truck, filled to the gills! Making best use of all that fuel... Hopefully... Again, I must have faith in the system, I can't tell them how to do things but I can ask... How does LEED approach this? Do you demand that the 100 sheets of plywood you need come by train? Do you demand that this train be filled to capacity thus maximizing its efficiency? Ok, I think I made my point.
Back to the other point: Being an Architect with a wood shop I am allowed to purchase from Dixieply, and they have a pretty good selection of "Ecoplywood" which is made by Columbia Forest Products. The glue is non toxic, and the wood itself comes from certified forests... Again, I have faith that this is the case. Getting in my car and driving up to North Carolina and Virginia isn't gonna happen till early next year... I'll take a road trip up there burn all that fuel to document for you guys what the forest looks like or maybe someone up there will take some pictures for me... Again, part of documenting where it all comes from...
So my material sourcing theory is pretty responsible I think, no complicated theory just very simple: know where it comes from, know if its toxic, understand how it performs, and brace yourself for the price! Yes, anything labeled GREEN is expensive. Its a brilliant business model I can't knock it, but I am suspicious. In order to tell me something was done well someone spent lots of resources to do so, but the supply chain doesn't adhere to the same principles as was the development team of the product, so in the end it all must balance out... I was told, checked, verified, guess hope.
After my responsible wood sourcing venture, I am still waiting for my material samples which have been mistakenly delivered stained, rather than natural finish. So we have to wait for another week until another correct set of samples is sent. These samples are critical in determining my over all costs, you see once I have the pieces entirely modeled on the computer I will have an exact idea of quantities, which will be inputted into my spreadsheet and a magic number will appear: Material Costs. <--- a very loaded definition, but I will let it rest.
to be continued...
dl.v
