DIY antigravity table 2022
Today I showed you how I made an unusual, anti-gravity coffee table. I built it according to the Tensegrity recipe. The striking look of this levitating table is sure to wow your guests.
The Internet is full of examples of such structures. All kinds of materials are used for construction: wood, metal, cardboard, Lego, etc. There are very impressive structures that can withstand the weight of a person. All these designs are based on the principle of Tensegrity:
“Tensegrity (English tensegrity from English tensional integrity — connection by tension) is the principle of constructing structures from rods and cables, in which the rods work in compression, and the cables work in tension. In this case, the rods do not touch each other, but hang in space, and their relative position is fixed by stretched cables, as a result of which none of the rods works in bending.
It will take
For this project I used:
- Round table top, diameter 300 mm — 2 pcs.
- Pine board 18*30*2000mm — 2 pcs.
- Steel cable, silicone braided, diameter 2 mm.
- Hooks 6*30 mm — 10 pieces.
- Paper clips.
- Glue for wood.
Making a levitating table
On a piece of wallpaper, I drew a drawing in a 1:1 ratio. It is very convenient to try on the details and take accurate measurements.
We need to make 2 such details. Later we will connect them together.
I set the corners with a protractor, and sawed with a Japanese saw. I really enjoy working with her, because She makes very accurate and accurate cuts. After sawing off one part, I put it on the drawing and cut off the next one.
I connected the details with an overlay, for this I chose wood up to half of the plank. Then he applied glue and pressed it with clamps until the glue was completely dry.
When the glue was dry, I marked out and drilled holes for the dowels. I used 8mm furniture dowels. I also added wood glue and left it to dry for a few hours.
After the glue had dried, I cut the dowels with a saw.
To get rid of minor defects, I mixed PVA glue and wood dust / sawdust. It turned out great putty on wood. After the putty had dried, I sanded the pieces and coated them with linseed oil.
I decided to fasten the legs to the tabletops on dowels so that the fastening elements are not conspicuous. I drilled holes with a drill.
I marked and drilled counter holes in the countertop.
I installed the dowels, added wood glue and left it under pressure until completely dry. The second half of the table is done in the same way.
I drilled a hole for the hook at the bottom of the leg. It is important to make holes on both legs as accurately and symmetrically as possible, otherwise the whole structure will be skewed in the future.
I also marked the holes for hooks in the countertops.
Now I’m starting to make cables that will hold the two parts of the table. I used a steel cable wrapped in red silicone. For a greater «levitation effect» it is better to use a cable with a transparent winding.
You need to make small «ears» at each end of the cables. For this, I used ordinary paper clips.
I make a small loop and wrap it with a paper clip. I cut off all excess. You can also use small plastic clamps.
The tabletops were sanded and also covered with linseed oil.
Gathered everything together and checked for strength. The table withstood a load of 5 kg. Didn’t decide on more.
Here’s an unusual table I got. Thank you for your attention and see you soon!
