Wall mounted desk

[EcoFurniture]

Hi,

I just finished working on a wall mounted custom desk made of caramelized Plyboo bamboo.

Please excuse the not so photostudio like picture quality as the desk will be shipped out and I wont have a chance to take a nicer picture in the near future...

Anyhow, some of the features are the Fair Trade seagrass baskets and the non-toxic clear natural oil and wax finish. 

Of course everything was cut with the TS55 on the MFT ;D

Cheers,

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wakpHB5UlcU/SNWrQwVnPPI/AAAAAAAAALI/zuiRegtImxg/s1600-h/IMG_2769.JPG

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wakpHB5UlcU/SNWrQZy7R6I/AAAAAAAAAK4/7bGq8oDLvHM/s1600-h/IMG_2766.JPG

 

[Overtime]

Very nice work.
It has taken some time but I am beginning to like the open edges of the bamboo plywood/boo.

I was going to use some in a project until I saw the cost per sheet.  :  $200.00 plus US dollars
If bamboo is so fast growing and renewable then why is the cost so high ? Most likely because every thing "green" is or usually means high material costs.

I'll just have to wait till the cost comes down. OK rant over.

Looks awesome !

 

[EcoFurniture]

You are right, the cost is the big killer! But $200 US is quite cheap... Here in Canada I'm paying around $280 a sheet!

The higher cost result from:
1. The Plyboo and Teragren brands are FSC and Fair Trade certified
2. Longer curing times in the press, as there is no added formaldehyde to speed up the process (the glues used are based on soy!)
3. It has to be shipped in from China (although because of the bigger volume on a container ship, it takes less fossil fuel to bring it over from asia than bringing a load of plywood from the east coast of Canada to the west coast!

I would also like to mention that a 4x8 sheet of plyboo is about 40% heavier than any other 3/4 sheet of plywood. It is is quite hard on the tools--forget about easing the edges with the router!

Here is another hot seller item from our program:

http://www.ecofurniture.ca/econews/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/_mg_1484web1.jpg

 

[Overtime]

"40% heavier than any other 3/4 sheet of plywood. It is is quite hard on the tools--forget about easing the edges with the router!"

That hurts, I had thoughts of using a router to bull nose etc. If you can cut it - should be able to rout it eh ? carbide no ?

As far as cost goes  - here is an intresting material that can be recycled and reused. But I'm sure there must be a few VOCs involved in it's creation.
I'm using this for a vanity top.

3form chroma

Just cut some of this 1" thick stock with TS55. Made some machining tests with this stuff. It can be used in structural applications.
I made Domino tests, pocket holes and router profiles - all good. Can also be sanded, shaped etc like solid surface stuff.
Only one drawback - it's $25.00 a sq ft. That's $800.00 for 1/2 a sheet or $1600.00 for a full 4x8 sheet. 

I'd love to make some desks and book shelves with this but the cost is high.

It's less than corian and granite. So for a counter top that's not too bad

 

[EcoFurniture]

You can router Bamboo ply, no problem. It's just really hard on the tools and if they are not sharp (esp. on the edgegrain) the bamboo will look like you ripped it off  :

Here is another product I like working with--not cheap, but will give you LEED credits and is super easy to machine!http://www.paperstoneproducts.com/

 

[Bill Wyko]

That is absolutely beautiful. Great detail idea.

 

[Overtime]

Thanks for the paperstone link.

It solves a small mystery. We were at a Starbucks somewhere in Florida and the exterior was clad in what they call Rainscreen. Just like the pic on their site.
  At the time I thought it was all Baltic birch and was checking it out - it was all bolted on, just like full sheets of ply covering the entire building. It was a very different exterior commercial retail look. Good but different. Not your average stucco covered foam board shell retail space.
  Inside more of the stuff in various colors for wall panels,  table tops etc.  I am seeing more of this stuff now here and there.

 

[Frank Pellow]

I like the look of the furniture that you have made with the Plyboo. 

Do you know if any of it gets any further east in Canada than British Columbia?  I searched the internet and BC was the only place that I found it for sale.

 

[EcoFurniture]

Hi Frank,

The importer for Canada is located on Vancouver Island and a good friend of mine  ;D
Kirk's web site is:http://www.coastalarchitecturalmaterials.com/  I hope that helps!