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The Honeybee Stool: How Would You Manufacture This?

By Rain Noe - June 13, 2011

in Furniture Design

I'm super-digging DesignJoo's Honeybee Stool. Alas, it's apparently just a rendering, though I'd pay good money to populate my apartment with the real deal.

I have no idea how these things would actually be made; the direction of the grain in the shots seems like a rendering/aesthetic decision and provides no clue as to what the manufacturing method might be, unless it's possible to steam-bend a sheet of veneer into a seriously compound curve.

Not pictured is the on-board storage compartments the Honeybees are supposed to contain. Either they never got around to the renderings or, more likely, the shape of any interior compartment would largely be tied to the manufacturing. I'll be keeping an eye out for progress on this project, which was designed by South-Korea-based Juil Kim under the DesignJoo brand he shares with fellow designer Younsoo Kim.

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Francisco

13 years ago

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The question is how you would manufacture it, not how you would make it at your shop. A CNC machine with enough power (some can be as big as your living room) can create that profile in minutes. Granted with the right tool set (cutters and polishers) you may get a standard set or you may have one custom made.
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CHARLES

13 years ago

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Turned on a lathe is the way to go. I would like to see some shots of the underside. If it is hollow, which it should be, you wouldn't need to use a hulking stump of wood, you could laminate slices together. It would also hide the connection detail deep inside, and decrease the weight. The grooves could be easily cut into the wood when it was on the machine as well. Al it is is a giant upside down bowl. I like it.
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Dyl

13 years ago

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I've done curves like this with wood veneer, it takes some time but is very possible. Create the sphere with any material (chunk of wood CNC'd) then veneer and upholster over that.
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RBT

13 years ago

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woodturning would be a method (2 meters of diameter are possible on some machines)

or steambending of veneer under vacuum (probably much more cost efficient)
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powers

13 years ago

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You think the wood grain direction was a design decision? Take a second look at the renderings.

Anyway, I'd have a chunk of wood CNCd, slice it up, and upholster every other one.
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