Another Torsion Box question

I built a couple of doors with 1×1.25 poplar for the grid at 8” centers. Used hardboard for the skins. They are flat and have not bowed with age but I’m not sure how they would fair in a horizontal position. You don’t have to use mdf for any part of the construction.

Take a look at:
Honeycomb core material.

Article

Woodnet discussion thread

-- Dave Herron, Boise, ID -- “That which does not crash the browser, makes it stronger”

Thanks Dave

the corrected article link
Thanks for the information, that will give me something to chew on. From the woodnet discussion, it looks like half inch skin with a 3” tall half inch grid might be good enough .018 deflection for a 1000# and that’s for a box the size of a queen bed. the stiffness increases with the cube of the height

-- Fred, Springfield, Ma

Look out on diynet.com for the Wood Works episode titled Torsion Box David Marks builds a real nice assembly table. I made a small torsion box out of 1/2” mdf support grid 3/4” MDF outside frame and 1/2” mdf skins and the thing is heavy and will not deflect.

rick3ddd sent me this link in my forum question. The book is great and goes into great details what you can expect out of a torsion box.

More Woodworkers-Essential-Facts-Formulas-Short-Cuts-
Facts-Formulas-Short-Cuts/dp/1892836211/ref=pdbxgybimgb

I bought the book and it is a great addition to my library outside of just the torsion box items.

Hope this helps….

-- //FC - Round Rock, TX - "Experience is what you get just after you need it"