Torsion Box: How to Build One?

Meysam VafaAugust 10, 2022Last Updated: August 10, 2022

0 5 minutes read

In the art of woodworking, one of the most critical factors that every project should have is the piece’s durability; you want your project to be sturdy and decisive under pressure.

But this fact raises some issues:

The durable piece of architecture should be light weighted.
It should be easy to carry around and make.

However, there is a solution for the problems that we listed.

Usually, you can build the best structures for your clients, but when it comes to your workshop, you should also have some strong equipment.

A tool you will always need is a woodworking work table or bench, but as we said, you need it to be light and sturdy.

What if we told you that you could easily make such a thing in the comfort of your workshop?

The torsion box is the project that we would like to talk about. But keep in mind that this is not a project itself, but it can be used to make one.

We shall elaborate further in the article. Let’s begin the report, shall we?

What is a Torsion box?

As we said, when crafting something with wood, you need it to be durable and resistant. However, it is complex because the project and craftsmanship will be heavy if you use dense wood types.

But there is a solution to this problem.

But first, you have to know that sometimes some woodworking techniques will help you build something extraordinary; this means that these methods can be pretty efficient.

The technique we would like to discuss today is the Torsion box technique which can be used to make several wooden structures.

This technique includes several pieces of wood that sit on each other and make a box used to make the heart of some structures you see and use daily.

For example, when building a table, you have to make sure that your table won’t collapse the second it is under pressure, so you have to build a system to make it more durable.

The matter of the Torsion box is simple physics.

The way this wooden structure is built makes it almost one of the most substantial structures because every wood piece on the Torsion box has its support.

Now in the next section of the article, we will be talking about the exact tutorial that you will require in order to craft a door or a table using the Torsion box technique, and we are pretty sure that by the end of the article, you will be able to make your Torsion box.

So, if you are ready, we shall get to the article’s next section and start building a Torsion box system.

How to build a Torsion box? (+4 Stages walk-through)

Imagine having a workshop, and you will need a sturdy table to put all your heavy tools and equipment. This means you cannot use an ordinary table but worry not because we have the best option for you.

If you want to build your Torsion box, keep reading and prepare to conduct the tutorial on your own and make the Torsion box you want.

We might add that using a Torsion box can help build doors and other flat surfaces, but again being useful only on flat surfaces can be the limit of this technique; let’s get started.

At the end of the tutorial, we’ll compare a regular woodworking bench and a Torsion box table, so come with us.

Stage one

First, you have to know that when the box number rises on the structure, it will be sturdier but also get heavier, so we will execute this tutorial to build a 1m in 1m table using 10cm square Torsion boxes.

So you will have to make the joints and markings on the wood every 10cm.

Stage two

So if you accomplish the math, you will understand that you will need 10 pieces of flat wooden logs.

These logs will be on top of each other.

So after you make the slots on the wood pieces, you have to glue or nail the bottom pieces of the wood to the down skin of the table. This means that you have to wait until this part is dried, and then you should keep going.

Stage three

Use the same glue and place the remaining logs on the previous ones so you can make square boxes on the wood.

You should have the exact number of 100 squares on the tray.

Then you have to use some heavy items to ensure that these pieces stick together correctly and firmly.

Stage four

After making sure that the whole structure is dried, you have to place the top skin of the project to make the table top of the structure.

Keep in mind that if the edges of your table are still empty, you have cut some additional pieces to cover it up, but in our opinion, you can let it be because it would seem more elegant and artistic.

And now you have a decent solid table built using the Torsion box technique.

You have to remember that if you want to use this method to build a door, you have to use dense wood as the skin because it will ensure e that no one breaks in when you use this door.

Now let’s make the comparison that we promised and end the article right then and there:

Normal woodworking bench	Torsion box table
Can break under pressure	Most durable tables
thinner	Very much thicker than a normal table
Cheaper than the Torsion box table	Decent in pricing

As you can see, using both of these tools is helpful, and they have their ups and downs, and you have to choose the one suited for your needs.

You can easily check out the article we did on woodworking work tables, and then you can read this one once more and then decide on the table that you want to purchase or even build.

Now that you have all you need, we shall move on to the last section of the article and get to the conclusion that we have been building up to.

In the end

Sometimes you need special tools to craft the best arts you have ever seen. However, sometimes you have to compromise and do it yourself.

In this writing, we talked about the fact that you can make a table or a door or any flat surfaces that matter into a more robust version of the structure; this is with using the Torsion box.

We have told you all about the purpose of this method and how you can use it. Make sure to follow the steps in the tutorial very closely so you will have the best possible outcome at the end.

In the end, we are very much glad that you stayed with us until the end of the “Torsion box: how to build one?” article.