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Plylight

Plylight

Ben Nicholson
October 22, 2016
1 Comment

Plylight is a pendant light that is constructed of multiple rings of birch plywood that are laminated into a rough form, and turned smooth on a lathe to create a seamless layered face. The inside of the Plylight is stepped, lending a hint as to how it was constructed and also creating a striking effect of light and shadow. The Plylight is offered in either small or large sizes, both are finished with a natural clear satin sealer with the option of painted internal faces in a range of colours.



I have always loved plywood for the appearance of its edges; although they are engineered the grain has a beauty of its own. Plywood is also a very economical use of timber, with very little wasted in the milling process and its construction. The idea of the Plylight began as an experiment to minimise waste in the process of woodturning. Rather than hollowing out a solid piece of timber to create a form, the Plylight's construction of multiple rings cut from a sheet requires around 75% less material. The shape of the Plylight was also in-part derived from the intention to minimise waste in the manufacturing process, with each ring layer nesting the precise width of a cutting blade within the next. Care was taken to source environmentally friendly materials and finishes; the Finnish birch plywood is sustainably grown and has an E0 emissions rating, the clear sealer is natural-based and the paints are low VOC.


From the initial sketches of the Plylight I had an idea of the shape and proportions that I wanted to create. CAD software was used to model the design and work out the best size, shape and sheet layout to minimise wastage. To make the Plylight, the rings are measured and cut from the birch plywood sheets using a handheld router, and glued together into a rough form. Once the form has dried, the outside face is turned smooth on a lathe and sanded, before the final finishes are applied.

The response to the Plylight has been very positive, people seem to love the effect of the seamless plywood face and the colours that have been chosen. This is the first project that I have decided to produce myself to sell and the learning curve has been a steep one. One of the things I have learnt is the importance of working efficiently, I have developed a number of jigs to help make cutting out and gluing the Plylights easier and more accurate, which in-turn saves time and money. I am constantly looking for ways to improve even more.

The Plylight is available for sale here:
http://www.workshopped.com.au/shop_product/Plylight?CID=3

Ben Nicholson

Growing up in the leafy northern suburbs of Sydney, Australia gave me a great appreciation for our natural environment and a passion for preserving it. This led me to pursue a career in industrial design as a way of influencing the products we produce and consume. Through my studies and experience I have developed the philosophy that simplicity is the key to good design; in function, aesthetics and material choice. Good design should be timeless and be constructed to last as long as possible. This is what I aim to achieve with the products which I produce under my business name Apple Ply.

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