Very cool, but expensive...

[Jim]

-Jim

[-MIKE-]

I've seen that a couple times before. Looks impressive, but every time I watch the videos it doesn't seem to close the gaps very tightly.

[Just Wondering]

What if someone down the line needs to disassemble your whatever but doesn't know about your joinery method?

[John Grossbohlin]

From what I see on the TV renovation shows that is what large hammers are for...

[Leon]

No kidding. I see sledge hammers being used to remove old kitchen cabinets. I have renovated a few kitchens and felt it was much easier to remove 2~4 attachment screws, per cabinet, and carry the cabinet out whole. They still have to remove the attachment screws when destroying the cabinets.

[John McCoy]

Jim wrote in news:1160987b-d414-4919-aa3b-01cbcafb9484 @googlegroups.com:

I totally fail to see any practical application for it. It's a neat gimmick, but definately falls into the category of solutions looking for a problem.

John

[Leon]

They would be handy for upper end displays like those used at conventions that are assembled and disassembled often . But obviously the person doing the dismantling would have to know where all of the fasteners are located.

[Greg Guarino]

I saw Tom Silva of This Old House use the system to fasten pieces of a stairway banister together.

[Greg Guarino]

Knowing my typical joinery method (glue) wouldn't help them very much.

[Leon]

Yeah I saw that on TOH several years ago. One has to wonder how tight the connection can be, the force of a magnet is about all the force that there is to turn the screw.

[Markem]

But it is TV you need images that move.

[Greg Guarino]

It would also depend on the pitch of the screw threads. I have wondered about the "tightness" too. Maybe there are tests?

[DerbyDad03]

I like this system better. Five Minute Furniture

The inventor turned down the Shark Tank deal. He wanted $250K for a 25% equity stake in his company. They offered him $250K for the patent rights but wanted *nothing* to do with him. They flat out didn't trust him.

I think he got a deal from someone else but I don't see any indication that the furniture is for sale anywhere. Having moved a few kids in and out of college dorms and apartments, I'd have gladly paid a premium for easy to assemble knock-down furniture.

Also:

[Greg Guarino]

The company's site claims:

"Powerful screwed connections with 250 kg clamping force per connector via the M5 stainless steel screw"

[John Grossbohlin]

Ikea REGISSÖR ??

[DerbyDad03]

As far as I know, the Ikea line came out in late 2014. By that point I had already put together more of that Wally World furniture than I care to mention. It always turned out that we didn't know what they needed until th e weekend they were moving in. Then, while the girls were out buying shower curtains and laundry detergent, Dad was pounding plastic dowels into particle board.

One time I was halfway through putting together a Wally World dresser in a cramped hotel room when my daughter called. "Hey Dad, I just ran into the landlord. She said they will dropping off a dresser tomorrow so you don't have to put that one together." If you think building those things is a PITA, try taking one apart and putting it back in the box. I was ready to eat the $60 and throw it in the dumpster.

Jared Joyce was pushing his 5 Minute Furniture idea back in 2012, maybe even earlier. Had it been available back then I would have at least looked at the price and weighed the pros and cons.

[John McCoy]

Leon wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Why? Banisters have been made for centuries without that system, it seems hard to think of a good reason to use it (other than to show off, I guess).

I think the actual problem you'd have is the two metal pieces have to be absolutely perpendicular to the surface to get a tight joint. Which basically means you have to drill all the holes on the drill press.

Dowels tend to do that too, but at least you have a little give with them to accomodate minor errors. That thing is effectively a steel dowel when it's joined, and there's no give.

John

[Leon]

Or Not

[John McCoy]

Greg Guarino wrote in news:n0ogfm$1ja$ [e-mail]:

I am a little sceptical of that(*), but also bear in mind that that's just a tad over 500lbs, which isn't much. You can get 1000lbs clamping force with a regular Jorgensen bar clamp, and several tons with a 3/4 pipe clamp.

(* that's about 1/3 the shear strength of the screw, if I'm not mistaken, so it's in the realm of what a human with a screwdriver could accomplish.)

John

[John Grossbohlin]

Seems staged... but then again, I run into people all the time who don't grasp the simplest mechanical things!