I’ve got an IKEA about 10 miles from my house. I might go perusing and see what I can cobble together. I have half a mind to bolt two of these shelving units together, throw a 3/4” sheet of MDF on either side and lay it on a stand. It’d be pretty bulky but I’m guessing it’d be as sturdy as anything else, and lots easier to put together. Voilà! Instant, bulky torsion box!
I second what Robert had to say. I like ikea for CHEAP/DISPOSABLE furniture and cabinetry, however there is a time and place for everything and this is not one of those situations. The cheap table showed earlier would be a much better approach.
So even glueing and screwing the skins to the units wouldn’t be effective? How is that different from any other method I’ve seen? I’ve got quite a few IKEA shelving units and they’re surprisingly sturdy.
Had this one for years and it won’t deflect a 1/4” if I put my whole weight against it.
Not trying to be a smart ■■■, just don’t understand why it would be less effective.
Apparently, people were not fond of my previous phrasing and flagged it as inappropriate, so it was hidden and I was asked to rephrase. I’ll give it another run…
Thanks, Bob, for that insight and helpfulness. It’s good to know that when a new member joins the forum and has questions that he legitimately doesn’t know the answer to, you’ll be there to provide assistance without making them feel stupid for asking.
Additionally, if you meant “Fail!” with no malice, I apologize for taking it the wrong way. But in today’s internet environment and reading many of your other posts, I took it as joke at my expense (abusive, to use your word).
Again, my apologies if it was taken wrong and since we’ll both be on the forum with lots of questions and answers, I hope we can get past it. I hope this can be a learning experience for all, including myself.
Not about proving anything. I’m legitimately curious.
I basically say this because of what the core is made out of. I would much prefer quality MDF over these. As my Grandfather would say, these are made from Glit. Glue and $#!+.
Don’t get me wrong, I like ikea products. I even used their kitchen cabinets building out multiple condos. They turned out great. But I don’t think that these will be the best route to take in THIS situation. I think they will be more effort than their worth. I would assume that you could find better options even from ikea.
The torsion Box does not need to be 12” or so thick and if it was, the uprights should be thicker or much closer together.
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Thanks. I didn’t mean to imply I wasn’t taking your advice, I’m just trying to understand how to make this thing work the best it can in a way I’ll be able to accomplish.
Also, I’m an IT security guy. I like to know how and why things work, down to their core components. And by nature, I don’t take any advice blindly. I ask lots of questions.
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Awesome, thanks for that. I’ve seen quite a few things on how to build one, but that is the first why to build one I’ve read. That helps a lot.
Plus the glue will take up the slack.
There are many reasons why these would not work (from Ikea). First, each one cost $50. How many would you have to buy to be the size of a X-Carve? For the 1000mm version you’d need around 10 of them. That’s $500 for the grid (a cheaply made version of one). You could buy a sheet of MDF and cut it into strips for around $40. Second reason it wouldn’t work is they are 12" deep. Are you seriously going to make a 12" thick torsion table? You’d be MUCH better of just buying some wood and cutting the dados into them and then simply assemble them together. Ikea is good, just not for this kind of thing.
What??? You’ve never seen a ikea wing and vertical stabilizer ? They’re all the rage 
So I ask a legitimate question. Your first contribution to the conversation is to let me know that my idea is stupid with the concise explanation of “Fail!” I call you on it, and your response is the equivalent of the childhood classic “I’m rubber, you’re glue”?
The others here have been very helpful and I appreciate it. Sorry you chose to do otherwise.
Well, they’re roughly 27”x52”, so two of them would suffice. But I see your point about the 12” deep part.
Exactly. When you press down on a solid beam, you actually compress its top section and stretch its bottom section. These compression and tension forces are neutral at the beam’s center. It’s the same basic way that I-beams work.
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I think I’m going to start with the table I linked early in the thread and see how it goes. If I find that I’m having issues I’ll spend the time and money to have someone help me make a torsion box.
Thanks, everyone, for your help and information. Now to read the assembly instructions a few times…
But then where did you put the X-Carve?
I’m building a torsion box using my X-Carve. You can use any top to carve the parts, then take it off the X-Carve and use it for the top of you torsion box. I’m not quite done but will document how I did it in about a week.
Hint: I used pins at the center to be able to flip the piece around.
Looking forward to seeing this Larry 
Do you have any pics or specs of the torsion box made from AL extrusion. Sounds like what I want to accomplish and fasten to a wheeled machine table. All my machines need to be mobile so the wife can still park in the garage.
All of the photos I have, have been shared here already. Unfortunately I do not have any of the table build itself.
I built the table using 20mm X 40mm extrusions and 40mmX40mm extrusions. The overall table size was 1800mm long by 1040mm wide.
I used two pieces of 20X40X1800 extrusions as the side pieces. From there I placed one 40x40x1000 at each end to connect them. I used the aluminum gussets to keep them square.
Next I ran a piece of 40x40 down the center of the table. Approximately every 12” i added a 40x40 on each side of the center 40x40. I used the gussets in every corner. Makes for a really rigid frame. Here is a list. (I made a pocket recess so my dimensions aren’t exactly the same but it will be simpler to explain without the pocket)
2-20x40x1800 - sides
2-40x40x1000 - front and back
1-40x40x1720 - center support
10-40x40x480 - center to side rails
96-right angle gussets
I then skinned each side with 3/4”MDF
On the top work surface I added T-Slots with 3/4”MDF spacers. So technically I have two layers of MDF on the top side. The second layer is a replaceable spoilboard.
If you do a search for Sam-Bo you should be able to find photographs of my machine.
And for any of those wondering how it obtained its name: My Father’s name was Sam and we were Fans of Rambo while I was growing up. Since my Father was my hero from a young age, he obtained the nick name Sam-Bo when I was just a small child and it just stuck. Even my Grandfather started calling him that. I built this CNC while I was caring for him during his final months. This is how it obtained its name, a way for my Father to carry on and continue helping me in my shop.
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I like what I’m seeing here about a torsion box. How much clearance do I need around the x-carve? How big of a table?