BLVK Gallery : xJoint:beta

xJoint:beta
Class: Structure

The development of the xJoint project was meant to revolutionize the way a conventional structure is built. This originated from a question that was never really answered, ‘How do you create a structure that can withstand any amount of stress under any circumstances?’ Of course, when designers design a table, then that’s what they do. But for BLVK, a pretty exterior just doesn’t quite cut it. It has to be stable, there must be no room for twisting, warping, movement or play, and of course, it has to be able to withstand a massive amount of load weight. Do you tread carefully if and when you have to stand on your dining table? Or do you invite everyone up and jump on it as much as they want to?

Origins

Back to the drawing board, various joints were analyzed, the Japanese groove joints, or the Indian dowel joint methods were all good alternatives, but grooves mean that there would be protruding edges, a safety hazard for home furnishing, and dowel joints, although rustic and currently sought after, does not compliment the clean minimalist look. From these weaknesses, the xJoint was built. By utilizing simple grooves and an additional F-joint at the top, the entire nail-free structure pulls itself back to the centre joint, where the point of gravity lies, so the possibility of structure twists is kept to a minimum.

Creation

The F-joint is a key component in the project and requires utmost precision so that it will sit into the U-groove perfectly. A perfect fit means that nails will never be needed, and the structure will perform the way it should. A circular handsaw is the only power tool utilized to create the complicated U-groove as the channel has to be manually chiseled by hand. The entire structure was created in its beta form from construction grade Kempas timbers.

Testing and deployment

The xJoint is then put to the test for durability. In its first beta testing, a Bosch slide mitre saw is then mounted and bolted on custom brackets sitting on top of the joinery. Over the next few months, hundreds of kilos of timber are repeatedly stacked on top of the structure, but it shows no sign of stress. This only proves one thing, construction grade materials means construction grade quality. By proving that this structure does what it says, it can then be used as a base for various applications, such as dining, or worktables in various sizes, or even to hold the weight of a projection TV, plus a few people jumping around it, without any problems.

xJoint. Built to last.

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