For a while now, I’ve been wanting to build some columns.  I know, this is not a “traditional” project, but the reasoning is sound: I’m going to be living in student housing for 4 years whilst I earn my GIS degree at UW-MADison, ergo, I can’t paint, I can’t put up crown molding, and I can’t knock down walls just because I damned well feel like it.

That being the case, I’ve designed several projects that will let me bring some architectural detail into my apartment in a non-destructive fashion and I’ll be bringing you blow-by-blow accounts as things progress.

The columns themselves are just large cardboard tubes, much like the ones carpet is typically spooled on (thanks, Rich).  Everything else, well, that had to be designed and custom manufactured here at the makerspace…

I’ve become thoroughly enamored with our DIY CNC Router, care of Ron and Tom.  After giving a demo on the wonders of 3D profiling, I thought I should delve into waterline routing which is the technique that I’ve used here.  The detail that you can achieve is pretty remarkable, although there is a significant amount of hand-finishing required for that craftsman look.

Tonight, I cut the main pieces for the base and the capital of the column.  Once I have this first one more-or-less done, I’ll know enough about the workflow that I can build the other three with less trouble.  In the end, each column will have a space in the top for a pot so I can train my philodendrons down and around them.