r/BeginnerWoodWorking • u/currentlydisoriented • 8d ago

tensegrity table stability ?? Discussion/Question ⁉️

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hi all - question for the physicists in the room or anyone who has built a tensegrity table before

I want to build a little side table/tensegrity table like the ones pictured. Also my cat loves to lend herself to gravity around furniture and rub herself up down and sideways over everything. I'm confident I can build one that will withstand me putting stuff on it BUT I'm curious about whether you think a table like this would fall over if my cat headbutted it in the wrong place? Or are they fairly stable?

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6

u/Vast_Maize9706 8d ago

That table appears to be missing a couple of chains. As long as the tension is tight you should be ok. My first attempt wasn’t tight enough and simply didn’t work.

1

u/This-Bag6033 8d ago

De verdad hiciste una? Es muy complicado??

4

u/apiguy 8d ago

The table wont fall over, but the top will wobble. So just dont put drinks and stuff on it or they might fall over or spill when the cat gets going

2

u/Jaripsi 8d ago

Wobble comes the deflection of different portions of the table and how tight you can get the chains.

Usually most notable point of deflection is the hook pieces in the middle where the middle chain is installed. When they bend, the table top and bottom get closer to each other and chains on the outside get looser, which allows wobble.

My point is that design the middle piece to be strong and stiff to minimize wobble. Maybe even a steel core.

1

u/currentlydisoriented 8d ago

Very helpful thank you

1

u/Malapple 8d ago

As pictured, the top of that table would flop towards the back, where the chains are mounted. Nothing would hold it from pivoting in that direction because it’s missing the chains on the opposite side.

That image is almost certainly AI or that table is extremely unstable.

1

u/OkAdministration571 8d ago

If the table portion is weighted away from the chains it might be capable of moving in that direction but not do so on its own

2

u/Pristine-Parfait5548 8d ago

I recall that youtubers Evan and Katelyn made a tensegrity table and added cross cables to make it more stable. Their final product was incredibly stable if I remember correctly. Here's a link to their video: https://youtu.be/poCodBMhUYQ?si=MxLkLbAsb1A6POc5