The secret revealed

In order to construct cardboard furniture you need to know where cardboard is strongest.  Knowing where the strength of the cardboard is, is the secret ingredient for it's construction.  You don't want to make a whole piece of furniture only to have it collapse the first time you put something heavy on it or in it.  So here's an experiment.  Take a cardboard tube and stand it on end.  The one I'm using is a paper towel tube.

Now try to crush it top to bottom.

How about something heavier?

How about something even heavier?

Not easy to do is it?  If I had 4 or 5 tubes taped togehter, I could probably stand on it without any fear of falling.  Ok, lay the tube on it's side and crush it.

Much easier this time.  Ok, now let's try a cut piece of a cardboard box this time.  Flutes going up and down.  Flutes are the wavy line paper inside the cardboard.

Try to crush it.  Hard to do huh? 

Now lay it on it's side and push.  Much easier isn't it?

There you have it.  The secret of cardboard furniture construction.  The strength of the cardboard lies in the direction of the flutes.  Look at any cardboard container and you will see that the flutes go from top to bottom on the outer sides.  This is where the box is strongest for stacking one on top of another. 

The flutes of cardboard are very much like the round strength of a tube.  The more flutes together the stronger the strength.  When you are constructing your furniture, the strength of the flutes should go from top to bottom whenever possible.  The more times you repeat the flutes, going in the right direction during construction, the stronger your furniture piece becomes.  The strength of the construction using the natural strength of the flutes and  is why a person can make cabinets and dressers and couches and chairs..... etc.