On Sun, 20 Mar 2005 21:15:59 -0500, "Dick Snyder"
wrote:

My wife wants me to make a shoji screen but I would really call it a room
divider as it will be about 8-9 feet in width. It will be made up of
individual panels about 24" side. She wants it to have the area inside the
frame of each panel covered in a fabric that won't let much light through.
I'm trying to decide if the better way to stretch the fabric which must look
nice on each side of the room divider would be over a solid piece of maybe
1/4" plywood or if it would be better to do it over a rectangular frame that
is empty in the middle (imagine the frame being made up of 4 1" wide pieces.
The best way I think would be a solid piece of plywood but we both worry
about weight. This room divider will not be up all the time but will only be
put up when the space it is dividing needs to be closed off for some
temporary sleeping arrangements. I know the rectangular frame over which the
fabric is stretched would be lighter but I wonder if it would be strong
enough.

I can't find anything that gives me a clue by using google. I'm guessing
that one or more of you have made something similar. What would you advise?

I haven't made one *yet*, but I've been putting some thought into them
for my bedroom. Best way I can think of to do it is to make a
rectangular frame that is empty in the middle with a dado cut into the
inside of the frame sections. Tack the fabric to some small pieces of
matching wood that fill the dado (leaving just enough room for the
fabric, of course) and then glue the strips into place. If you're
stretching the sucker really tight, you could use some "decorative"
pins or dowels to make sure the strips you've got the fabric tacked
to don't pop out later on.

Hope this gives you a starting point.


Aut inveniam viam aut faciam