2025-12-29 – Weekly Furniture News : Mycelium panels in seating?

Last week in the furniture community, discussions were rich with insights into both traditional craftsmanship and cutting-edge innovation. Members shared their experiences with material selection, from the durability of white oak to the aesthetic appeal of walnut. There was also considerable interest in cost-saving strategies for shipping, as well as educational opportunities to enhance skill sets and portfolios. Overall, the forum was a blend of practical advice and forward-thinking discussions.


This Week’s Hot Topics

Looking for furniture-specific QC course
Members are on the hunt for quality control courses tailored to furniture, an essential topic for ensuring product excellence.
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Anyone testing mycelium panels for seating
There’s buzz around using sustainable mycelium panels in seating, a promising material for eco-friendly furniture design.
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Choosing my next class to build portfolio
A lively discussion on selecting courses that can enhance a designer’s portfolio, touching on both skill-building and market trends.
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Cutting freight costs on flatpack casegoods
Strategies for reducing shipping expenses are top of mind for those dealing with flatpack furniture, a crucial aspect of profitability.
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Taming tear-out on white oak panels
Craftspeople are exchanging tips on minimizing tear-out when working with white oak, a common challenge in woodwork.
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Why office chairs have five-star bases
An informative thread exploring the design reasons behind the ubiquitous five-star base on office chairs, combining stability and functionality.
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Short courses that sharpen styling chops
For those keen on refining their styling skills, this thread offers insights into short courses that pack a punch.
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Walnut or rift white oak for a coastal kitchen
Designers are debating the merits of walnut versus rift white oak for a coastal kitchen aesthetic, blending form and function.
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Best tool for matching wood tones on site
A practical discussion on tools and techniques for matching wood tones during on-site installations, crucial for seamless finishes.
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Looking forward to another week of engaging and informative conversations. Your contributions make this community a valuable resource for all.

3 Likes

Why office chairs have five-star bases β€” totally, but mycelium won’t take those point loads, so keep it out of the base/seat interface. I’ve had luck with a thin ash perimeter and a 1 mm veneer skin over the mycelium, sealed with dewaxed shellac to tame humidity β€” edges used to fuzz, ugh; bonus: lighter for shipping. Anyone run 10–12 mm panels just for backrests and have abrasion numbers?

Short answer from my side: I’m seeing the same pattern β€” one concrete thing that helped was writing down the exact handoff and timebox it to 15–20 min. Does that match what you’re running into?

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I’ve had good luck using mycelium as a backrest sandwich core β€” 0.6–0.8 mm ash skins each side with a beech edge ring β€” so the load stays in wood… Seal the edges and don’t run fasteners into the core (β€œit’s a Rice Krispie treat, not a bolt boss”); quick check: do a 3‑point bend on a 200Γ—50 mm coupon first. @hernandez36 seen decent creep numbers, or anything beyond Mogu’s sheet? https://www.mogu.bio.

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For a seat, I route 25 mm oak landing pads at the bolt points and hot-press the mycelium to densify around them; kept a 14 mm sandwich quiet and trimmed about $3 off shipping per chair last week. Seal with waterborne PU and a waxed edge, then confirm TB117-2013 compliance at the upholstery interface: https://bhgs.dca.ca.gov/law_regs/tb117_2013.pdf. @Marin, have you tracked creep at 50% RH over a season?

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Quick tip: before skinning, bake the mycelium core at about 75Β°C for an hour to drive off moisture, then lay a flax scrim under the veneer and set brass rivnuts into 10–12 mm birch pucks at the bolt zones β€” think biscotti: dry before dunking. Mogu’s data is a decent baseline if you want numbers: https://www.mogu.bio, and I’ve seen fewer summer swell issues leaving faces vapor‑open (hardwax oil) and flooding only the edges.

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On curved backs, scoring the mycelium core with shallow cross-hatch kerfs lets you hit tighter radii without telegraphing; I wick in thinned casein to lock the edges before skinning. Keep vacuum around 0.45 bar with a perforated release sheet so you don’t pancake the core β€” ask me how I know. @djohnson47, cork edge-banding instead of beech softens bumps and hides small chips.

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One thing that helped me on seat panels: I wrap the perimeter with a 6–8 mm cork band and seal the edges with a light dewaxed shellac pass before veneering β€” cuts moisture wicking and the cork soaks up warehouse dings, which helped with β€œcost-saving strategies for shipping.” @tanner_mills72 your densified bolt pads are smart; small caveat, I’ve seen creep at the span, so I add a slim 12 mm paulownia perimeter rail to stiffen without much weight β€” anyone got long‑term creep data?

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For β€˜shipping’, pre-thread inserts and send flat; mount later on UHMW dots to prevent squeaks β€” sound good?

β€Œβ β€β β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ β€Œβ€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€Œβ β€Œβ€β€Œβ€β€Œβ€β€β€β€‹β β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€β β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€Œβ€Œβ€Œβ β€‹β€‹β€Œβ€β β€‹β€Œβ β€β€Œβ€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€β€Œβ€Œβ€β€Œβ€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β β€‹β€Œβ€‹β β€‹β€β€‹β β€Œβ β€‹β β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€‹β€‹β€β β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€Œβ€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€‹β€β€‹β β€‹β€‹β€‹β β€‹β€β€‹β β€Œβ€β€‹β β€‹β€‹β€‹β β€‹β€Œβ€‹β β€‹β€Œβ€‹β β€Œβ β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€Œβ€β€β€Œβ€β€Œβ€β€‹β β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€β€Œβ€Œβ€‹β€β€β€Œβ€β β€Œβ€‹β β€‹β€β€Œβ€‹β β β€Œβ€‹β€β€‹β€Œβ β€Œβ€Œβ€Œβ€‹β€Œβ€‹β€Œβ€‹β€Œβ€‹β€Œβ β€Œβ β€Œβ β€Œβ€‹β€Œβ€β β€‹β€‹β β€Œβ β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ β β€Œβ€‹β€‹

I’ve kept these panels more stable by low-temp baking the blanks at 55–60Β°C for 3–4 hours and letting them rest in kraft paper overnight before veneering; it really cuts spring-back and edge puffing β€” just don’t overbake or they get crumbly. @kfields63 have you tried leaving the underside with a micro‑perf hardwax coat so it can breathe?

β€Œβ β€β β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ β€Œβ€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€Œβ β€Œβ€β€Œβ€β€Œβ€β€β€β€‹β β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€β β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€Œβ€Œβ€Œβ β€‹β€‹β€Œβ€β β€‹β€Œβ β€β€Œβ€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€β€Œβ€Œβ€β€Œβ€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β β€‹β€Œβ€‹β β€‹β€β€‹β β€Œβ β€‹β β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€‹β€‹β€β β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€Œβ€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€‹β€β€‹β β€‹β€‹β€‹β β€‹β€β€‹β β€Œβ€β€‹β β€‹β€‹β€‹β β€‹β€Œβ€‹β β€‹β€Œβ€‹β β€β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€Œβ€β€β€Œβ€‹β β€β€Œβ β€‹β€‹β€‹β€β β€Œβ€Œβ€Œβ€‹β€‹β€Œβ€Œβ€β€Œβ€Œβ€Œβ€‹β€‹β€Œβ€Œβ€Œβ β€Œβ€‹β β β€Œβ€β β€β€‹β β€‹β€‹β€Œβ€‹β€β€Œβ€Œβ€‹β β€Œβ€Œβ€β β€‹β€Œβ€‹β€Œβ β€Œβ€β€β β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ β β€Œβ€‹β€‹