Term 4 Task

For term 4, our task is to make wooden mechanical toys. The way we will do this is by using different kinds of mechanisims making certain parts of the toy move. Using 'Mechanical Toys' on the DF computer desktops, we can choose which mechanical toy we would like to make. I am thinking of making the Mechenical Monkey and calling it Darrenen.

Evaluation

My desk tidys' function is sufficient as it is stable and fits perfectly with my needs. Things that my desk tidy could improve on is to have been a little neater looking as I accidentally put too much glue onto my pencil holder and my bowl. And because they are both see through, you can see blotches of glue which isn't very attractive...

Although, I think that my desk tidys' aesthetics are great as the design and materials used make my desk tidy very unique looking. I wanted my desk tidy to be different with unusual curves and I believe I accomplished that.

My desk tidy is reasonably safe as it has a very light weight, but does have some sharp edges. The base is pretty thin and has sharp corners so if you dropped it onto your foot, it might hurt a bit. Although, I believe I designed my desk tidy to work perfectly for my needs.I didn't have anywhere to put my iPod and so with the iPod holder I now have a place (and I can also charge at the same time which is a bonus). I put my pen and my ID card in the pencil holder and then the bowl is perfect for my languard and my watch.

The economics of the desk tidy are very good. The only material I used to make my desk tidy was acrylic plastic and that is fairly cheep. It would cost approximately over $500-$600 including all aspect like: manufacturing, labour, advertising, transport, packaging, sales and administration. Therefore, it would be a pretty expensive process for a desk tidy that might cost around $10 in stores.

Overall, I think that my desk tidy is still a very sufficient and unique looking product.

Questions

1.    Choose 2 machines that you used in the fabrication of your desk tidy. With these machines in mind, outline WPH&S considerations that must be adhered to when using these machines. Include photographs of your chosen machines (OnGuard may be an excellent resource for this question).

Band Saw-

Before using a band saw you should:

•   Read the owner's manual carefully.

•   Make sure you understand the instructions before attempting to use any tool or machine.

•   Learn the applications and limitations before use.

•   Securely anchor the band saw to the floor (or a workbench of appropriate height) to reduce vibration.

•   Refer to Woodworking Machines - General Safety Tips for general safety precautions.

When using the band saw you should:

•   Wear safety gear (safety glasses, closed in shoes etc.)

•   Put hair back if needed.

•   Do not put to much pressure on the blade with the wood.

•   Stop machine straight away if there is any uneasy sounds

•   Keep the floor around a band saw clean and free of obstructions or clutter.

•   Keep the machine properly oiled and serviced.

•   Do not remove sawdust or cuttings from the table by hand or with compressed air. Use a stick or brush.

•   Do not leave a saw running unattended. Turn off the power and make sure the machine has stopped running before leaving the area.

Strip Heater-

Before using a strip heater you should:

•   Read the owner's manual carefully.

•   Make sure you understand the instructions before attempting to use any tool or machine.

•   Learn the applications and limitations before use.

When using strip heater you should:

•   Wear safety gear (safety glasses, closed in shoes etc.)

•   Put hair back if needed.

•   Wear leather gloves.

•   Do not touch while turned on as it is hot.

•   Ensure you turn off device when done using it.

2.  The material you are using for your desk tidy is called Polymethylmethacrylate (ACRYLIC). It has specific properties and uses.  Choose 2 other common polymers and in table form give their industrial name, common name, properties and uses.

	Silicone	Liquid Crystal Polymer
Industrial name	Silicium	Liquid Crystal Polymer
Common name	Silicone	Liquid Crystals
Properties	-Low thermal conductivity -Low chemical reactivity -Low toxicity -Thermal stability -The ability to repel water and form watertight seals -Does not stick to many substrates, but adheres very well to others, e.g. glass. -Does not support microbiological growth.	-Come in a variety of forms from sinterable high temperature to injection moldable compounds.
Uses	Used in sealants, adhesives, lubricants, medical applications, cookware, and insulation.	electrical and mechanical parts, food containers, microwaves.

3.  Extrusion, injection moulding, compression moulding, vacuum forming and laminating are examples of common manufacturing processes used with polymers (Plastics). Choose one process and with the use of diagrams and bullet points outline the process.

Vacuum forming-

1.    A sheet of plastic is heated to a forming temperature.

2.    It is then stretched onto or into a single-surface mold.

3.    Then it's held against the mould by applying a vacuum between the mould surface and the sheet.

4.    Lastly, it is left to set so that it stays firm.

4.  Extension Work - Using processes acquired from your maths lessons, calculate the amount of acrylic sheet that your FINAL desk tidy represents. Show all calculations; answer needs to be in square metres.

Rule= length x width = answer^2

Base- L 20 cm x W 20 cm

           = 400 cm^2

iPod holder- L 10 cm x W 13 cm

                      = 130 cm^2

                      L 7 cm x W 6 cm

                      = 42 cm^2

Pencil holder- L 15 cm x W 10 cm

                         = 150 cm^2

Bowl- L 14 cm x W 14 cm

           = 196 cm^2

Total= 918 cm^2

Meters= 918 cm / 1000 = 0.918 m^2

Therefore, my desk tidy was made up of 0.918 m^2 worth of acrylic sheet. 

Blog #5

My Finished Product

 

                                            

Tools I used

 

      Sanding Machine                                                                                   Screw Driver

Small Band Saw

 

                     Oven                                                                                                      Sanders

 Band Saw

Strip Heater

Blog #4

I have finally finished my Desk Tidy! At the start, when I was trying to glue the stands on the iPod holder, I was having a lot of trouble; but I figured out how to fix it. All I had to do was sand down the bottom of the iPod holder to make it a little more flat so that I have a definit surface to glue the stands on and it worked. After I glued the stands on, I tried to have the holder stand up all by itself, but the stands weren't stable enough. I decided to have a back stand as well to make it more stable. I put a small rectangle at the bottom of the back stand so that the charger wire can go through it. I made the edges of the back stand where I was going to glue it diagonal so it had a bigger surface to glue like what I did to the bottom of the holder. Then I gued that on and I was finally finished. I'm really happy with the final product. I believe it fits all of the requirements I needed and it's also reasonably stable.I also like how it looks as well. I'm ready to take my desk tidy home now!

Blog #3

The first thing I started on after I finished the bowl was heating up the iPod stands so I can fold them. I tried the heater with the smaller gap as the stands are pretty small. I then waited for 5 minutes and went back to check on the stands, but they weren't even hot yet. So I decided to glue the parts (pencile stand and bowl) onto the base. I was a little worried that the glue under the pencil holder is going to be a little messy as you can see through it. But I glued it on anyway and I was right. But I couldn't fix it now so I went to glue the bowl on but there was glue everywhere. I finally found the source of all the glue which was a hole in the glue packet. Some glue got in the bowl, so I tried to scoop it out but it was getting worse. I then went to the tap to try and wash out the glue but that just made scares and scratches on the outside of the bowl which did not look good at all. When I finally glued the bowl onto the base; it looked terrible! But I couldn't fix it because the glue had already dried. But that wasn't the worst part of the lesson. After the stands were finally ready after nearly the whole lesson heating up, I bent them and tried to glue them to the bottom of the iPod holder. That was a complete disaster. Because the stands are thin and the area where the stands are suppose to stick on are small; it's very difficult for them to stay. After attempting around 5 times and failing all times, I asked Mr Churchill and he gave the advice to try and use tape. But before I could try, the lesson was over. I really hope that next lessons work improves.

Blog #2

I have had alot of fun being independent in the workshop lately. I have nearly finished my dest tidy. I have finished the small rectangular pencil etc. holder. All I really had to to was draw a rectangle and two folding parts on either side of the base. Then I heated up the marking of where I was going to fold it. I have also finished the bowl for my languard. Than was fun to do as I got to use the oven! I heated the plastic for around 5 minutes and then quickly tried to fold it before it sets. I found it really tricky because it wasn't bending into a bowl shape and it set quicker than I thought it would. At the end, my bowl was actually really unique and I liked it because it still looked like a bowl but not as plain as a normal bowl. And lastly, I cut out small stands for my iPod holder. I needed stands because I want to be able to plug in the charger at the bottom of the holder so it needs to be up more. The stands are two small rectangles that will have a bend in the middle of it to make a triangle shape. I'm nearly done!

Term 2- Blog #1

This terms project is to make a desk tidy that suits your needs. I have already designed my task tidy and have started on it just a little bit. We are using plastics which I haven't used befour and it has been fun so far. I have finished my base and the stand for my iPod. The iPod stand was harder to make than I had expected. The shape was easy enough, but I wanted a small square at the bottom to I could charge it while it was on the stand. I couldn't cut it out because it was in the middle of the stand. So therefore, it was a little difficult. I decided to get a drill and drill some holes into the square. Then I got a small file and filed the edges to make the sides smooth. It was challenging but I worked out a way.

Blog #7

In today's lesson, we watched a 15 minute video called plastics and design. It was about a company and how they go about designing a new drink bottle. Here are some of the notes I took while watching the video...

VIDEO REPORT- Plastics and design:

- polypropylene is easy to use, keeps its shape and is microwaveable

- the die is the mold the plastic goes into

- plastics can be used for nearly anything

- hot plastic is injected into moulds, solidifies quickly, then the mould separates and releases the plastic.

Blog #7

I have finally finished my lamp and I'm really happy with it! Here is a picture of the finished product...

Evaluation

My lamps function is sufficient as it works properly and produces a small amount of light, perfect for a small desk lamp. Things that my lamp could improve on is to have a little more stability as I had difficulty screwing one of the Phillips head's in properly, connecting the lamp structure to the wooden base.

I think that my lamps aesthetics are great. I believe that the design and materials used make my lamp very modern and fashionable. I also believe that the shape of the lamp is unique and the most efficient.

My lamp is very safe as it has a very light weight. Also, the way that the light design is angled makes the light go directly the users work. Although, you have to find a power switch and plug it in there for it to turn on which is very inconvenient.

The economics of the lamp are rarely good. Most materials used to make the lamp are fairly cheek except for the LED light strip. It would cost approximately over $600-$700 including all aspect like: manufacturing, labour, advertising, transport, packaging, sales and administration. Therefore, it would be a very expensive process for a lamp that might cost around $40 in stores.

Overall, I think that my lamp is still a very sufficient product.

Blog #6

Today was a quick lesson. All I have to do now is wait for the switch cord to come in so I spent 10 minutes in the workshop trying to sand paper my name off of my lamps wood base, and the rest of the lesson updating my blog. Can't wait for next lesson when I will be able to finally finish my lamp!

Blog #5

^Pictures of lamp without lighting^

Last lesson I started on lighting. I started by measuring how long my strip of LED light should be and cutting it out. Then I collected 1 red and 1 blue wire. Firstly, I had to use the soldering iron make two small blobs of the soldering metal onto one end of the strip of LED light. Then I soldered a little of the metal onto the end on both wires. I then carefully placed one of the wire ends onto the blob and melted them together. After I had finished soldering, I had to check if the light was wired right and worked, so I put each end of the red and blue wire attached to the strip of light to the two main wire. Sadly, for some reason it didn't light up. I went back to investigate the source of the problem and found that there was to much of the soldering metal. So after I fixed that problem and the light was working, I went and put the black rubber tube over where the wire attached to the LED light strip to protect it, and sealed it shut with a blow torch. The last thing I had to do was attach the light strip to the top of the lamp structure, stick the wires in place and last but not least, push in the long white strip to cover up the wires. I really enjoyed todays lesson and can't wait for the next when I might be able to finally finish my lamp!

Assesment

One of James Clar's art works 'Waveform'.

1) What is the actual difference between light of different colours?

The difference between light of different colours is frequency of EM waves (wave lengths) which determines the amount of energy it contains. Different colours of light have different frequencies and amounts of energy.

2) Define the following lighting terms: (ambient light, direct light diffuser, luminosity, energy efficiency, watts)?

ambient light- The light surrounding an environment or subject.

direct light diffuser- Light that strikes a smooth surface, reflecting back in the same concentration, making it a soft light with neither the intensity nor the glare of direct light.

luminosity- The quality of emitting or reflecting light.

energy efficiency- An appliance or tool that reduces the amount of energy necessary to operate machinery .

watts- A kind of unit of measurement to express electrical power or light.

3) Comment on global warming:

Global Warming is the gradual increase in the temperature of the earth's atmosphere. It was agreed that human activity is very likely the cause for the rapid increase in global average temperatures over the past several decades. We dig up oil and coal and burn it to produce energy, but while doing that, we release carbon into the air which is causing a lot of the global warming. One way to reduce the carbon being released into the air is using energy efficiently and correctly. Reducing the amount of energy you use around the house will reduce the amount of coal that needs to burn to support the amount of power you want.

4) How can the modern home become more energy efficient with regard to lighting?

Instead of using lights like: Fluorescent lights, Halogens or CFL's; use LED lights.

5) Research a modern-day lighting designer and comment on their contribution to the design world:

James Clar is a modern-day lighting designer. He creates a fusion of technology, popular culture and visual information into art. Clar trys to often control and manipulate light. His art work contributes to the design world by showing nationalism, globalism and popular culture in the age of mass information. Also, while exposing the difference between Western media and Middle Eastern media.

Blog #4

Last lesson was a little difficult because the lesson before that I didn't get to finish screwing in one of my Phillips heads so I used the electric drill. At first it was working fine but near the end the drill kept popping out of the hole. It took a while but it worked eventually after putting more force on the drill. I didn't get to start lighting my lamp yet but next lesson I will. Can't wait!

Blog #3

I had a lot of fun last lesson. I had already bent my lamp to the shape I wanted, so the next thing to do was to drill it to my base. I stuck with the normal rectangle base then the triangle base. I first needed to mark on the lamp where I wanted the base to be attached and drill two holes there with the big drill. Then I needed to place the lamp structure where I wanted it to be on the base and used a small drill to drill there the holes were going to be. After that, I needed to get two Phillips head screws and hand turn them into the holes. Once I can't screw them in by hand anymore, I eventually used an electric screw driver attaching the metal lamp structure to the base. This was a lot of fun to do. After I just check to see if the screws are in properly I think I'll be able to start on the lighting!

Blog #2

Today was a really productive day! We got to go in the work shop and start on our lamps. I had finally chosen which lamp design I was going to do which was design 4. I did change a little bit of it and decided to start the first bend right onto of the base. And also, instead of the light facing straight down, I got the stem of the lamp to face on a more vertical angle. I found this easy as all I had to do was mark where I wanted the metal to bend. I'm really exited for next lesson when I can do more hands on stuff.

Blog #1

DF has definitely been fun so far. Mr Ward in hilarious. I've been trying to choose which lamp design would be the best choice from the ideation I drew up (top left). I narrowed it down to 2 or 4 (even though I liked the idea of the triangle base) because I felt they were the most practical and looked the best. I feel I should choose 4 instead of 2 because the square base would be behind where the light would be, which would give more space for whatever work the user is doing but I'm not sure. I really need to decide because next lesson we will actually be starting on making the lamps (which I'm very exited about). We have also been practicing Isomectric drawings (bottom left) and Mr Ward kindly gave us all chocolate last lesson. I hope he does that again some other time! Can't wait for the next lesson! :)