The document describes the process of making side blocks for a woodworking project. It details marking out, cutting, and shaping the side blocks using various tools like saws, sanders, rasps and sandpaper. The author shapes the side blocks into spherical forms and works to smooth the surfaces. Some challenges are mentioned, like the time-consuming nature of certain tools. Progress is made on 4 side blocks through filing and shaping with rasps.

1. January 10th 2011- Monday<br />I have started to make the project as I have planned on my Gantt Chart.<br />According to my Gantt chart, and my orthographic drawing, I will be using a ply wood for the sides. However I used a thicker piece of timber for the sides, M.D.F. M.D.F was thicker than the ply wood. <br />Marking out sides<br />I was given a very big piece of M.D.F to mark out my two sides. I used a pencil, metal rule and a tri square to mark out my sides. I marked out my sides near the corner of the M.D.F that I was given to not waste any materials.<br />I have left a 5 mm gap between the two sides that I have marked out. <br />Cutting<br />After I have marked out the sides, I used a hand saw to cut out the pats of the M.D.F that I am not using. Because it was a single period I wasn’t able to do a lot.<br />Construction plan link<br />I think I am ok with the pace so far. I was able to start cutting the sides as I predicted in the Gantt Chart I created. I think with this pace I will be able to finish making my product as I predicted on the Gantt Chart.<br />11th January 2011-Tuesday<br />In today’s lesson, I have started with cutting out the two sides. <br />Cutting sides<br />I used a tenon saw to cut the two sides. First I got a bench hook, then I have put the bench hook in the bench vice. After putting the bench hook, I used the tenon saw. I placed the tenon saw beside the line that I wanted to cut, then pulled back 3 times. Then I moved the saw back and forth to cut the piece.<br />Side blocks<br />The next step of my project was to make the 10 side blocks for the sides. I had side blocks with different thicknesses. There were 25mm, 30 mm, 35mm and 45mm. I had to search for pine that suited my measurements.<br />I have found a timber that was in exact thickness that I wanted. Therefore I measure and marked out two of side block no.1. Then I started to cut the side block no.1. <br />After cutting the side block no.1s out. I was looking for the timber that suited my other side blocks. Because side block no.2 was a small piece, I was able to find the pine that suited side block no. 2.<br />I measured and marked out 2 of side block no.2 with a pencil and a metal rule, and cut them with a tenon saw.<br />In this period I have wasted too much time searching for the pine that suited my measurements. When I found a timber that had the thickness that I wanted, either the length or the width didn’t suited. Therefore I spent too much time searching for the piece that was right, and yet I wasn’t able to find the timber with the size that I wanted. <br />Construction Plan Link<br />I think I am a little bit ahead of my Gantt chart. I was able to start cutting four out of the ten side blocks out although I wasn’t able to mark out of them.<br />Next?<br />In the next period I will ask Mr. Anderson for a timber with the thickness of either 30 or 35mm to measure and mark out the rest of the side blocks.<br />AOI/Learner Profile Link<br />14th January 2011- Friday<br />In today’s double period I have started with asking Mr. Anderson for a timber that had either thickness of 30 or 35 mm. I was able to get a pine with thickness of 37mm<br />Measuring and marking Out + Cutting<br />0365760001371600I used a pencil, metal rule and a tri square to measure and mark out the side blocks no.3,4, and 5 on one piece of pine. Mr. Anderson has helped me to cut pieces. The side block no.3 and 5 had the same width, therefore he was able to cut them for me within less than a minute. Because Mr. Anderson helped me to cut the side blocks all I had to do was to cut some parts that the bench saw couldn’t cut. I used a hand saw, tenon saw to cut the parts where Mr. Anderson didn’t cut using the bench saw.<br />The picture on the left is me cutting the unnecessary part (part where the bench saw couldn’t cut, usually not wider than 50mm)<br />This picture on the left is me using a Tenon saw to cut the unnecessary part on the top of the side block no.3 <br />254000<br />Cutting the Side approximately to the shape <br />I have drawn which part to cut for the sides. Because my sides are not a square, I have approximately drew into the shape I want. I am thinking to sand them into shape after I have glued the side blocks with the sides.<br />On the image above, red part shows how it will look like when I cut the sides approximately to the shape.<br />I used a tenon saw to cut the side into approximate shape. I figured out that there is a part on the tenon saw which holds the blade (the red circled part on the picture on the bottom), and this stops me to cut further. <br />25400-228600Therefore I had to use another tool to cut further. The tool was “Pull saw”<br />254001193800When I reach the limit with the tenon saw, then I put the pull saw into the carved line then start using it using the same method as using other saws.<br />The image on the right is me using a pull saw to cut the unnecessary part of the side.<br />025400After cutting the side approximately to the shape it looked like this image on the left.<br />Emotion:<br />It was a very joyful period for me because I was able to get the pine that I wanted which I couldn’t in the last period. I was happy that I was able to keep up with what I have predicted in my Gantt chart. I was happy to learn new tool like pull saw. <br />Construction Plan Link<br />According to my Gantt chart I need to cut the side blocks up until next week Tuesday. However I was able to finish really quick, quicker than what I have thought.<br />Next?<br />According to my Gantt Chart I have to start measuring and marking out the blocks for the mould. <br />17th January 2011- Monday<br />Marking out the shape on Side blocks<br />In today’s lesson I got my sides and 10 side blocks and started with using a pencil to mark out the shape of the side blocks. I got a pencil and a tri-square to mark out the shape of the side blocks. First I drew a perpendicular line on the two sides of the side blocks. Then I rounded one of the corners of the side blocks.<br />Because I had to mark out on the two side of each of the side blocks, it took quite a while for me to mark them all out. I had ten side blocks and I marked out approximately for all the side blocks.<br />Cutting into shape<br />The tool I used to cut the curves of the side blocks was a coping saw. I have put the side block in the bench vice and started cutting with the coping saw. I first drew back three times with the coping saw then started to move the saw back and forth. <br />Because the teeth of the coping saw were very small, it took fairly long time to cut one piece out. Because it was a single period today, I couldn’t finish cutting all of the side blocks approximately into shape.<br />Construction Plan Link<br />I have some changes with the order of the Gantt Chart. According to my Gantt chart I was going to start making the mould before I sanded the side blocks into shape, however, I decided to finish it first, then cut the blocks for the mould. I am sure that I am a little bit ahead of my plan because in the previous lesson I was able to finish cutting all the side blocks, which I thought it might take a week. I think I am ok with the pace so far and I think I might be able to finish my product before the predicted date.<br />Next?<br />In the next period, I will continue on with cutting the side blocks into shape. If I am able to finish cutting the side blocks into shape quickly, then I will use a disc sander to sand the side block into shape.<br />AOI/Learner Profile Link<br />18th January 2011- Tuesday<br />In today’s lesson I continued on with what I was doing in the last period<br />Slow Coping saw<br />I got a coping saw and my side blocks. I put the side block in the wooden vice and used a coping saw to cut. I pulled the saw three times backwards and moved it back and forth. It took me more than 10 minutes to cut one piece out. <br />I felt that I should find another way to cut the side block or else it would take me a long time, making me way behind my Gantt Chart. I felt that because I need to first cut approximately to shape then use a disc sander to sand it, it would be okay if I Just cut diagonally near the corner. <br />I got a tenon saw and put the side block diagonally in the wooden vice, then I pulled the tenon saw three times and cut 25400484505the piece out. This was faster than using the coping saw to cut the side block into shape. <br />This is an image of a side block that is cut using a tenon saw. There is a diagonal cut at the corner of the side block.<br />Sanding into shape<br /> After cutting all the side blocks, I was ready to disc sand the side blocks into shape.<br />Before using the machine, I got a safety goggle and a mask for my safety. When using machineries in the workshop we always have to consider our safety. <br />Mr. Anderson showed me a new tool disc sander cleaner. This was used to clean the disc sander that has been used too much. We turn on the disc sander and let it go, then we use the disc sander cleaner and sand it on the disc sander. Then the disc sander gets more cleaner, hence making it easier to sand.<br />Disc Sanding the Side Block<br />When using a disc sander we always have to disc sand it on the left hand side. Because the disc sander rotates rapidly in anticlockwise direction if we sand it on the right hand side, the object might fly and cause injury. <br />I put the side block and sanded the corner round by turning the side block while sanding it. <br />***************<br />Emotion:<br />I was bored because of the repetitive process. I had to cut the corner for 7 more side blocks in the first period. After cutting the corners, I had to start using the disc sander. I liked it at first, but because it was very repetitive I felt bored. <br /> <br />Construction Plan Link<br />Although I didn’t start cutting the mould for the lampshade, I think I am quite ahead of my plan. If cutting the side blocks into shape takes 10 minutes per block, I think the time it will take will be similar to the time I have predicted.<br />Next?<br />In the next double period I will continue on with the disc sanding of the side blocks. If I am finished with sanding with the disc sander I could either start making the mould or start sanding the side blocks into the shape I want. I prefer sanding the side block first. <br />AOI/Learner Profile Link<br />The AOI that is always involved when we are in the workshop is Human Ingenuity. Human Ingenuity involves creation, like creating an object. When we are in the workshop we always make our product, therefore Human Ingenuity is always involved. <br />I think the learner profile that involved in this lesson is risk taker. I was introduced to a new tool, and I used some new ways to cut the timber.<br />21st January 2011- Friday<br />326390038100In today’s lesson I continued on with disc sanding the side block. In the previous periods I finished disc sanding half of the side blocks. I still had half to finish. <br />Shaping the side blocks<br />-88900965200After sanding the top of the side blocks. I used a pencil to mark the shape that I want the side block to be on the top of the side blocks.<br />I drew the shape on to the side block in to the shape that I want the side block to be. <br />After marking them on, Mr. Anderson helped me to cut the corner off, like I did before sanding the side blocks.<br />After cutting the corners, I chose whether if I wanted the side block to be rounded if we saw from the back.<br /> <- Like this)<br />32004000I first drew the shape at the back to see how it might look like. I felt that It would be better if I rounded the corner from the back also. <br />Before I cut the corners, I used a smoothing plane to smooth the edges of the side blocks (the parts where there are red lines in the image on the right).<br />Using smoothing plane<br />-203200457200It haven’t used a smoothing plane for a long time, since when I was grade 8. I got the smoothing plane and grabbed it properly. Then I lay it on flat on to the side block. Then I pushed the smoothing from off the edge. I’m not sure whether the wood was to stiff or not, but it was hard for me to smooth it.<br />Cutting<br />800100457200 After using the smoothing plane, I had to cut the corner of the side blocks (shown in red in the image on the right). I got a coping saw and repeated the process before. However, this time I was able to cut the corners of the side blocks faster.<br />Sanding the side block<br />I got my safety materials (safety goggles) and started using the disc sander. I disc sanded the sides, but not the top.<br />I’ve disc sanded the side like the red line (on the bottom of the picture) on the image above. I didn’t disc sanded the part where there is red circle on the image above. I didn’t disc sand it because to shape it correctly to the shape I wanted, it is best to use a rough sanding paper and a file.<br />Emotion:<br />I really liked making the side blocks although it was repetitive. I learnt the way to sand the wood into a rounded shape (like a sphere).<br />Construction Plan Link<br />Next?<br />In the next period I will continue on sanding the side blocks into shape by using the disc sander. After I finish disc sanding I will be using very rough sanding paper to sand the red circled part (on the image above).<br />AOI/Learner Profile link<br />24th January 2011- Monday<br />In Today’s lesson I started disc sanding again with side block no 1s. I found out that the curve wasn’t a curve, it had one 45˚ straight line and curves. Therefore I used the disc sander to smooth it as curve. <br />(There was a straight line like the one in the image left)<br />Smoothing plane – Side block 3<br />The side block no.3 was too big to sand with a disc sander. Therefore I had to use a smoothing plane to smooth the edges. <br />1473200228600-16637001651000To make curves with a smoothing plane, we first push it flat on to the surface, then tilt it and then push it. Repeating these steps makes the curve in the edge. The image on the right is me using a smoothing plane to make the curves on the side block.<br />The image on the left is he side block 3 curved by a smoothing plane.<br />Sanding into shape<br />After curving the edges of the sideblocks, I had to sand the side blocks into shape. The tool I used to sand the side blocks into shape was a rasp. Rasp was a tool very similar to a file. However, rasp has a bigger teeth and less dense than the file I have used before. <br />I put the side block on to the wooden vice and used the rasp and started filing. When I push the rasp it files off the wood, but cery roughly. I pushed the rasp back and forth to file the side blocks.<br />I was able to finish 4 side blocks (side block 1, 4) <br />Emotion:<br />I felt very excited when it came to sanding the side block into the shape, because it was a new process to me. I’ve never tried sanding a wood into a spherical shpae so I wondered how it was possible. But now I know, it made me excited.<br />Construction Plan Link<br />According to my Gantt Chart I should be continuing on with cutting the blocks for the mould however, I have changed the plan on Monday (last week). I think the speed of sanding the side block took longer than what I have thought it will take. According to my plan I have to be finished in this period, however sanding wasn’t over.<br />Next? <br />In the next period I will be continuing on with filing the side block with a rasp. After I’m finished with this process I will sand the side block smoothly with a smooth sanding paper then I will start gluing the side blocks and the sides together. If I’m quick enough I will start making the lamp shade.<br />25th January 2011- Tuesday<br />25400228600In today’s lesson I continued on with using a rasp to shape the side blocks. I’ve put the side block in the wooden vice and used the rasp to shape the side block. When using the rasp, I had to file in the direction where wood grains go. If I file the opposite way, it might make splinters. <br />(The image on the left is me using a rasp to file the side block into <br />shape.)<br />4546600228600<br />00The image on the left is before filing, and the image on the right is after filing with a rasp.<br />Shaping side block no.2<br />-19685001371600Side block no.2 was the block which was the smallest piece. I felt that it would be very hard to use a rasp or a file to sand the side block no.2 into shape. Therefore I chose the method of sanding board. I’ve hold the side block with one hand and pushed it on to the sanding board, moving it back and forth. I’ve changed angles to make curves.<br />(This image on the left is me using a sanding board to sand the side block no.2 into shape)<br />Using rough Garnet Paper<br />Because Rasp had very less dense teeth and big teeth, the surface that was filed with it had very rough texture. Therefore I had to use a rough garnet paper to smooth them.<br />-228600457200I’ve got a rough garnet paper on one hand and I’ve hold the side block on the other. Then I’ve moved it back and forth quickly to sand the side block smooth.<br />(The image on the left is me sanding the side block smooth.)<br />In this lesson, I was able to finish sanding them all.<br />-14732000This image on the right is how it will look like when I put all the side block together.<br />Emotion:<br />I was amazed with what I have done so far. It really looks like it’s coming along together and I am surprised to see that I was able to make this. Although it was lethargic process, but I was happy to see the progress.<br />Construction Plan Link<br />I am slower than what I have predicted. According to my Gantt chart I should have finished sanding the side blocks in the previous period (Monday) but I was able to finish sanding today (end of the period). However I don’t think this has put me slower than what I have expected because I was able to cut the side block faster than what I have predicted. I think the pace is as I have predicted.<br />Next?<br />In the next period, I will be starting to glue the side blocks and the sides together. After I’ve glued them, I will be starting to make the mould for the lampshade.<br />Changes to my plan<br />I found out that I have made a mistake long time ago. The mistake was that I have carved the side block in the same way that I have to change a little bit. This caused my plan to change from symmetrical shape to a rotation of the shape.<br />AOI/Learner Profile aspect<br />I think I was reflective and thinker in this period. I recalled all the tools that I have used in DT and chose the most adequate method to do things efficiently. I thought what method will be efficient in sanding a small piece. <br />28th January 2011- Friday<br />In today’s lesson I wasn’t able to do much because we had only about an hour to work in the workshop because of the semester report. <br />Gluing the Side and the Side blocks<br />32004001206500In the previous lesson, I was able to finish sanding all the side blocks into shape. Therefore I was able to start gluing the side and the side blocks together. To start, I needed a P.V.A and a wet cloth.25400751205 To glue the pieces together tightly without moving them, I needed a clamp.<br />(The picture on above: Left is a picture of a PVA and a wet cloth. Right is a picture of a Clamp to hold the pieces tight in place)<br />Gluing<br /> To glue the pieces together, I need to put PVA on the place where I want the piece to stick. Then I put it on to the other piece. After putting it together, I need to use a clamp to hold it in place. The wet cloth is use to wipe the PVA that oozes out when I tight the pieces together. 25400267335 <br />The image on the right is me spreading the PVA on the side block no 3 to glue it together with the side. I didn’t glue the side block no.2 first because the piece was small. I felt that the small piece should be glued after 12700228600tightening the big pieces first. Therefore I first glued the side blocks no. 1,3,4,and 5. After putting the pieces together, I found that some of the PVA oozed out. Therefore I got the wet cloth and wiped them off. The image on the left is me wiping the glue off.<br />Clamping<br />After putting the PVA on and putting the side blocks together with the side, I had to use a clamp to tight them in place.<br />I felt that it was very hard to use the clamp to tighten the pieces together because the side blocks moved a little bit when I tried to tighten them with the clamp. For one of the sides I got help from others. They helped me to hold the side up to tighten the clamp and held the side block so that it doesn’t move. However the other side, I had to do it alone.<br />-2540038100I decided to first to clamp the side block no.1 and 4 (the ones on the each side) because this way side block no.3 will only move upwards and downwards. <br />-30892751219200The image on the left is me tightening the clamp for the side block no 1. <br />Because when I put the side on the table after clamping the side block no.1 it got tilted I’ve put the side on the edge of the table and clamped the side block no.4.<br />The image on the left is me clamping the side block no.4 by putting the side on the edge of the table.<br />00After clamping the two ends, I clamped the side block no.3 (the longest piece in the middle). The image on the left is me clamping the side block no.3<br />889001181100Then I clamped the side block no.5. when I clamped it together, I realized that there were some PVA oozing out the sides. Therefore I took the wet cloth and wiped them out. The image on the bottom is me wiping the PVA that oozed out on the sides.<br />Gluing side block no.2<br />After clamping all the side blocks except for no.2 I felt now it will be easy to clamp the side block no.2 since other blocks are firmly tightened.<br />I’ve put the PVA on the side block no.2 and put it on to the side. Then I’ve clamped it together. -2286000<br />The image on the left is how it looked like after clamping.<br />Mould<br />After gluing the sides together, the next step was to wait and make the base or to make the mould for the lampshade. While I was looking back at my plan and the size of the lampshade I found out that I might need to change some plan. I found out that if I want to make a mould that has the diameter of 300mm and height of 250 I won’t be able to use the vacuum former to make the lampshade.<br />Therefore I had to find some way to make the lampshade or reduce the size suitable for the vacuum former.<br />Despite these problems, I started marking out the blocks for mould. The timber I got was very long. It’s height was about 45mm and it’s width was approximately 80mm. Because I wanted the lampshade to be 300*300, I got a metal rule and marked it out on the timber. I was able to mark 6 of it in today’s lesson. <br />Emotion:<br />I felt that it was a very hard job to tighten the pieces together with the clamps because the pieces moved off the place. Because the glue made the surface slippery, it slid off the place when I tried to clamp it tight. I was irritated when the piece was off the place.<br />Construction Plan Link<br />I think I am ok with the speed of working. I was able to finish gluing the side and the mould together before the Chinese New Year holiday. However, I was slower than I have expected in gluing the side and the side blocks together. Although I had only an hour to work in today’s double period according to what I have predicted, I have to be finished with gluing in a single period which is approximately 45 minutes.<br />Next?<br />In the next period, I will be starting to cut the wood blocks for the lampshade moulds.<br />Changes to Plan<br />I might need to reduce the size of the lampshade a little bit or I need to use different way to mould the lampshade. I could also divide the mould to parts so that it fits inside the vacuum former.<br />7th February 2011- Monday<br />Today was a single period. In today’s period I decided to cut the side into the shape. Before I started cutting, I got my sides clamped with g clamps. I got them and unclamped the G clamps to start with. The image below is how my sides looked like after gluing. <br />2540012700Marking out the shape<br />After unclamping the clamps, I got a pencil to mark out the shape of the side block on to the side. <br />298450The image on the left is close view of my side. <br />Cutting the side to shape<br />After marking out the lines on the side, I got a coping saw to cut it. I’ve put the side block in the wood vice and started cutting with the coping saw.<br />254000The image on the left is me using the coping saw to cut the side into shape.<br />Sanding the bottom flat<br />After cutting the sides I found that the bottom of the side wasn’t flat. We could see in the first image that the one shown in the left is tilted. <br />I was thinking what way will be best to flatten it. I thought that it will be good to use a sanding board to flatten it. However the problem with sanding boards is that I could flatten the bottom of the side but I could flatten it 00while it is tilted to one side. The image on the bottom is me using a sanding board to flatten the bottom of the side.<br />Emotion:<br />I think there wasn’t much emotion to express. I was just thinking nothing and doing the next step. I wasn’t excited or bored or tired. I just did it in today’s lesson. I think this might be because of the atmosphere in the workshop today. Not many people had their process journal ready so not many people came into the workshop.<br />8th February 2011- Tuesday<br />-25400457200In today’s double period I have continued on with sanding the bottom to make the bottom levelled. The process was very repetitive. The only thing I had to be careful of was to make sure that the side was as vertical as possible (near to 90˚). I continued on pushing it until the side stood at nearly 90˚. <br />Making moulds<br />-35560001371600After making the two sides as vertical as possible, I started with cutting the blocks for the mould. I got the timber and the sliding clamp. Then I clamped the timber that I marked my moulds on before the Chinese New Year Holiday on to the bench. I got the hand saw to cut the timber. I pulled the saw three times near the tri square line, then pushed it back and forth. The image on the left is me using the hand saw to cut the blocks for the mould. <br />Sanding the ends smooth (side)<br />-3081655457200After cutting the mould blocks, while I was waiting for Mr. Anderson I began smoothing the ends that I have approximately cut of the sides. I got a safety goggle to protect my eyes from wood chips flying into my eyes. Then I sanded the ends of the sides using the disc sander. The image on the left is me using the disc sander to smooth the ends.<br />I figured out that there are parts that I cannot sand with the disc sander. Therefore I am thinking to file it with the flat file.<br />Mould block shortage<br />After cutting the mould blocks and putting them together in a row, I found that it was a little bit shorter than 300mm. Therefore I decided to add a little bit more to make it 300.<br />1989455520700I found a timber that was as long as 300 and thickness of 20. I measure and marked out 80*300 on the timber. Then I got a clamp and a hand saw to cut the piece out.<br />The image on the right is the mould block lined up together and on top of it is a metal rule to check whether it is as long as 300 mm.<br />Gluing?<br />01231900The next step was to glue the mould blocks together. Mr. Anderson said to put a dowel through the wood so that the blocks glue together very firmly. To do that I had to draw a tri-square to mark out where the dowel will go through. The image on the left is the mould blocks with two tri-square lines, where dowels will go through.<br />11th February 2011- Friday<br />In today’s lesson, before I continued on with measuring the drill place for the mould blocks’ dowel I first started with filing the ends of the sides. <br />Filing the ends of the sides<br />2032000457200Because I used a coping saw to cut approximately to the shape and there were parts where I cannot sand with a disc sander, I had to use a file to sand it to the shape. On the image on the right is one of the parts that was hard to sand with a disc sander. I used a half-round file to file the ends. There wasn't much of reason in using a half-round file than a flat file. I first put the side in the wood vice and started filing. Like other hand tools I fist pulled three times with the file and pushe254003659505d it back and forth afterwards. <br />25400457200The image on the left is me using the half-round file to file the ends smoothly and to the shape. The image on the right is how my sides looked like after filing the sides to the shape.<br />Marking out for dowel<br />In the previous lesson, I was able to mark out two tri-square line on the top of the mould blocks, and it was now time for me to mark where I will be drilling on the side. I drew two tri-square line on the sides of all the mould blocks. Then I measured 45 mm from the bottom an25400929005d marked a line. Then I drew a tri-square line horizontally. The image on the left is me marking out where 45mm is from the bottom.<br />Drilling holes<br />-4572001828800After marking out where I will be drilling for all of the mould blocks, I needed to start drilling. The machinery that I used was a “drill press”. Drill press helps us to drill vertical holes. The drill bit I needed was a 10mm drill bit because the diameter of the dowel was approximately 10mm. First of all I got the drill bit and attached it on to the drill press. Then I’ve put one of my mould blocks on to the “Machine Vice” then I pulled the lever of the drill press to check whether I have put the mould block in place. Then I turned on the drill press and pulled the lever down slowly. The image on the right is me checking whether I have put the mould block in place.<br />0457200While I was pulling the lever down, I held the Machine Vice it firmly so that it didn’t move and drill off the place. After pulling the lever down until the drill has completely drilled through, I pulled the lever up again and turned it off. The image on the left is how the mould block looked like after I have drilled one of the holes.<br />I drilled every holes that I have marked out on th25400243205e mould blocks.<br />The image on the left is my mould blocks lined in one place. The next process after drilling was to put PVA on the sides evenly and glue it together. Then use a sliding clamp to hold them in place and put a dowel through the holes.<br />1524000Gluing the mould<br />-1143001778000I used a PVA to glue the mould blocks together. I’ve first laid the mould blocks to one sides and put PVA on the side of the mould blocks. The image on the left is how I have put the PVA on only one side of the side block.<br />After putting the PVA on the one side of the mould block, I’ve put the mould block together. I tried to line the holes but I figured out later that one of the holes wasn’t in line. When I lined up one hole of that one mould block, the other hole wasn’t in place. I first ignored it and clamped the mould blocks together. Then I got a dowel and a wooden mallet. I’ve put the dowel on the hole and started hitting the other end with the wooden mallet. I’ve hit it until it went through the other hole. The other hole, I’ve got help from Mr. Anderson. He asked me to get a cordless drill (a portable drill) and the same 10mm drill bit. Then he helped me to line the hole up by drilling the hole again. <br />Emotion:<br />During this lesson, I was <br />Construction Plan Link<br />Next?<br />In the next period I will be starting to cut the mould into the shape. Then I will cut a MDF that is the size that could cover the back of the side block no.2. If I am quick enough I will be <br />Changes to Plan<br />AOI/Learner Profile link<br />In this lesson I was a risk taker because I learnt a new process. I’ve never done doweling before. It was a completely new process for me. I learnt the use of the dowel in gluing and attaching. Putting the dowel was a new process to me therefore I was a risk taker. <br />14th February 2011- Monday<br />3556000457200In today’s single period I’ve started with getting the clamped mould out. Mr. Anderson helped me to put the dowel through on the other hole after the lesson on Friday. The image on the right is the mould with the two dowels through. <br />I first unclamped the mould to work. Then I needed to start cutting the dowel off.<br />Drawing circle<br />-76200205740029718002095500Before I have cut the dowels off, I marked out the line into the shape of my lampshade. Because I want the lampshade to be in a domed shape I needed to draw the circle on. I used a compass to draw the circle. Before I drew the circle I needed to find the mid point of the mould. I used a metal rule to mark out the half way (150mm) then used a tri-square to mark a straight line. Then I opened the compass wide to 145mm and drew the circle. The pictures on the bottom left is me using a compass to mark the circle, and on the bottom right is the picture of my mould with circle marked out.<br />Cutting the dowel<br />Because the dowel was very long, I needed to cut the parts where it sticks out. The tool I used in this process was a pull saw. I tried to use a Tenon Saw but I had the same problem when I first cut the side into the approximate shape. The saw wouldn’t go any further. Therefore I used a pull 2971800228600saw to cut the pieces off. The image on the bottom is me using the pull saw to cut the dowel off. Cutting the dowel was a very quick job to finish.<br />Cutting the mould<br />There are many different ways to cut the mould, however, it is the best to use a machinery to cut them. Therefore Mr. Anderson has helped me to cut the mould into the circle. He did it because of the danger of the saw.<br />29718000The machinery he used was called a Band Saw. The image on the right is Mr. Anderson using a Band saw to cut the mould into the circle. <br />25400762000The image on the bottom is how it looked like after using the band saw to cut the mould into the circle.<br />Rasping the Mould to shape<br />14859001270000The next step was to use a rasp to rasp the mould into the dome shape I wanted. I felt it would take a long time to rasp the mould into the dome shape I wanted.<br />I’ve first started with the ends of the circumference because I felt it was the best place to start rasping to make the mould into a dome shape. I used the rasp and pushed the rasp and while I was pushing it I curved the rasp so that it made a curve at the end. The image on the right is me using the rasp to rasp the ends to make the mould into the dome shape.<br />15th February 2011- Tuesday<br />01371600In today’s lesson I have continued on with rasping the mould into the shape. The process was very repetitive. I had to push the rasp to rasp the mould into the shape I want. In the last period I didn’t put the mould in place; I just rasped the mould by holding it with my left and rasping with my right. However in today’s lesson I have clamped it on to the bench using a sliding clamp. Then I continued to rasp the mould into shape.<br />Hard<br />It was very hard to rasp parts of the mould where I had to rasp along with the wood grains. This process was harder than rasping perpendicular to the wood grain because the rasp couldn’t rasp away as much compared to rasping perpendicularly on to the wood grain.<br />-4235450The part where it is rasping perpendicularly to the wood grain is circled in red and the part where I am rasping along with the grain is circled in blue (in the image on the left).<br />Emotion:<br />I felt it was a really frustrating process because there weren’t any machinery that could do the job of rasping. Therefore I need to continue rasping the mould into the shape until it is done. I felt it was really tiring and my wrist started to ache as well.<br />Next?<br />I will be continuing on with rasping the mould into the shape until I am done with it.<br />18th February 2011- Friday<br />In today’s lesson I’ve continued on with rasping the mould. I started rasping the mould by pushing the rasp in a curve. After I have started rasping for 20 minutes, I felt that I need to put guide lines so that I can rasp the mould into the shape I want (dome).<br />0457200I got a compass and marked out three circle lines to guide me when I am rasping. I found out that I was rasping mostly on one side and the other side wasn’t done much. The image on the left is the mould after 20 minutes and marking out the guide lines. The red part of the image is the part where I needed to rasp more.<br />-38100001320800-8382001193800As I have rasped more and more the guide line started to fade. I don’t know why it started to fade away, but I was able to still see them.<br />The two images on top are how my mould looked like at the end of the double period.<br />Emotion:<br />I think I am not far from finish making the mould. I think it will take about 4 or 5 more period to finish making the mould. I feel very frustrating and lethargic while I was rasping the mould. I was repeating the same process over and over again. At least I am seeing the progress I am making.<br />Next?<br /> In the next period I will be continuing with the rasping process. Because it is a single period, I won’t be able to do other things.<br />AOI/ Learner Profile<br />I was a thinker and reflective. I thought what could help me to rasp the mould into the shape I have wanted. Therefore I drew guidelines with a compass. I was always reflecting on the shape that I have rasped to.<br />21st February 2011- Monday<br />In today’s lesson I continued on with rasping the mould again. I first started rasping the part that I didn’t rasp much in the last period (see the previous journal entry). Because the lines were unclear, I rasped approximately to the first circle (the circle guideline that is on the most outside) then used the compass again to mark it on again.<br />254000The image on the left is my mould at the end of the period today.<br />AOI/ Learner Profile<br />The AOI that I always consider is the Health and Social Education. When I am rasping I know that there are many wood dusts flying. The wood dusts might get on my clothes, which leads to bad hygiene and cause some illness, but I wore apron during the whole period. I wanted to use a mask, but I’ve lost it so it might have been a problem because I might have inhaled some of the wood dusts.<br />22nd February 2011- Tuesday ~ 24th February 2011- Thursday lunch<br />February 22nd 2011-Tuesday<br />29591001155700On Tuesday’s double period I started with continuing on with rasping the mould. Because this was the 7th period working on with rasping, I was pretty accustomed to doing it and I started to doing it like habit. While I was rasping I marked the guidelines again using the compass to guide me while I was rasping. After I have rasped for an about an hour, I decided to flatten the level the middle of the mould. As we could see in the picture on the right, the middle of the mould is unlevelled. <br />Levelling the middle<br />02514600The tool I used to level the middle part of the mould was a smoothing plane. Smoothing plane helps to smooth the timber by cutting out thin layers of timbers when pushed. I first clamped the mould on to the bench. I had to clamp the sliding clamp to the side so I can smooth the other side. After clamping I used a smoothing plane and pushed it to smooth the mould. I had to start from the end and push it until the smoothing plane reached the other end. By repeating this process I smoothed one side of the mould. The image on the bottom show me using the smoothing plane to smooth one side of the mould. The red line shows the direction that I was pushing the smoothing plane.<br />February 24th 2011- Thursday lunch<br />I felt that I was getting behind therefore I decided to come in at lunchtime to finish the mould.<br />I first continued on with using the smoothing plane to level the middle. After I have levelled the middle of the mould I found out that I have been rasping poorly. I found out that because the middle was unlevelled I have been rasping a little bit off the lines. Therefore I drew a compass line again to guide me when I am rasping. I used the flat-head rasp to rasp the mould. After rasping the mould to the shape (line) I checked whether the mould was in the shape I wanted. I felt that it was good enough. <br />Sanding the mould<br />0685800After rasping, the next step was sanding the mould smooth. I’ve first decided to smooth the ends using the disc sander. I’ve disc-sanded only the ends. Because I came in at lunchtime, there wasn’t much time for me to work. Therefore I was only able to sand the ends. The image on the left is how the mould looked like at the end of lunch.<br />-374651181100The image on the bottom shows my mould. The ends are smoothed using the disc sander however the curves (place where red circle is)need to be sanded.<br />Next?<br />In the next period I will be sanding the mould smoothly by using a rough garnet paper. Because there is no school on the Friday I think my plan will be a little bit delayed.<br />28th February 2011 – Monday<br />254001143000In today’s lesson I first started with sanding the mould. Because I had the mould rasped into shape during last week Thursday’s lunchtime I needed to start sanding the mould smoothly. The tools I used to sand the mould was Sanding block and a garnet paper. I used a rough garnet paper to sand the mould. The image on the bottom is me using the sanding block to hold the Garnet paper and sanding the mould with the garnet paper.<br />Wood-filling the hole<br />-2921001600200Because one of the holes were off the place before I have put the dowel in Mr. Anderson helped me to drill the hole again so that the holes line up. Therefore I had a small hole near the place where the dowel was. I had to fill the hole with the wood filler. I used my hands to put the wood filler on any hole I had on my mould. If there are holes, when I actually melt the plastic on the mould, the shape might look odd. The image on the right is me putting the wood filler in the hole that was created near the dowel. I smudged the wood filler on the mould to put the wood filler on. <br />Sanding<br />After I have put the wood filler, I waited a while for it to be dry. After waiting for a while, I sanded the mould again to make the mould smooth again.<br />Next?<br />In the next period I will be starting to actually moulding the plastic. I will cut out a sheet of plastic in the size I want and start moulding it. <br />AOI/Learner Profile Link<br />In this period the AOI that linked with my project was as always Human Ingenuity. Human Ingenuity is involved in my project because it involves me in making the object to solve one problem that I have stated at the investigate stage.<br />1st March 2011 – Tuesday<br />3632200698500In today’s double period I couldn’t start moulding the plastic because the tool I needed to use wasn’t ready yet. Therefore I had to work on other things. I found that I had to cut a small pieces of MDF to put it at the back of the side block no.2. The part where red line is circled on the image on the right is the part I had to cut a small piece of MDF. <br />Measuring and Marking out MDF<br />I’ve got a piece of MDF and a pencil. I’ve first put the MDF on the place where the back was missing (the circled part on the image on the right) then approximately marked the lines. After marking the pieces out, I used a gents saw and a bench vice to cut it out. <br />Filing the small piece<br />3263900469900Because the small pieces I have cut out didn’t fit exactly on the back of the side block no.2 I had to use a file to file it to the shape. Because I felt very difficult to file the pieces, I used a very small file to file them. The image on the right is me using the small file to file the small piece into the shape that fits at the back of the side block no.2. <br />Gluing the piece on<br />0685800After I have filed the small pieces, I tested if it fits at the back of the side block no.2. After I’ve checked it fits at the back, I’ve got a PVA to glue the pieces together. After putting the piece together, I’ve got a g-clamp to clamp the piece in place.<br />The image on the left is after I’ve put the PVA on the back of the side block no.2 and put it together. <br />Measuring and marking out the plastic<br />20574002057400Although I couldn’t mould the plastic, I could still measure and mark out the size of the plastic I want. I’ve put the mould on the plastic and measured approximately 105mm away from each ends. Because I wanted to have one end longer than the others, I’ve marked a line 210mm away from the mould. Then I marked a tri-square line. After I marked it, Mr. Anderson has helped me to cut the plastic. After I’ve got the plastic in the size that I’ve wanted, I needed to smooth the edges using a file. I’ve got a flat-head file and a sliding clamp to do this. I’ve first clamped the plastic on to the bench. Then I’ve pushed the file (as I did doing the mould) from a perpendicular position and curved (like shown in the picture on the right). The image on the right is me using the file to smooth the edges.<br />01600200After I did one side, I turned over the plastic to do the other side. Because of lack of time, I couldn’t finish smoothing all the edges.<br />The image on the left is me filing the edges using the flat file after turning the plastic over.<br />4th March 2011- Friday<br />25400254000In today’s lesson I’ve first stared with filing the edges of the plastic. I just had two side left to file. I’ve got a flat-head file and started filing the two side I’ve got left. The red circled part on the image on the left is the two sides where I needed to file.<br />Cutting the unnecessary part of the back of side block no.2<br />-35433001155700Because the MDF piece that I have glued at the back of the side block 2 was larger than the size of the side block no.2 I decided to cut the surplus part of the MDF by using the gents saw. While I was cutting with the gents saw, one of the pieces has broken. I think this was because the part that it broke didn’t got any PVA under it to stick it to the back of the side block no.2. The image on the left shows the part where it broke. I decided to wood fill the gap later.<br />Filing the back<br />After I’ve cut the surplus of the back of the side block no.2 I’ve got a flat-head file and started filing the back into the shape. <br />Smoothing the edges<br />After I have filed the back of the side block no.2 into the shape I’ve got a rough garnet paper and a sanding block to sand the edges smooth. I’ve put the garnet paper on the sanding block and held them together. Then I’ve sanded the edges of the sides. I didn’t sanded the edges of the bottom part because I will be gluing these two sides on to a base. The image on the bottom left is me using the garnet paper and the sanding block to smooth the edges. The object pointed with blue line is the sanding block, the object pointed in yellow is the garnet paper and the green lines are the edges that I have smoothed.<br />00Wood filling<br />After I have sanded the edges, I got the wood filler to fill the part where it broke and any other gaps. <br />254001143000I’ve put a lot of wood filler on to the place where it broke. The image on the bottom is how the place it broke looked like after wood filling.<br />After wood filling I had to wait until it dried. Because of the wood filler, I couldn’t sand the side to make it smooth. I had to wait a while to sand them. I wasn’t able to sand them in today’s period.<br />Measuring the size of the base<br />I’ve measured that the width of the base will be 205 [170+30(macbook size)] by 195. I’ve measured this by measuring the width and the length of the sides put together.<br />Base<br />Mr. Anderson has helped me to cut the base. The material I used was a plywood (10mm thickness). He cut the base into 205 by 195, however it seemed a little bit smaller than what I’ve measured. I’ve made a pencil line mark on the base of where the side will be glued. I wasn’t able to glue the base and the sides together because it was the end of the period.<br />7th March 2011- Monday<br />In today’s lesson I started with sanding the sides smooth. Because the wood-filler was dry now I was able to file the sides. I used a flat-head file to file the side where the back broke and I had to fill it up with the wood filler.<br />2540025400The image on the left is me using the flat-head file to file the side. <br />The image on the bottom right is how the side looked like after I have filed with the flat-head file. On the left is before I have wood filled it.<br />34169350<br />27432000Cutting the base<br />The next process I did was marking out the place where I will cut (the unnecessary part) out of the base. I used a tri square and a pencil to do this.<br />The image on the right is me using the tri square and the pencil to mark out where I will be cutting.<br />After I have marked out where I wanted to cut, I got a tenon saw to cut the part out. I’ve put the base in the wood vice and used the tenon saw to cut.25400471805<br />The image on the left is my base after I’ve cut the parts with the tenon saw.<br />Drilling hole for screws<br />Before I glued the base and the sides together, I had to drill 3 holes for the screws for each sides. I had to do this to glue the base and the sides firmly.<br />27432000I marked the places where I wanted to drill approximately on the bottom of the base.<br />The image on the right is the picture of the bottom of the base which I marked the places where I wanted to drill holes on (circled in red). <br />The tool I used to drill the hole was a cordless drill. I had to find the drill bit that best fit the screw that I wanted to use. The screw that I wanted to use was 35mm long. I’ve used a drill bit that had countersink-bit together with the normal bit. <br />2781300228600On the image on the top, the object that is in the yellow lines is the cordless drill. The part where it has red arrows is the countersink-bit part of the drill bit that I used.<br />I tried to hold the cordless drill 90˚ as possible on to the base. I turned on the cordless drill and started drilling.<br />After I drilled through the base, I turned the cordless drill in circles to make the countersink on the base. I had to do this because of the head of the drill. <br />The image on the top right is me using the cordless drill to drill through the base. The red line shows the direction that I have turned the cordless drill after I have drilled through the base.<br />8th March 2011- Tuesday<br />28829001155700In today’s lesson I continued on with drilling the holes for the screws on the base. I used the cordless drill with a drill bit that had a drill and a countersink bit together to drill the holes. I drilled the hole and checked if the screw sunk in the countersink. I found that some of them didn’t sink completely, therefore I got a countersink bit and a cordless drill to make the countersink bigger. The image on the right is me using the cordless drill with a countersink bit on. I turned the cordless drill in anti-clockwise direction to make the countersink bigger. After I made the countersink larger, I checked if the screw sunk completely.<br />Sanding the base to shape<br />38608001524000-228600685800After I was done with drilling I needed to cut and sand the base into the marked shape. Before I sanded the base, I had to cut some part off. The place circled in red in the picture below is the part where I needed to cut. I used a tenon saw to cut the parts off.<br />The image on top right is how the base looked after cutting the unnecessary parts of the base. <br />3200400457200The next step was to disc sand the base into the shape. I got a safety goggle to protect my eyes while I was sanding. Some parts of the base was very difficult to disc sand. The place where circled in red on the image on the right is the part which was difficult to disc sand The solution to this problem was to mark the same lines on the back and disc sand it. However there were still some parts where I couldn’t disc sand. For these parts I used a flat-head file to file it to the shape. <br />Gluing the base<br />3201035685800This part of the process was a very difficult process to do it alone. To glue the base and screw the screws in, the tools I used were wooden vice, nail, hammer, cordless drill, PVA, screw, screwdriver and a wet cloth. For one of the sides, I first put the PVA on and started screwing. Before screwing I used a nail and a hammer to mark the position where the screws will go. After I have put the side and the base in the correct position, I nailed the nail a little bit in and pulled it out. I did it for the other two holes also. <br />25400457200Then the next step was to drill the hole in a little bit with a smaller drill bit than the screw. The I put the screws in the right position and screw them in with a screwdriver. The image on the left is me using the screwdriver to screw the screws in. <br />11th March 2011- Friday<br />25400914400In today’s lesson I’ve started to file the base to the shape. In the previous lesson, I was able to glue the base and the two sides together. I saw that some part of the base was not in the correct shape, therefore I had to use a flat-head file to file the base to the shape. The circled part of the image on the left is the part where I had to use a flat-head file to file the base to the shape. Because the side and the base was too big to put it in the wood vice I had to hold on to it and file it. It took me a long time to file them to the shape. There were no other ways to shape the base into shape other than filing.<br />Wood filling the base<br />29718001003300I wanted to wood fill the countersunk part of the base because I didn’t want the screws showing. I could use lump of paint to cover up the screws but I wanted to first fill the hole with the wood filler and then use a garnet paper to sand it smooth, then put paint over it. I got a wood filler and filled the hole and the part where the base was shorter than the side up. The image on the right is the base after I have put wood fillers on. The circled part on the image on the right is where the base was shorter than the side. <br />Emotion:<br />I felt today was very tiring and boring double period because I was able to do only two process. I was only able to do filing and wood filling. I wasn’t able to mould the lampshade because the burner wasn’t ready yet. <br />Construction Plan Link<br />Next?<br />In the next period, I will first start with sanding all the edges smooth for the base and the sides. If I am quick enough I could start painting the base and the sides.<br />AOI/Learner Profile<br />In today’s period I was a thinker and <br />14th March 2011- Monday<br />2654300698500In today’s lesson I have started with sanding the base with a garnet paper and sanding block. In the previous lesson, I had my body (the base and the two sides) put in the wood vice. Because the wood-filler was dry I was able to sand them. The image on the right is picture of me using the garnet paper and the sanding block to sand the bottom.<br />Sanding the edges<br />-254001600200After I have sanded the bottom of the body I had to sand the edges. I also used the garnet paper and the sanding block to sand the edges smooth. I had some difficulty sanding the corners (circled part in the image above). To sand those part, I simply got away the sanding block and used only the garnet paper to sand it. The image on the left is me using only the garnet paper to sand the corners. <br />Wood filling<br />-30861001371600I thought that I was done with wood filling in the previous lesson but I found out that the parts where I had rasped had some rough texture. Because the rasps had very big teeth, it didn’t rasp the object smoothly. I also found there were some gaps. Therefore I got the wood filler to fill them. The image on the left is me wood filling the part where I have rasped before. <br />Because I couldn’t sand the parts where I have wood filled until it was dry, there were nothing else I could do.<br />Construction Plan Link<br />Next?<br />In the next double period I will start with sanding the body smoothly using a very smooth garnet paper. After I have sanded the body smoothly I will then start Painting. If I am able to start moulding the plastic, I will start moulding it as soon as possible.<br />15th March 2011- Tuesday <br />In today’s lesson I started with sanding the bottom. I’ve got the roughest garnet paper and a sanding block to sand the bottom. After I have sanded the bottom smoothly, I got a medium density garnet paper and started to sand the body smoothly. I sanded all the sides smoothly with a medium garnet paper. Then the next process was to use a very smooth garnet paper to sand the body very smoothly before I painted it. 254001424305The image on the left is the smooth garnet paper that I used at the end to sand the body very smoothly. <br />Painting<br />-33401003276600-1905001689100After I have sanded all the sides and ends smoothly, the next step was to paint the body. The color that I wanted to use to paint the body was brown. I wanted to have it as brown because of the biomimic connection. Because the biomimic connection of the body was the rock in the ocean I wanted to paint it in brown (the color of the rock.) I got a brown paint and a purple paint to mix it together to make darker brown. I started to paint with dark brown. The image on the right is the color that I have started with. Mr. Anderson has told me to start with a lighter color. I changed my mind and started to paint lighter brown fist, then mix some darker brown on it. On the image on the left the right part of the painted area is darker than the left.<br />I first painted the body in the light color. <br />I was able to paint the most of side block no 3 for both sides and some other areas. <br />Emotion:<br />I was happy to see me progress. I was glad that I feel like close to finishing the product. I am not sure whether I have to make a supportive part to hold the body in place. In my orthographic drawing, I have added an supportive object to make the body safe from being unbalanced because of the large lampshade. I hope that I will finish with only the body that I have now.<br />Next?<br />In the next period I will be continuing on with painting the body. If the burner that could mould the plastic is ready, then I will mould the plastic into shape. If not I will first paint the body with light brown. Then I will add gradient. I will darken the color. Then if I have time I will add dark green to express the see weeds or moss.<br />18th March 2011- Friday<br />What I did<br />2946400685800In today’s lesson I have continued on with painting the body. I got a reddish brown paint and purple paint to start with. Because I was able to first paint with reddish brown paint I started to make the bottom of the body (near the base) with brown mixed with purple. The image on the right is me painting with a reddish brown paint in the gap between the blocks. In the last period I was able to paint the red circled parts also in a reddish brown paint. However I didn’t paint the insides (the sides where the laptop will go). Because I painted the reddish brown color down to the blue line on the image on the right I decided to paint the bottom with darker color.<br />Darker part<br />I got a purple paint and mixed it with the reddish brown paint and started painting below the blue line shown in the image above. I painted only the ones that are short (which is all the blocks excluding no 3, however I didn’t paint the side block no 2 the smallest one). I painted half way up the side blocks with the brown mixed with purple paint. After I painted it with purple paint mixed with reddish brown, I painted the block again to create a gradient effect. I changed the proportion of the reddish brown paint and the purple paint to create the gradient effect. <br />Painting the base<br />After I have given the gradient effect for the sides, I got a dark brown paint and purple paint to paint the bottom. I wanted to paint the bottom of the body because it looked odd when I lifted up and there were scratches from the nailed block. I mixed the brown with black paint also. I first painted the middle of the base with black mixed with dark brown. The image on the left is me painting the middle of the base. Near the sides, I painted with the paint mixed with pur25400241935ple to look similar on the edges.<br />Next<br />In the next period I will start moulding the plastic. If the burner is not ready, then I will try to make the legs for the plastic mould if possible.<br />21st March 2011-Monday<br />30816551397000In today’s lesson I have started with marking out the four hole for the lampshade. I’ve put the four legs where it will fit in the body then I got the plastic out. I had to drill the four holes that the legs would attach to. I’ve put the body in the middle of the circle that I have marked out previously. Then I have measured the distance between the four legs and started to mark out the place where the four legs will be. I used a board marker to mark where the four legs would be attached to. Because it would be hard to drill after I have moulded the plastic, I had to drill it before I moulded the plastic. The image on the right is the plastic after I have marked out the places for the four legs.<br />Drilling<br />3429000251460025400914400I used the cordless drill to drill the four holes. I got a drill bit of the size of the four legs. I’ve put the plastic on the table and opened the wood vice. I opened it up just to help me in drilling. I’ve put the part where I want to drill in between the wood vice and started drilling. The image on the left is me using the cordless drill to drill the four holes on the plastic. After drilling it I have tested if the holes were drilled in the right position. I’ve put the four legs on the body and put the plastic through it. I checked it was in the correct position. The image on the right shows how it looked like after putting the plastic through. <br />Remarking the shape<br />25400736600I felt that the plastic was a little bit large, therefore I decided to make the one side which was longer a little bit shorter. I have rounded the corners also. The image on the bottom is how I have re-marked out the shape of the plastic that I wanted to be.<br />Cutting the four legs<br />-9906002286000I got a whiteboard marker and marked the four legs to the size I wanted. There were two lengths, two long ones and two short ones. I decided to cut the long ones to the size of the short one. I marked the place where I will cut on the leg. Then I got a hack saw and started cutting it. I’ve put the leg in the metal vice and got a hack saw. Like using other kind of saws, I pulled the hack saw three times backwards and started cutting by pushing the hack saw back and forth.<br />I’ve cut the four legs into the same length.<br />Next?<br />Mr. Anderson has helped me to cut the plastic into the shape that I have marked out using a band saw. I had to file the edges smooth again.<br />22nd March 2011- Tuesday<br />In today’s lesson I have first started off with smoothing the edges of the plastic with a file. I go t a flat-head file and a sliding clamp for this process. I clamped the plastic on to the bench with the sliding clamp then I used the file to smooth the edges.<br />Test<br />28194001397000After I have smoothed all the edges, I tried a test piece before I actually start moulding my lampshade. I got the piece that was cut out when I was re-marking and cutting the plastic. I peeled the plastic off and got my mould and the Bunsen burner. Because it was a first trial I wasn’t sure how to do it. We tried clamping the plastic on the mould and firing with the Bunsen burner. However, the problem with this method was the mould started to burn. The image on the right is me with Mr. Anderson trying to mould the plastic by clamping it on to the mould. We saw some smoke from the mould so we stopped. However we did still try bending the plastic.<br />-228600685800After this test we decided to first heat the plastic then putting it on to the mould to shape it. I drew whiteboard marker lines on the plastic on the plastic to guide me where to heat the plastic. I used a whiteboard marker because it was erasable. The image on the left is the test piece with whiteboard marker lines on it. The method of heating the plastic first then putting it on the mould was successful. <br />Marking the position<br />Because I will be getting the plastic away from the mould and on to it again, I had to have the plastic on the mould in the exact position each time. 320040050800Therefore I marked the places where the four holes will go on the mould with a pencil. I’ve put the plastic into the position and used a pencil to mark where the four holes were. After I have marked out the position of the plastic I started to peel the plastic. The image on the right is me peeling the plastic off.<br />32296102057400After I have peeled the plastic off, I’ve put it on the position on the mould.25400281305 Then I got a whiteboard marker and marked the lines to guide me where to heat the plastic up. After I have marked with the whiteboard marker I’ve put the plastic near the edge of the bench. The image on the bottom is before I started to mould the plastic. <br />32004002057400Because I had to mould the plastic by pushing it to the mould I had to be very careful of burning my fingers. Mr. Anderson has gave me one side of a glove so that the burner doesn’t slip off when I am using it and I don’t get burn while moulding the plastic. <br />Moulding the plastic<br />I’ve turned the Bunsen burner on. I had the Bunsen burner as blue flame to heat the plastic up. I’ve hold the Bunsen burner with two hands and started heating it underneath. When the plastic started to get wobbly I took it off and put it on to the mould. The image on the right is me using the Bunsen burner to heat up the plastic. There is the whiteboard marker line to 50800685800guide me in heating the plastic. For a start, I only heated the red part of the image above. After heating the plastic I’ve put it over the mould. I lined up the four holes with the places that I have marked on the mould. Then I pushed the plastic downwards to make it into the shape of the mould. I had to hold the plastic until it started to cool down and maintain its form. The plastic was very hot even though I was wearing the glove to protect my hand from burning.<br />Then I started to heat the next section. I’ve heated the plastic up and lined the four holes again and started to push the plastic to mould it. In the process of pushing it, it created a crack on the plastic. Luckily the crack wasn’t too big.<br />25th March 2011- Friday<br />In today’s period I have continued on with moulding the plastic using the Bunsen burner. I got my mould, Bunsen burner and a lighter to start with. I got a glove to make sure that I didn’t get any burns in the process of moulding the plastic. Because almost third of the plastic was moulded, it was hard to actually heat the plastic away from the mould and put the plastic on to the mould to mould the plastic. Therefore I used a box to higher the height of the mould so that when I moulded the plastic it doesn’t hit the bench and used a sliding clamp to clamp the mould in place. I’ve put a piece of wood between the clamp and the plastic. <br />Then I turned lit the Bunsen burner with the lighter and turned the flame into a blue flame. I heated the plastic slowly in small sections. When the plastic was soft enough, I tried to push the plastic down to mould it. During the process of heating the plastic, the mould started to burn a little bit. I noticed that it was inevitable for the mould to burn a little bit when I was heating up the plastic very close to the mould. With the help of Mr. Anderson I was able to quickly go around and heat the mould into shape. Because the plastic was too hot even with the gloves on, I used a wooden stick to press the plastic down.<br />After I have moulded the plastic, I took the plastic off from the mould and tried to put it on the four legs. Before I have put the mould on the legs I got four nuts and put it on the legs to prevent the plastic to go in all the way. I’ve put the plastic on and used another nuts to tighten the plastics on the legs. <br />Emotion:<br />I was not really satisfied with the look of the plastic after I have moulded. I wanted the plastic to really droop more and I don’t think it is possible with the method that I am currently using. If I can I want to try to really make the plastic droop down. I am glad that I was able to go around the circle and heat up the plastic and mould it into the basic shape I wanted. <br />Next?<br /> In the next period I will be exploring where to attach the light fitting on the plastic. After I have decided with the position that the light fitting would go I would start to attach the light fitting on to the plastic. If I can get the drooping effect on the plastic, I will re-mould the plastic.<br />AOI/Learner Profile<br />The AOI involved in today’s lesson was Human Ingenuity and Health & Social Education. Human Ingenuity is always involved in every lesson when I go to the workshop. Health & Social Education is also one of the AOIs that is always involved when I went to the workshop. In today’s lesson I wore a glove to prevent my hands from getting burns.<br />Biomimicry connection<br />The biomimicry connection of my lampshade is that the lampshade has a shape of a jellyfish. Not only my lampshade has a shape of a jellyfish but also some jellyfish glows therefore <br />28th March 2011- Monday<br />In today’s single period I have started off with getting a light fitting. When I got the light fitting I had to choose where it would go. The two image on the left is the top and the bottom view of the light fitting. The left one is the top and the right is the bottom. <br />-33147001384300I decided to attach the light fitting near the middle of the plastic. The reason why I chose it was because it would look the best compared to other position and the middle part of the plastic was the flattest. The red part of the image on the left shows where I decided to put the light fitting on.<br />After deciding where to put it I had to find a bolt that was the adequate size for the light fitting. I found two very small bolts with same size. Then I found a nut that would fit in. After I have found the bolts, I had to find a drill bit that was a little bit bigger than the size of the bolt.<br />After I have found the bolt I used a whiteboard marker to mark out where I wanted the holes to be to attach the light fitting.<br />Drilling<br />After I have got the drill bit of the right size, I have put my product on the floor and got a cordless drill. I used a cordless drill to drill the hole. I drilled one hole and checked if the bolts fits. Then I drilled the next hole. I had to be very careful and not press too hard. If I did press hard the plastic might 00have broken and had to do the moulding process all over. Luckily I didn’t have any cracks made in the process of drilling the holes. The image on the left is how the lampshade looked like after I have drilled the two holes for the light fitting. Although it is unclear on the picture the place where I have drilled is the red circled part of the picture on the left.<br />Bio-mimicry connection<br />The bio-mimicry connection for the body (where the laptop will be held) is the rocks under the sea. First of all rocks have a characteristic of strong and firm. To hold objects the body has to be very firm and strong. The shape of the body also has a bio-mimicry connection. The shape of the body is the shape of a rock that we could find in the oceans. <br />The bio-mimicry connection of the lampshade is the shape of the lampshade. The lampshade is similar to the shape of a Jellyfish. The lampshade is see though and lights are emitted. Some jellyfishes under water can glow in the dark because there are less light coming to the deep oceans.<br />AOI/Learner Profile<br />I was a Thinker in today’s period. I was a thinker because I was thinking the best way and the best position for the light fitting to be attached to. I have thought about variety of positions that the light fitting could be put and I chose the best position out of all the possible positions that I have thought of.<br />29th March 2011- Tuesday<br />In today’s lesson I wasn’t sure of what to start with. What I had to do was to install the light fitting. However, the cord wasn’t ready. I decided to use a 2M cord for the light because sometimes the electricity source are far away from the lights. <br />Base<br />After I have chosen the length of the wire (cord) I have decided to make a base for the lampshade when I take it off the laptop holder. Because the four legs are not firm enough to stand on the desk on its own, I decided to make a base that could hold the lamp shade when it is taken off the laptop holder (body).<br />25400927100First I have measured the diagonal distance of the four legs. The distance of approximately 150. I just added 25mm for each side and marked it out as the length of the base. I have marked out two blocks. After I have marked out the length of the base with a pencil and a tri-square, I used a hand saw to cut the block. The image on the left is me using the hand saw to cut the blocks.<br />Drilling<br />-62865965200I had to drill two holes on the side of these two blocks because of how I wanted to glue them together. The joint I wanted to use for these two blocks was a dowel joint, where dowels are used to help the joint become firm.<br />I have used a tri-square and a pencil to mark out where to drill the two holes for the dowels. I used a 10mm drill bit to drill the holes. I wasn’t sure whether I had to drill all the way or not therefore I just drilled all the way through. The image on the top is me using the drill press to drill the holes for the dowels. <br />Gluing<br />After drilling all the holes. I have used a PVA and put it in the hole, then I have put the dowel in. I used a wooden mallet to hammer in the dowels. Then I have put the other block together and clamped it with a sliding clamp.<br />1st April 2011- Friday<br />254001143000In today’s period I have continued on with the base. I first measured the distances of the four legs. The length was 120 mm and the width was 100mm and the diagonal length was approximately 155mm. I have measured the length and the width of the base and marked the four holes in the middle of the base. Because I wanted to have equal distance for each sides of the holes I measured the base’s length and width. The lines with the same color on the picture on left shows the equal distances (The yellows are same lengths and the reds are same lengths). <br />Sanding<br />-374650027432000685800After I have measured and marked out where the holes will be drilled. I have used a disc sander to round the ends. I drew a line to guide me when I am rounding the edges. However I didn’t sand up till the lines. The image on the left is the base after I have rounded the ends. After I have rounded the ends I found out that the two blocks were not levelled. Therefore I got a sanding board and started to sand the base and level it. It took a long time for me to level the base because I had to continuously push the base back and forth on the sanding board. <br />Drilling<br />After I have sanded the base and levelled it I used the drill press to drill the hole. The image on the left is me using the drill press to drill the four holes for the four legs.<br />2413000457200After I have drilled the four holes, I have sanded the corners of the base. After I have sanded the corners and the edges of the base I have checked if the lampshade stood on the base. The image on the right is the lampshade on the base. <br />Next?<br />The next thing I will do is either install the light fitting or to continue on with the base. I should start painting the base in the next period if I am not putting the light fitting on.<br />