Foundations of Engineering

DIY Wooden Coasters

4-18-23

In class today we learned what our new project is going to be. We're tasked with making DIY Wooden Coasters out of wood scraps. These are some of the power tools we'll be using:

Planner Saw
Table Saw
Floor Drill Press
Orbital Sander

Coaster Design

Here is picture of the rough-sketch of my coaster design I'll be making. We were instructed to to create a square that measured 3 and 3/4 inches on each side. In the design, we could only use horizontal or vertical lines in our design- as you can see I went the horizontal route.

Planer Saw Safety

A planner saw, typically, is used to smooth out wood and to get it in the right shape for the engineer who's about to use it. You have to give the blade enough space above the wood so it doesn't get stuck and that the wood goes all the way through the machine.

Should: When using the planer, you should always wear eye protection, ear protection, unplug when done, and get ready to use and attach the vacuum before you use the saw.

Shouldn't: You should never put your appendages (arms and/or fingers) near the saw's opening, put anything other than wood through the machine, put through wood that has nails or screws in it.

Table Saw

A table saw is used to make straighter, more precise, lines on small and long boards of wood. They make a more precise cut than that of a handheld or machine saw.

Do's:

Wear safety goggles and hearing protection
Always ask permission before using
Use machine in front of adult supervision
Know exactly what you're cutting before you do so
Consider 4-inch rule.

Dont's:

Reach across the blade
Adjust or setup saw while it's running
Use without adult supervision
Take off blade protector without permission

Floor Drill Press

The Floor Drill Press is pretty similar to any other wood saw you'd see in a lumber yard, except in place of a saw- it has a drill that can move vertically (up and down). While the actual drill can only be moved up and down, the piece its connected to can be moved back and forth to accomodate for multiple drills on one board.

Dos

Always keep work clamped to the drill table or held by a vise
Use the correct drill bit for the material you're drilling
Watch drill pressure once it goes through the material
Ask permission before using or turning on
Use in front of adult supervision

Don't:

Clean the drill while it's drilling (or is in motion at all).
Drill with too much pressure
Use a dull or broken drill
Remove wood chips or drill bits by hand
Use without asking permission
Use without adult supervision

Orbital Sander Safety

This is an Orbital Sander. You'd typically use it to smooth out any flaws and to get it ready for staining. It's great at fixing edges that didn't perfectly match up with each other at first.

Like any other engineering machine, there's Do's and Don'ts when using a Orbital Sander. You SHOULD always wear safety glasses, keep the machine moving as long as it's on, and try NOT to get the sander in any close-contact with your skin.

You SHOULDN'T use the Sander WITHOUT permission or some sort of supervision, contact the sand paper to your skin while the machine is on, and you never put it on surfaces that can easily damage the sander.

Pine

This is a picture of pine wood, we'll be using it to make a distinctive design on our coaster.

Walnut

This is a picture of walnut wood, we'll be using it alongside the pinewood to create a distinctive design on our coaster.

Geometric Motion Lamp

This is the start of a project that will involve planning, sketching, geometry, measuring, designing, coding, and constructing.

Here are the guidelines and rules for the project (fundamentally speaking).

This explains different techniques and materials that we'll be using in the project.

This gives insight on the physical enclosure related to the project.

Get Built-In LED to Blink Faster and Slower

IMG_9419.mov

Slower LED

We had to plug in an LED Pico to our computer and put in code that would make the LED blink. To make the LED blink slower, we had to change the variables (numbers) to a relatively low number.

IMG_9421.MOV

Faster LED

This is the same LED Pico that's been plugged into our computer. Now, it's blinking faster because we changed the variables (numbers) to a relatively high number.

External LEDs

Pico/External LED Blinking

Using the same motherboard and USB, we were tasked with making an external LED light blink on and off. We were given the actual LED and a wire that it connects to and were instructed to attach certain ends of the wires to certain spikes on the motherboard (GP14 and GND) After doing so, we copied in pre-made code and just ran the program.

stoplight effect

LED "Stoplight" Pattern

With this project, we did similar to what we did with the "External LED Blinking" project. The major difference is that we did it with 3 LED lights. Our teacher gave us 3 LED lights and 6 wires to put them in- we then tested to see if each LED light was the correct color (yellow, red, green). Using the same technique with "GPD." Once we put the premade code in the website, the LEDs created the stoplight pattern.

IMG_9553.MOV

4 LED Light Pattern

After coding and setting up the "stop-light" pattern on the PICO, all we had to do was add another LED and cord to the PICO and add another spot for it in the code.

Claimed 3D Form Drawing

After picking from one of four sketches, I was instructed to redraw the image in bigger dimensions. After that, I was told to measure the largest length and width of the figure. Also, I had to draw between 14-16 lights on the figure and shading to add realism.

Creating the Cut-List

Cut List Page 1

Using the 3D drawing, I measured the dimensions with the graphing paper and used the ruler to draw straight lines. The cut list is supposed to help me when it comes to making the 3D practice model.

Cut List Page 2

Here is another part of my cut list that I had to use another piece of graph paper for.

Plan out Your Light Pattern

Before we could program our lamp PICOs, we were first assigned to plan out how we want our lights to appear in the lamp. In the picture, you can see colored dots according to the lights I'd be programing, and the patterns they will show up in

Get your LEDs to Light Up in Pattern

Using the plan shown above, I coded all three patterns onto the PICO. Once I confirmed that all three patterns lit up as they were supposed to, I reprinted my design and hot glued the lights into the corresponding holes.

Assembled Prototype with Cardboard and Tape

Prototype

Using the pieces from my cut-list as reference, I cut out pieces of cardboard accordingly and taped them together in the shape of my lamp design.

Prototype

Here is the same prototype at a different camera angle.

Finalized Cardboard Prototype

This is a picture of ALL of my final, cardboard, prototypes. The biggest one you see on the far right is the most final and advanced prototype. It includes where the holes for my lights will be on the final design, and represents how big the final design will be. To be distinct, the cardboard used for these prototypes is different from the regular cardboard you see for the early prototypes above. The cardboard used here, is corrugated cardboard.

Lamp Patterns Sketch

For our lamp projects, we have to design and code 3 different patterns that will show up on our actual lamps. The idea is to have the LED lights show some sort of movement and evoke emotion when you look at them. We were instructed to sketch out patterns that we plan to code into our PICO.

Today, we're learning how to use the bandsaw and create bandsaw boxes for our final project.

The meaning of this project is to learn how to use the tools safely.

Here are the skills we're expected to have at the end of this project. It will show our mastery of the skills we're learning.

Bandsaw Safety

There are many safety rules to follow when using a bandsaw in engineering class. Some of the most fundamental are to wear safety goggles, cut/push wood through blade slowly, keep the blade slightly above the wood you're cutting.

Before operating a bandsaw, you should also know not leave the bandsaw while it's on, not to leave more than the needed amount of blade showing, not to use to saw without your teacher knowing or before asking your teacher, and not to distract your peers or yourself when using the bandsaw.

Bandsaw Puzzle Cutout #1 and #2

Puzzle One

Here is a picture of wood we cut into puzzle-like pieces using the bandsaw. Our teacher gave us the wood, taught us how to use the saw, and we cut the wood into pieces that could be put back together like a puzzle.

Puzzle Two

This is a picture of another puzzle-like piece of wood we cut in our class. The first one was more like practice to get accustomed to the machine, but this one was more challenging. We had to cut along one, consistent and curvy, line.

Planer Saw Safety

Should: When using the planer, you should always wear eye protection, ear protection, unplug when done, and get ready to use and attach the vacuum before you use the saw.

Shouldn't: You should never put your appendages (arms and/or fingers) near the saw's opening, put anything other than wood through the machine, put through wood that has nails or screws in it.

Planner Saw Example

This is a picture of wood I smoothed out by using a Planer Saw Our teacher taught us how to safely operate the machine and what level the machine should be on to successfully smooth out wood. Before, all sides of the plank were incredibly rough and gave splinters easily, it was after the planner saw that the wood smoothed out.

Miter Saw Safety

Whenever you work with a miter saw, there's a lot of things to be weary of. You should always cut carefully and slowly, clean up the area after using the saw, wear/use safety goggles and ear protection if need be. You should also make sure the wood is secure and still BEFORE you cut, and you should adjust the blade to the correct size before use.

You should NEVER get distracted while cutting, wrapping the plugged cord around your body, touching or moving the blade guard, moving the blade guard manually, showing or exposing the blade, measuring the material whilst the saw is on, leaving the machine on while it's unattended, AND sawing without the teacher's permission or without supervision.

Bandsaw Box Glue Up

These two pieces of cut wood glued together. I made the two pieces by using the Miter Saw to cut into the piece of wood I smoothed out with the Planer Saw (see picture above). After the two pieces were made, I used glue to stick them together.

SPP Design Sketches

Sketch 1

Made use of a Horizon Line, Vanishing points and Diagonal Lines to create a 3D image/word look as if it's vanishing into a distance.

Sketch 2

Similar to sketch 1, I made use of Horizon lines, Vanishing points, AND diagonal lines to create what looks like 3 floating/vanishing cubes.

Single-Layer Practice-Cut

Unfortunately, I don't have an exact picture of this. For reference, look at the "Bandsaw Box Glue Up" picture. Imagine that block of wood, with a small piece of it cut off. The reason we cut off the piece is because WITH it, the needed measurements would've been off.

Stencil Documentation

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of my name stencil BEFORE it was spray painted, but you should imagine my name (Kaci) cut out in deep-red, stenciled, tape. To make the stencil in the first place, my teacher used a cricket machine to make the actual stencil. Then, our teacher taught us how to use exact-o knives to cut out the stencil precisely and safely. Once the stencil-tape was cut out, we were instructed to put it on a piece of cardboard and spray paint it. For me, I think the hardest part was still making the most precise cuts out of the stencil and making sure not to spray to hard or use to much spray paint.

Stencil Spray-Paint Demonstration

This is a picture of the my name stencil after it was spray painted. It was AFTER stencil-tape was cut out that we were instructed to put it on a piece of cardboard and spray paint it. For me, I think the hardest part was still making the most precise cuts out of the stencil and making sure not to spray to hard or use to much spray paint.

Orbital Sander Safety

This is an Orbital Sander. You'd typically use it to smooth out any flaws and to get it ready for staining. It's great at fixing edges that didn't perfectly match up with each other at first.

Before and After Bandsaw Cuts (with practice cut)

Practice Wood

This is a piece of wood we used to practice before cutting our actual boxes. We had to draw a curved line on the box and use to bandsaw to practice cutting. We'd do the same with the actual box soon after.

(Before) Actual Box

This is the actual box BEFORE we cut it in the same technique as the practice box. First, we had to draw the same curved line we did on the practice box.

(AFTER) Actual Box

This is the same box AFTER we cut it with the same technique as we did the practice box. We used the planner saw to cut along the line we drew previously.

Cut Out of Drawers and Perimeter

This is the same box seen in the picture above and same one the Orbital Sander was used on. Now, the sides of it and a top part of it has been cut off. To control the piece thickness, I had to measure each cut to 3/8ths. Notable, the side pieces are wider than the one top piece that was cut of. To do this, our teacher allowed us to use the Bandsaw.

Bandsaw Box Drawers & Perimeter glued Together

This is a picture of my bandsaw-box walls/drawers and interior glued together. Once the drawers and the interior were cut out, all I had to do was glue them together. The metal object you see on the box is called a clamp(s). It's an easy way to keep individual things in place when you're gluing them together.

3D Printer Knob

This is a picture of the 3D knob I created online with Tinker-cad and printed out with the 3D printer. It's my initials with a maze-like design around them. It took about an hour for the 3D printer to successfully print this knob. Once the knob was printed and cooled, I was instructed to hot glue it onto my bandsaw-box top.

3D Printer Safety (Do's and Don'ts)

There are many safety rules that come with using a 3D printer, believe it or not.

Don'ts: You should refrain from touching the printer bed when it IS running. When the printer is running, the printer bed is incredibly hot and WILL burn the student. You should also try NOT to the nozzle of the printer, because that will be incredibly hot as well. As the figure you've created is being printed, DONNOT try to touch it- you're hand could get caught in the moving structure and/or you could ruin the design of the figure.

Dos: Before you even command the printer to print, you should make sure that you've given the printer the right file (the one that belongs to you). You should also name the file that belongs to you so it's easily distinguishable from others. The file name should also be easy to remember. You should make sure the your 3D creation has successfully been saved onto the SD card.

Staining (Finishing ALL Parts)

This is the same bandsaw box I've been working on, but now it's stained. To use the staining-liquid/material, you'll need gloves, a Flat Head screwdriver, an apron, and a strip/piece of fabric. The stain liquid is harmful to skin, which is why gloves and aprons are needed. The flathead screwdriver is what you should use to open the stain-can (NOT your hands). The piece of fabric is what you'll use to paint the stain onto your wood- NOTE that you should not fully dunk the piece of fabric into the stain.

Staining Do's and Don'ts

To use the staining-liquid/material, you'll need gloves, a Flat Head screwdriver, an apron, and a strip/piece of fabric. The stain liquid is harmful to skin, which is why gloves and aprons are needed. The flathead screwdriver is what you should use to open the stain-can (NOT your hands). The piece of fabric is what you'll use to paint the stain onto your wood- NOTE that you should not fully dunk the piece of fabric into the stain.

Attach Handles

Spray-Paint Name on Box

Before Spray-Paint

This is a picture of my name taped onto my bandsaw-box. We were given the taped-stencil, instructed to peel off our names and place onto the box.

After Spray-Paint

This is picture of the same box and stencil, but now its spray-painted. We put duck-tape around our name to protect the rest of our box from the spray-paint.

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