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Overview of the Tea Light Candle Holder Project
Overview of the Tea Light Candle Holder Project
This project focuses on a new manufacturing skills that is learnt in the A Level Theory course. The project includes designing a tea light holder and practice using the wood lathe by first completing the project with foam, then to finally use wood. This is to improve my understanding of the manufacturing processes used to make a lamp, and to learns hands on experience of the theory course.
Inspiration Board
Inspiration Board
Here are some inspirations I found for the tea light holder, you can see that in some pictures, the candles are not made from wood but with other materials such as ceramics. The inspiration will then help me try to create my own design ideas using ideas of shapes and sizes from the inspiration board, then to improve the product even further and turning it on the lathe
Design Ideas
Design Ideas
Here are the design ideas I have created using different shapes, widths, radii, and sizes of the candles and the wood sizes that are available for use in the workshop. These are the designs that would be most suitable for turning on the lathe as there are no sharp edges and circular shapes that would be able to be turned off the wood lathe. The designs would also be a good practice for the manufacturing process that would help with the manufacturing side of the DT theory course.
Manufacturing
Manufacturing
Here are the equipment used to mark the foam
Here is me using an iris or a circle template to draw a cylindrical shape with a diameter of 70mm on the foam so when using the able to turn the foam to the desired diameter.
The first step I did was to pick a piece of foam with the desired size and length from the available selections and the length of the tea light holder I wanted.
I then used a mechanical pencil and ruler to try to find the center point of the foam. This is done by putting the ruler on the foam and turning it where the edge of one corner meets another corner at an angle then drawing the line across then doing the same thing for the other side, creating a cross in the middle of the foam (that is where the center point is.
This is me using the table clamps and files to file down the foam into a more cylindrical shape so that when using the wood lathe the edges would not get stuck on the tool rest, this step helps ensure safety and convenience during the manufacturing process
While waiting to use the wood lathe, I started by picking out a piece of wood with the aesthetic and size that I wanted. I then repeated the process of finding the center using a ruler and a mechanical pencil. Then using a ruler and a spring divider I opened the spring divider to 40mm as the radius then I put one side of it to the center of the wood and spun the divider around to create a mark of the wood in a shape of a circle then I went over the mark with a pencil to make it more clear. (this process preps the wood)
Here is a picture of the foam where the center is drawn.
Using the Wood Lathe:
First, ensure you're wearing safety gear: visors to protect your eyes from the dust that comes out while turning. Start by placing the wood in this case the foam and securing it tightly between the lathe's headstock and tailstock make sure that it can turn but you need to ou in some force to do so. Adjust the tool rest to the correct placement and maintain about small gap between the foam and the tool rest so there is room for spinning (make sure that when you spin the foam around it doesn't get caught up with the tool rest). Press the green button to start the lathe and gently bring your chisels or gouges into contact with the wood to shape it. Always move the cutting tools along the foam and maintain a firm grip on them. Keep your hands away from the spinning wood and stop the lathe before making adjustments or inspecting your work.
Using different tools on a wood lathe allows for versatility and creativity in wood-turning projects. The lathe offers a variety of specialized tools, each designed for specific cutting and shaping tasks. This is me attempting to turn the foam, first using a roughing gouge to map out the initial shape of a workpiece by chipping away the foam slowly as the lathe spins. After seeing that I had spun the foam around the same cylindrical shape that I had wanted, I then used the skew chisel with its flat and sharp tip to move along the foam to create an even layer along the whole cylinder making it look cleaner and smoother. After that, I used the spindle gouge with a sharp tip to cut into the foam making designs on the foam to my liking. For the particular design I wanted to do, I used a bit of force to cut deep into a section of the foam and slowly pulled the chisel out to form a large dent. Returning to the roughing gouge I smooth out the curve for a more sleek look.
On the left is my finished design of the foam model that was turned by the wood lathe.
Here is a picture of the band saw and all the components of the band saw
Here is a close-up of the band saw in the view of when you are using it.
Band saw:
The band saw is a versatile cutting tool commonly used for wood working, and many ither industries. Its main componenets are:
Blade; the blade runs in a continuous loop of hsarp teeth that rotates arounf two wheels allowing for a precide and intricate cut
Wheels; band saws, typically have two wheels, one of which is powere, that guide the blade's movement. The wheels provide the becessary tension to keep the blade in place.
Table; the flat surface where the workpiece os placed for cutting. It can be adjusted for height and tilt to accomodate various cutting angles
Fence; a guide that helps in makign straight cuts by providing a reference point for the workpiece.
Guides/jigs; these are bearings or blocks that support the blade and help maintain alignment suring the cutting process
Safety precautions:
Wear safety gear including safety glasses, hearing protection and more
Secure the workplace by using clamps or other securing devices to stabilize the workpiece in the table and prevent unexpected movements
Keep hands clear, never reach over the blade while it is in motion and maintain a safe dstance from the blade.
While using the band saw, in the picture, you can see that there is a block of wood (jig) that has been clamped down using a G clamp, this is used as a guide for making straight cuts and a safety precaution for cutting through the wood smoothly and tole hold the vibrations of the wood piece to a minimum, I had to make sure that the guide did not push my piece of wood upwards to where it would go over the markings I made earlier. Another safety measure I took while using the saw was using a push stick to push the piece of wood through the saw so my hand would not go near the saw part. My teacher put the table at a slight angle as I was cutting the wood into a circle because it would be easier to cut at slight angles the holding the wood at an angle yourself. I started to slowly push the wood through but it was quite difficult as the piece of wood I was using was a very hard wood. After getting one side done, I turned the wood to a different side while making sure that the wood was stable enough to be held in place for the next cut, using the help of the push stick I then continued to do the same thing to every side of the wood until all the sides where cut to where I was a circular shape and there were no angles left to cut where to woof would be held in a stable position
After using the band saw, There were still some parts of the wood that were uneven so I decided to plane the wood to prep the wood for the lathe.
Below is a picture of my teacher giving me guidance on how to make the curve in the middle of my candle holder as the tools were getting extremely hot.
I started by putting the wood into the head and tail stock making it extra tight this time so the wood would not fly off.
After finishing everything in the lathe, to create a smooth finish to the wood, I poured a small amount of finishing oil onto the piece of cloth next to the bottle, then I started to rub every part of the wood for a shiny finish.
Here are pictures of the processes I had to go through while using the lathe again after making the test model out of foam. Using the same tools that were used while making the foam model started to turn the wood, but this time doing it more slowly as it is hardwood so the tools are more prone to getting really hot.
Below is a picture of me finishing with the tools and using different grades of sane paper to smoothen the finish.
Finish wood lathe
Starting the metal lathe
The tealight holder needs to have a space for the tealight. I then drilled the top of the candle holder using a flat circular drill bit that was about 4 cm wide in diameter. While drilling I needed a teacher to help me hold the wood as it would have flown away, and as the wood was getting very hot we needed to use cooling spray in between drilling as it was getting very hot. As a safety measure, we wore classes and took breaks in between the drilling (the wood was hard so it was hard to drill and the friction made the wood really hot so the pieces of wood flying when in contact with the skin was painful)
After drilling I used the other end of the calipers to measure the depth to see if I had drilled enough for the brass holder to be out
After finishing the body of this project, I continued to start the work on the metal lathe:
Metal lathe:
Cutting Brass:
We begin by securing the brass firmly in place using the clamps provided by the metal cutter to prevent any movement during the cutting process. Mark the cutting line using a pencil or a scribe before hand for an accurate size cut. I applied steady pressure to the handle using down on the metal (the metal cutter has a fine-toothed blade), while consistently taking the blade out and putting cooling spray on the brass so it doesn't overgeat and helps reduce friction, reuslting in a more smoother and prolonged life of the blade. Additionally, wear eye protection to ensure safety from small bits of metal.
Turning a brass tealight holder on the metal lathe involves several precise steps to achieve the decried shape and finish. After finishing cutting the brass bar in the metal cutter, I secured the piece of brass onto the mount in the lathe chuck, then I adjusted the lathe tool height and position of the toolset to the right angle and then secured the cutting tool in the tool post and locking it in with an allen key, ensuring its aligned with the workpiece. I started off by using the calipers to measure the diameter of the brass bar before cutting to know how much I needed to cut off. I then faced the end of the brass bar to create a smooth and flat surface but turned the top slide to pass the middle point then went out again, then moved the cross slide inwards at about 2mm at a time and repeated the same process; this provides a clean starting point for the holder. Using the cross-slide to move the cutting tool along the length of the workpiece with the measurements of the outside diameter of the tealight holder, gradually reducing the diameter by making light passes until reaching the desired size of the tealight holder.
As the brass was turning, I changed the drill of the tail stock and moved it to brass then slowly moved it closer creating a hole in the brass, I then moved the tail stock away after it made a small hole in the middle that was as deep as the depth of the tealight itself. Using a different tool, I adjusted the tool to cut the inner diameter by starting the tool off where the hole was made then moved the top slide along the brass to the wanted diameter, after having a guide, I slid it tool back to the center, doing this consecutively using the top slide going into the bras 2mm at a time, then using the same tool going along the inside of the brass for a smooth line into the bottom of the tealight.
After making sure the inside of the brass tealight holder was measured and finished, I moved on to the outside of the brass by measuring how much the outside height was, then left a small portion of the outside for the holder to cling to the wood. I then started the same process I did with the inside on the outside of the brass, digging into the brass measuring the smaller diameter, and using a flat tooltip to go along the brass for a smooth finish. I used a small file to round the edge for a more aesthetic finish, then went through all the edges with wet and dry using different grades so there wouldn't be any more scratches from the tool.
Using a parting tool I cut through the remaining material slowly bringing the the tool back out again once in a while and spraying it with a cooling spray doing this over and over until it's as close to the core as possible.
When the tealight holder is near completion, the took used cannot pass through the gaps so then I then used a small hack saw to cut the rest out, staying as close to the bottom of the tealight candle as much as possible
Being close to the bottom of the candle holder means that it would save time during sanding the bottom of the brass, I need to be careful with keeping the small hack saw stright to not make
Finish product
Using fine grit wet and dry I sanded the bottom to complete the holder.
Context Photos
What went well and What to improve:
The design overall turned out well, and the size does not look too big or too small compared to the mosquito coil.
To improve this, the holes on both side should be the same size, so when looking through it, there is not some parts of the wood that sticks out.
I need to make sure that both sides are the same size so it looks parallel.
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