Process Journals
- 1. Drawing and Cutting Out My Clover Key Tag Marley Emerich February 17th Today I began making my four‐leaf clover key tag. I chose a piece of a green translucent plastic for my design. I began with thinking in my head what I was going to do. It took many tries but I drew the four‐leaf clover over and over again on the plastic with a whiteboard marker. I kept on making to too big or too small, so I just drew the V‐shaped spaces in between the leaves and decided that I’d round the edges in after I sanded and sawed out everything. I went and put my apron on to protect me from sharp edges and to protect my clothes from dust. I also made sure to put my hair up so it didn’t get chopped off or caught in anything. I didn’t put my safety goggles because I wasn’t using wood and I thought plastic dust wouldn’t affect me as much. I then placed the piece of plastic into the metal clamp. I picked up the “Junior Hack Saw” and slowly began carving out the V’s. At Oirst, I was going way to slow and I didn’t realize I was cutting the V in a straight angle. After much practice with positioning my self right, I Oinally got it right. I proceeded to do this in two more V’s after this. When I took the plastic out or redraw the lines, I noticed that they were a bit too wide. Although, I couldn’t change anything after that so I asked and was told that next time I shouldn’t make them that wide but it would be alright. I examined my piece; I was overall pleased with it. It is my Oirst ever DT project, and I felt quite positive about the results so far. After that, I cleaned up my station by sweeping all the dust of into the bin, putting my apron up, and putting all my tools away in the appropriate places. AOI ‐ Enviroment It would be a good idea to shorten the amount of wood we use because I’m thinking that we are using too much and it’s bad for the environment. Rounding Out the Edges of my Clover Key Tag February 21
- 2. What I did: Today I walked into the studio and Figure 1 got out my clover. I began with Junior Hack putting on my apron to endure I wouldn’t Saw get any dust on my clothes and to protect me from any sharp objects that I might come across. Then, I put my hair up to make sure it didn’t get caught in any machine or get cut off. After I made sure I was ready, I took out my clover piece and inserted it in the metal clamp so I could cut out my last two V’s. I chose the “Junior Hack Saw” for this because my clover is plastic. I began cutting out one of the V’s, but I was told I was cutting at an angle. After some feedback, I Oinally Oinished cutting out one V, and then I cut out the other. After I Oinished cutting out V’s, I began rounding out all the edges with a half‐round Oile. I had trouble at Oirst, so I asked. I then proceeded to Oile each and every end and corner. After the rest of the class Oilling and rounding, my clover looked almost like a real clover! Emotion: I felt very, very positive about today. I really put a lot of effort and concentration on rounding. I made immense progress during today’s lesson because my key tag went from looking like and X to looking like an almost clover. AOI and Learner ProOile –
- 4. Marley Emerich January 23 Tools I Used: Half‐round Oile to smooth the edges of my clover. Pedestal drill to drill a hole in my key chain Engraver to engrave a hole on my clover Buffer What I Did: Today I did many things. The Oirst thing I did was put my apron on to protect me from sharp edges and to protect my clothes from dust. I also made sure to put my hair up so it didn’t get chopped off or caught in anything. I
- 5. didn’t put my safety goggles because I wasn’t using wood and I thought plastic dust wouldn’t affect me as much. Then, I got out the small half‐round Oile and began to smooth out the more jagged edges of my clover. I spent about ten to Oifteen minutes doing this. After I checked with the teacher, I started doing it again because the half‐ round Oile I had wasn’t working correctly. After doing it again for around the same amount of time, I Oinally Oiled my edges correctly. After rounding out the edges, I gave the plastic tot the teacher and he buffed the plastic’s edges for me. When it came out, my four‐leaf clover looked clean, sleek, and very professional. Almost all of the plastic was completely translucent, and the plastic paper on top was almost completely gone. I then proceeded to draw the location of my keyhole in the corner. I checked with the teacher and then positioned my clover under the drill in the clamp. I put on my safety glasses to ensure I wouldn’t get anything on my clothes or any dust in my eyes. I made sure to put my hand on the clamp, but nowhere near the drill so I didn’t hurt myself. I moved the platform up so the drill was near the clover. I pressed the green button to turn the drill on and lowered it very slowly. I watched carefully as the drill went through the plastic, watching for wooden chips to tell me to stop. When I Oinished, I turned off the drill, took off my glasses, and very carefully to my clover out. I removed the plastic from the clamp and took off all the remaining plastic. I cleaned off my clover and decided it would look more like a clover if I added a little center to it. I practiced engraving the center on wood and plastic more than once. I Oinally got it right and engraved it on my clover. Finally I added the key chain to the hole and I Oinished! I put all my tools and apron away and was done! Why?
- 6. The reason I rounded the edges to my clover with a small “Half‐round” Oile was because some of the edges were a bit sharp and if I had kept it like that, when its on my keys, it might tear up my jeans or possibly poke myself. The reason I buffed the edges of my clover was so I could give it a more professional and clean look. Also, the reason why I engraved the small hole in the clover was to give it more of a shape and look. Emotion: I felt very positive about my clover in the end. I would’ve liked it to look more round and not as wide and long, but in the end I felt I did the best I could’ve done with what I had. I put a lot of effort into this clover because it was my very Oirst design technology project and I felt that it was quite good for a Oirst time. What’s Next? Because I’m done with this project, I will be deciding what to do with it now. Because I tend to lose my keys for my house and locker all the time. I will but both keys on the chain for good luck. I will be careful not to overuse it our move it in my pocket a lot because I don’t want or ruin or scratch the plastic. AOI & Learner ProMile I think that I am an Approacher to Learning because this is one of my Oirst D.T. classes in school and therefore everything I am doing is a new experience. I was a risk taker and knowledgeable because I used new tools like the “Pedestal Drill” and the engraver. I was knowledgeable because I used the little knowledge of rounding that I had before to help my clover get its shape.
- 7. Drawing and Starting to Cut Out the Shape of My Toy Whale Wednesday, March 23, 2011 These are the tools I used today: I used a tenon saw to cut long strokes of wood instead of short pieces. I used the gent saw to cut shorter or smaller pieces of wood. What I did: Today we began or moving toy project. We Oirst started off by reading two worksheets about different woods ant tools used to cut and shape them. These worksheets help me brainstorm and get an idea of what I should be doing when in the workshop. We then went over what tools to use for our project and how to use them. We were told and showed how to use a coping saw correctly which was very useful because I’ve never used a coping saw before and they are very fragile. After we made sure we knew how to use the different drills and saws, we learned about the types of woods we had, hardwood and softwood. The softwood boards were very tall and wide but not very thick and they are easy to cut. Hardwood boards are harder to cut, shorter, and a lot thicker.
- 8. We then got to work. Today I did many things. The Oirst thing I did was put my apron on to protect me from sharp edges and to protect my clothes from dust. I also made sure to put my hair up so it didn’t get chopped off or caught in anything. I didn’t put my safety goggles because I wasn’t using a drill or anything that shed a lot of dust in the air so I thought it wouldn’t affect me as much. I then looked at both woods, thinking about which wood is best for my whale. I ended up choosing the long, thinner, and wider softwood. I then opened the metal clamp and began drawing my whale’s body and water spout on the wood. Drawing the shape of the whales body on the wood. After I drew the whale on, I made sure it was okay with the teacher and then drew lines around the round shaped (the tail and spout) so I could later use a coping saw to cut out the curves. Then, I used a tri‐square to Oinish drawing equal and exactly 90 degree lines on both sides of the wood. These would be the chunks or blocks of wood I would cut out because they were not needed. I made sure that on both sides, the lines were identical and then I put the piece of wood in the clamp and began to cut the pieces off. In the last apart of the lesson, I began cutting off the chunks of wood that I didn’t need. This cutting also gave a most of the shape to the toy. I didn’t get to Oinish cutting the pieces off, but I got most of it. After this I took off my apron, put my tools away, and cleaned up my station. Why?
- 9. I chose the long but not thick piece softwood instead of the thick and short hardwood because the longer wood is more ideal for shape. I don’t want my whale to look squished or distorted, even if the thickness was ideal. That’s why I chose the long wood instead, because my whale will look better. I used the tenon saw to cut the big portions of wood because the tenon saw is stronger and longer and cuts longer pieces of wood better. I chose the gents saw for the shorter pieces of wood because it’s smaller and easier to control for a small amount of wood. What’s Next? Next class, I will try to Oinish cutting out the shape of my whale. First, I will Oinish cutting off the chunk of wood I don’t need. After that I will more or less have the body rough body shape besides the tail and spout. M next job is to use the coping saw to cut out these round edges. This is what I anticipate I will get done in the next lesson. After that, comes sanding and rounding and eventually the wheels and axels, holes for them, trail assembly, and paint. Emotion: I felt okay about today’s lesson. Considering we just started I think I did pretty good, but I had some trouble as usual with cutting out the shape of the whale. I cut a little too close to the line and it was a bit crooked at Oirst but I Oixed it later. I did feel better than I did about the cutting than the clover project
- 11. Tenon saw. I used this to cut out the body of my whale. Today we continued working on our moving toy project. The Oirst thing I did was put my apron on to protect me from sharp edges and to protect my clothes from dust. I also made sure to put my hair up so it didn’t get chopped off or caught in anything. I didn’t put my safety goggles because I wasn’t using a drill or anything that shed a lot of dust in the air so I thought it wouldn’t affect me as much. Then I took out my piece of hardwood and positioned it in the holding clamp so I could Oinish using the tendon saw to cut one of the unnecessary straight pieces off. After I Oinished that, I put away the tenon saw and checked with the teacher. This is a wooden vice Figure 2 Drawing the lines near My next step was to the round edges of my whale cut off the round edges of the whale. But, instead of just using a coping saw to simply cut out the round edges, I drew straight lines near them to cut out so I wouldn’t have to cut out more round edges. Then I positioned the piece Figure 1 Using a gents saw to cut the small lines near the round edges of wood in the wooden vice so the Oirst line I need to cut it standing straight up. Once, I made sure the wooden vice was tight, I then began cutting slowly with the gents saw. I frequently checked to line to make4 sure the line wasn’t cutting sideways. I got about ¼ of the job done until it was time to pack up.
- 12. I put my apron away and put up my tools. I then re‐wrote my name on my piece of wood and put I tin the Grade 8 Moving Toy project box. Finally, I cleaned dup my station and made sure everything was in order. Why? I used a tenon saw to cut the longer piece of wood in the beginning of the lesson because a tenon saw is larger and will cut longer pieces of wood a lot faster. I drew the straight lines to cut out near the round edges of my whale shape so I wouldn’t have to cut out so many rounder edges. I cut the shorter pieces of wood around the round edges with a gents saw instead of a tenon saw because a gents saw is easier to maneuver with smaller pieces. What’s Next? Because I have two periods in the next lesson, I plan to Oinish cutting out the small pieces of wood near the round edges with a gents saw. I also plan getting a good amount of cutting the round edges with a coping saw done. Although, because this would be my Oirst time using a coping saw and the fact that it’s a slow process and they are very delicate, it might take longer than tomorrow’s two periods. Although, I think I can get it done. Emotion I felt pretty good about today’s lesson. I Oinished cutting some big parts of the whale out; giving it it’s shape. I also began cutting out yet another part of the whale’s body. So, I did get a good amount done in only one period and I felt I did it well. In summary, I felt very good about today’s lesson. AOI & Learner ProMile
- 13. I was knowledgeable because I took the past of experience of cutting with a tenon and gents saw and from my key chain project I had and used it to cut out my pieces of wood properly today.
- 14. Cutting Out the Body of My Whale Monday, March 28, 2011 What I Did: Today I continued working on cutting out my whale for my animal moving toy project. The Oirst thing I did was put my apron on to protect me from sharp edges and to protect my clothes from dust. I also made sure to put my hair up so it didn’t get chopped off or caught in anything. I didn’t put my safety goggles because I wasn’t using a drill or anything that shed a lot of dust in the air so I thought it wouldn’t affect me as much. Using a gents saw to cut off the extra small pieces of wood. I Oirst cut out the piece of my body that I still needed to get off. This part of the process was very time consuming. I had to cut pieces of wood off where there were some lines. The problem was, I needed to turn the piece of wood so it wasn’t standing sideways but up straight on the wooden vice. I then began cutting with a gents saw. I had some issues because I didn’t want to cut a sideways or crooked line. Also, I had to constantly change the position of the wood in the wooden vice because I had to cut different lines. Using a pull saw to cut the pieces of wood a gents saw couldn’t In the end, I got all the last pieces off like I thought I would. I also had to use a pull saw once because the “back‐ bone” or “spine” of my gents saw reached the to of the table and wouldn’t Finally, I used a coping saw to begin cutting the edges between the tail and body, the tail Oins, and the waterspout. This was my Oirst time using a
- 15. coping saw so I began to cut the easier edges very slowly and softly. I moved my body as the teacher said so the saw would move as well, creating a rounder shape. Although, I didn’t Oinish the whole thing because the lesson ended. I began using the coping saw, but I didn’t Oinish the whole thing. I put my apron away and put up my tools. I then re‐wrote my name on my piece of wood and put I tin the Grade 8 Moving Toy project box. Finally, I cleaned dup my station and made sure everything was in order. Using a coping saw to cut out the round edges of my whale’s body. Why? I used a gents saw to cut the shorter and smaller pieces of wood in the beginning of the lesson because a gents saw is smaller and easier to control when cutting short pieces. I drew the straight lines to cut out near the round edges of my whale shape so I wouldn’t have to cut out so many round edges. I positioned the piece of hardwood in the wooden vice in different positions with the drawn lines facing straight so I wouldn’t have to cut side ways. I used a coping saw to cut the round edges because a coping saw can cut in curves that can later be sanded and smoothed. What’s Next? Because I have a double period in the next lesson, I plan on getting most, if not all of the whale’s shape done. I plan on cutting out all of the round edges
- 16. with a coping saw and then using a disc sander to round out the edges. Although, because of my little experience with a coping saw I might not be able to Oinish everything I want in a day. For example, I may just Oinish cutting and not sanding. I don’t think I’d get farther then that, in which case would be Oiling the edges a disc sander can’t get to in order to make the edges round. This will give the whale a Oinal shape and will make it safer for children. Emotion: Even though I messed up a bit with cutting, I felt good about today’s lesson because I Oinished cutting out the general shape of the body. I felt like I’m on track and I’m doing well so far. I’m a bit nervous about using a coping saw because I’ve never used on before, but I think that with good guidance and a bit of practice I’ll do Oine. AOI & Learner ProMile I was a risk taker because I used a new tool that I’ve never used before. It’s also a tool that’s very delicate and precise so I took a risk by using it.
- 17. Cutting Out the Round Spaces and Edges of My Whale’s Body Marley Emerich Wednesday, March 30, 2011 What I Did: Today I did mostly the same thing. The Oirst thing I did was put my apron on to protect me from sharp edges and to protect my clothes from dust. I also made sure to put my hair up so it didn’t get chopped off or caught in anything. I didn’t put my safety goggles because I wasn’t using a drill or anything that shed a lot of dust in the air so I thought it wouldn’t affect me as much. I put my almost totally shaped whale out, and placed it in the wooden vice so the drawn lines on the hardwood were facing parallel to the table. This is a wooden vice. I put my piece of wood in there to cut. I began cutting with the coping saw down the line. This was a very new experience for me because I’ve never used a coping saw before. I cut slowly and hard down the curves. The shape was between the tail and body so it looked like a teardrop. This was a very hard shape to cut out because it’s so small and at odd angles. I got the right side done easily and some of the left. But as I cut out the left side, my coping saw’s blade got stuck and snapped in half. Using a coping saw to cut out the “teardrop” piece of wood. Once I discussed with the teacher and got my coping saw Oixed. I moved on to the left Oin, which hadn’t been cut out yet. This part was easy. All I had to do was cut off an edge with a pull saw and curve it quickly with a coping saw. Cutting off the unnecessary edge of wood with a pull saw.
- 18. Cutting out the spaces on top of the water spout to give it shape The teacher then shoed us how to make wheels with the * We learned how much pressure to apply to the piece of wood when in the machine, how fast we should lower the drill, and the safety issues with the drill. This will help me in the future when I need to make my wheels. I ended the lesson with Oinishing one oval shaped space in between the waterspout and starting the last one with my coping saw. I had to get some help form the teacher though. In the waterspout I had no trouble because the spaces are easier to access then the other. Although, I didn’t get to Oinish the last spout. Here, I am cutting the edges in between the spout with a coping saw. I then took off my apron and put up my tools. I then re‐wrote my name on my piece of wood and put I tin the Grade 8 Moving Toy project box. Finally, I cleaned up my station and made sure everything was in order. Why?
- 19. I used a coping saw most of the day because a coping saw is made especially for cutting round or curved edges and shapes. Most of what I was required to cut today was round or curved. I used a pull saw the one time I needed to cut out a small piece for two reasons. One, a pull saw can cut pieces really fast and I needed to cut it fast because I had limited time and it’s a small piece so I wanted to cut it off and not spend too much time on it. Two, I tried using a gents saw, but the “spine” of the saw didn’t go as low as the wood was and I didn’t want to move it in the wooden vice because it was in the perfect angle for the coping saw. Emotion I should have felt good about today because I got a lot done. I got almost all my curved edges done except 2/4 of the last one. I also should be happy knowing I don’t have that much Oiling ahead of me. Although, there were three things that got me down today. One, I was really careful and precise; yet I still broke my coping saw on the Oirst day I really used it. Two, I messed up and needed a lot of help with my work today, which I wasn’t too happy with. Finally, I realized that I’m the only one still cutting out the shape while everyone else is Oiling their toy. Overall, I wasn’t really happy with today. What’s Next? I Oinished most of the coping saw cutting like I thought I would. In the next class I will deOinitely Oinish the last round edge in between the spout. I will use a disc sander to round and smooth the edges. I will then have to Oile the rest of the edges that the disc sander couldn’t get to along with the edges of my shape. This all I can get done in one period. I think that I will start but not Oinish my Oiling. After that, comes making the wheels. AOI & Learner ProMile I was knowledgeable because I took the past of experience of cutting with a coping saw I had from the previous lesson and used it to work today. I was also a communicator because when I had problems, I asked friends and the teacher how to do it or to show me how.
- 21. Today I began a whole new step in my toy making process. First, I put my apron on to protect me from sharp edges and to protect my clothes from dust. I also made sure to put my hair up so it didn’t get chopped off or caught in anything. I didn’t put my safety goggles because I wasn’t using a drill or anything that shed a lot of dust in the air so I thought it wouldn’t affect me as much. I also made sure I was wearing closed toed shoes so if I dropped anything heavy or a sharp objects on my feet, it wouldn’t affect me that badly. A wooden vice. I placed my whale’s body here so I can cut or Cile it without it moving and at different angles. I opened the wooden vice and placed my whale’s (hardwood) body inside. I used a coping saw to cut off some easy edges that I wouldn’t be able to round out with the disc sander. These were the edges around the thinner parts of the whale’s shape like the waterspout and tail. I also cut just the tiniest piece of wood of the whale’s lower body (where the wheels will later go) so the disc sander could easily smooth and round it out. Using a coping saw to get off the Cinal tiny edges of my whale’s shape. This was a quick process, after I was done with that, it took me about Oive minutes to simply round out the body (not the thin parts) with the disc sander. I was careful to put the piece of wood on the marked area so I could damage my wood and I was also made sure I was wearing safety glasses so no dust got in my eyes. I was also careful not to touch the disc while it was moving. This gave my whale’s body a smooth and round shape.
- 22. After this, the period had ended, and it was time to pack up. I put my apron away and put up my tools. I then re‐wrote my name on my piece of wood and put I tin the Grade 8 Moving Toy project box. Finally, I cleaned dup my station and made sure everything was in order. Why? I used a coping saw to cut the small edges off a 4the beginning of the lesson because the edges where curved, and a coping saw will cut curved edges. I also used a coping saw instead of directly using a disc sander because it was easier to sand the edges it if I cut off the sharp ends. I used a disc sander to round and smooth the edges of my whale because if I had used a Oile for the entire whale, it would have been time consuming. Although, I didn’t use the disc sander on the water spout or tail (or the small “in between” spaces) because a disc sander either couldn’t reach the places or the area is to thin, and there would be a risk of a piece breaking off. What’s Next? Because I have two periods next class, I intend to get a lot done. I know for sure I will be Oiling the spaces and scares of my whale’s body that I didn’t get with the disc sander. This process will smooth and shape the body of my whale so it’s safe and desirable for children. Although, this will take most likely longer than the next two periods. Although, after sanding, I will make my wheels and axles. Emotion: I would have been happier getting more done, but I think I did well for one period. I was happy to know that I started a whole new part of the my toy making process. I was glad I was done with cutting out the body and I’m moving on with Oiling and smoothing. I think I did a pretty good job and I look forward to making the wheels and painting it!