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| MS (2015) Bench |
This is the Unit 3 action project for Rapid Prototyping, a STEAM-based course in which students investigate and participate in the 21st century human maker experience. Unit 3 was titled “Multiplicative” and investigated different tools and the physics behind them. We explored different projects such as Life hacks, IKEA Hacks, and Instructables to better understand the vast possibilities when creating with many different tools and materials. The math and physics behind concepts such as torque and leverage were examined as well. Safety was a core focus of the unit and the class learned about the many dangers present when working with certain tools and materials and how to create a safe working environment. For this action project students were asked to design and create something useful for GCE’s new space. A conceptual design often faces difficulties when trying to enter the realm of reality. My initial design of the bench had to be refined and altered multiple times before being finalized. I’m most proud of my ability to continue on with the project regardless of the difficulties it presented me along the way. I refused to allow the complications encountered during the process to discourage me. My perseverance and ability to continue on with the project while making the necessary changes resulted in an aesthetically pleasing and functional piece of furniture.
You can build your own bench too! Click Here to find the step by step process as well as materials/tools necessary to complete this bench.
This project took inspiration from a variety of sources. Linda Keane, Professor of Architecture, Interior Architecture at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, provided me with the initial inspiration necessary for conceiving my design. At the end of her lecture she stated, “You can take something ordinary and make it extraordinary.” These words resonated with me on a personal level and allowed me to begin thinking about repurposing as a form of design. In addition to the inspiration taken from SAIC, I found inspiration in pre-existing projects such as Life hacks, Ikea hacks, and Instructables. One project that I was heavily influenced by was the One sheet Plywood Bench Instructables page. The final product’s simplicity as well as functionality intrigued me. This project allowed me to solidify my decision to design and build a bench.
This project took inspiration from a variety of sources. Linda Keane, Professor of Architecture, Interior Architecture at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, provided me with the initial inspiration necessary for conceiving my design. At the end of her lecture she stated, “You can take something ordinary and make it extraordinary.” These words resonated with me on a personal level and allowed me to begin thinking about repurposing as a form of design. In addition to the inspiration taken from SAIC, I found inspiration in pre-existing projects such as Life hacks, Ikea hacks, and Instructables. One project that I was heavily influenced by was the One sheet Plywood Bench Instructables page. The final product’s simplicity as well as functionality intrigued me. This project allowed me to solidify my decision to design and build a bench.
The time lapse video which I created to document and share a portion of the building process can be found for viewing here. The original length of the video was 1:41. Using iMovie I compiled a series of video shorts and sped them up 333%. The 1:41 video was reduced to 30 seconds exactly. Each second of the time lapse is showing roughly 3.4 seconds of real time footage.
Torque was used when drilling screws into wood and butterflies into the base. When adding screws, I made sure to use a drill rather than a screwdriver which in turn reduced the amount of work I needed to apply to complete the job. The motor in the drill creates more torque than a standard screwdriver. While torque was used frequently in the building process of my bench, leverage wasn’t used. Leverage would come into play when a task such as removing a nail was being done. My previous knowledge and understanding of both leverage and torque allowed me to go into the building process with a general idea of physics behind work being completed.
Safety was a major concern during the building of my project due to the tools being utilized. Electric saws were used for the cutting of the wood. When cutting, it was essential to stay focused on the task at hand in order to reduce the risk of injury. Another fairly dangerous aspect of the building process was the use the staple gun. The staple gun is an extremely powerful tool that expels staples with great force. Its lack of a safety lock or off button meant that a high level of awareness must be present on the job being performed. Safety was always a concern during the project and precautionary measures were constantly being taken to create the safest working space possible. Goggles and longsleeves were worn during all times as additional safety measures.
I loved all aspects of this project. It began with a simple phrase, “You can take something ordinary and make it extraordinary”, and an idea followed. I worked towards refining my initial idea into a final design. The physical act of building it was incredible. The ability to take existing materials to create something different and new was fulfilling. I loved being able to utilize a variety of tools when constructing the bench. Being able to construct the bench in a workspace with a tremendous variety of useful tools made the construction portion of the project easier. Hard work throughout the building process was a necessity. Concentration and attention to detail was important in insuring that the final product turned out the way I had envisioned. This was an amazing overall project and I learned a tremendous amount from it. My top five lessons learned / pieces of advice for anyone attempting to do the same or similar project are:
1:Always take your time to make accurate measurements
2:Be aware of all potential safety hazards in order to minimize the risk of being injured
Torque was used when drilling screws into wood and butterflies into the base. When adding screws, I made sure to use a drill rather than a screwdriver which in turn reduced the amount of work I needed to apply to complete the job. The motor in the drill creates more torque than a standard screwdriver. While torque was used frequently in the building process of my bench, leverage wasn’t used. Leverage would come into play when a task such as removing a nail was being done. My previous knowledge and understanding of both leverage and torque allowed me to go into the building process with a general idea of physics behind work being completed.
Safety was a major concern during the building of my project due to the tools being utilized. Electric saws were used for the cutting of the wood. When cutting, it was essential to stay focused on the task at hand in order to reduce the risk of injury. Another fairly dangerous aspect of the building process was the use the staple gun. The staple gun is an extremely powerful tool that expels staples with great force. Its lack of a safety lock or off button meant that a high level of awareness must be present on the job being performed. Safety was always a concern during the project and precautionary measures were constantly being taken to create the safest working space possible. Goggles and longsleeves were worn during all times as additional safety measures.
I loved all aspects of this project. It began with a simple phrase, “You can take something ordinary and make it extraordinary”, and an idea followed. I worked towards refining my initial idea into a final design. The physical act of building it was incredible. The ability to take existing materials to create something different and new was fulfilling. I loved being able to utilize a variety of tools when constructing the bench. Being able to construct the bench in a workspace with a tremendous variety of useful tools made the construction portion of the project easier. Hard work throughout the building process was a necessity. Concentration and attention to detail was important in insuring that the final product turned out the way I had envisioned. This was an amazing overall project and I learned a tremendous amount from it. My top five lessons learned / pieces of advice for anyone attempting to do the same or similar project are:
1:Always take your time to make accurate measurements
2:Be aware of all potential safety hazards in order to minimize the risk of being injured
3:Repurposing > Buying
4:Make sure to drill the screws straight into the material rather than at an angle
5:Have a large enough space to work in
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