Lesson - 18/05/07

In this lesson I finished off sanding my main piece and my base. Then I snded down the edges of my smaller circles. After that as my night light is going to be an educational one I stuck a +,-,/,x,= signs on my smaller circles because it will help then learn and they will be familiar to the child. I stuck my smaller circles onto my main piece and I attached my main piece to the base with blu-tack because to want to keep my base.

Lesson - 14/05/07

Today I had to start cutting out my project, firstly I used a coping saw to take off all the corners. Then I used the Scroll Saw to go around my piece leaving about a 3mm gap for sanding and the draught angle I needed. Then I gave my little circular designs that would go on top a draught angle to so it would come out of the plastic easier.

Lesson - 11/05/07 (7th was May Day!!)

At started the lesson by cutting out my designs I did last lesson. The Boxford router was quick so I had plenty of time to do other things. First I decided to cut out my base. I drew a circle of what size my project be then a 1cm gap and I drew a bigger circle. Then I cut the MDF with a Coping Saw and finally I used the disc sander to smoth the edges. Next I drew out on my softwood the size of my project. Then I put PVA glue on my two slabs of softwood, stuck then together and placed them in a vice so they would stick together well.

Lesson - 4/05/07

This was the first practical lesson on my night light. I had finalised my design and I needed to start cutting pieces out. First I decided to cut out my shapes that needed to sit ontop of my piece so that when it is vaccuum formed the shapes stick out. To do this I had to draw my designs onto the Boxford V10 CAD/CAM software. By the end of the lesson I had finished them and saved them onto my area ready for the Boxford router to cut them out next lesson.

The New Project

Now we are starting a small project about lights. I will be given a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) and be told that we have to create a wooden model of a children's themed night light. From there I will have to Vacuum form the model so it is hollow so the battery and circiut board can fit in.

16.04.07

I started a new project where I will have to create a new night light for a child, it needs to be battery powered and not have any electrical wiring out of the light.

Lesson - 26/03/07

In this lesson I did some porfolio work because I have done a lot of practrical recently. I had to draw a two point perspective drawing, where I marked two points either side of the page and then I had to draw my chair. The only lines I could draw were vertical lines and then any horizontal lines had to be draw to the nearest of the two points. This was different from an Isometric drawing and I learned a new skill.

Lesson - 23/03/07

In this lesson I applied my final coats of sandsealer and sanded all my pieces vigorously with the wet and dry paper. I am now ready for spray painting my pieces of work.

Lesson - 19/03/07

Today I applied my first and second coat of sand sealant. Firstly I applied the sealant on one side of each of my pieces evenl so as to give a smooth and straight finish. Then when I had finished doing one side of my last piece, my first piece had dryed so I was able to apply the sealant on the second side. I did these for all of my pieces and this was the first coat. Next I used wet and dry paper, but keeping it dry, to sand down the faces and edges of my pieces. This left my pieces smooth. I repeated this process for my second coat.

- Here is my assembled chair after the second coat of sand sealant

Lesson - 16/03/07

In this lesson I finished sanding down the piece I was working on last lesson. Then I cut out the slots in the last piece I cut out. Then I gave it a sanding down. Then I gave all my pieces a further sanding down in the slots and around the edges to make the edges straight ready for the sanding sealant.

Lesson - 12/03/07

I continued with my project and the first thing I did was to cut my last piece out. Then I focused on finishing the rest of the slots on my chair. Last lesson I had done one slot in the middle of a side piece, for the seat, and I wanted to do the other side piece and sand it down to leave a smooth flat finish. I then cut out the slots in one of my bottom pieces but I didn't have time to sand the edges down.

Lesson - 09/03/07

In this lesson I carried on continuing with my project. The first thing I did was to mark out the slots on my main piece of wood. Next I drilled a hole into one of the slots and got a coping saw. After that I had to dismantle the coping saw and re assemble it so the blade was inside the hole so I could cut the rest of the slot out. I also finished that piece offf by sanding the edges down.

- Here I am fitting my pieces together

Lesson - 05/03/07 GCSE Project starts in 2 weeks!

I have nearly finished cutting out my MDF chair, all I need to do is cut out the slots on the pieces. Then I need to write a review of the project before I start my proper GCSE project! I don't know what I am doing, all I know is that all will be revealed in about two weeks.

Lesson - 02/03/07

I continued to work on cutting out my MDF pieces. I also marked out where I would put my slots and drew the rectangles on my pieces. Next lesson I intend to use a drill to give a hole where I can fit in a coping saw in and cut the rest out.

Lesson - 16.02.07

In this lesson I finished of drawing my pieces out on to our 600 by 600 mm MDF board. Then I started to cut the pieces out using a scroll saw for the straight edges and a coping saw for the curved edges. When I had cut out a piece I would then sand the edge on the disc sander if it was a straight edge or I would use some glass paper then a fine grained sand paper to give it a smooth edge.

Instructions to use the Boxford CNC Router

1. Open up the V10 Boxford software
2. Open up G and M file by going to the file directory and finding the file
3. Click on the picture of the Boxford CNC Router in the bottom left hand corner
4. Follow the on-screen instructions as they occur
5. Press the Auto button if necessary
6. Fit a sacrificial bed (MDF)
7. Then attach it to the machine using fiddly clamps, into the top left hand corner of the machine
8. Put at least 5 strands (more if necessary) of double sided stick tape onto the back of the work piece
9. Smooth the tape down so there are no air bubbles
10. Then take off the non stick side of the tape and stick the work piece onto the sacrificial bed
11. Line it up to the top left hand corner and press down hard
12. Measure the distance between the aluminium base to the top of the work piece, using the Digital Vernier Caliper.
13. Enter this data into the computer to the accuracy of a tenth of a millimetre

14. Shut the guard of the Boxford CNC Router
15. Press the cycle start button, which is green and should be flashing at this point
16. Make sure the 3.2mm bit (if wanted) is selected and inserted into the machine putting it in like you would a drill
17. Use the Jig to set the cutter distance
18. Put the cutter down till it rests on the surface
19. The Jig is specific to one Boxford CNC Router the jig that we use is called the 8790 Jig
20. Once the cutter distance is set take the jig out
21. Use a spanner to tighten it up
22. Next lock the guard by turning the handle on the bottom of the guard
23. Press the cycle start button again

The Boxford CNC Router cutter should now be about 3cm above the plastic if it is proceed and press the cycle start button for the final time.