School project work
School project work
Given the wide range of possible applications, I thought I'd share a few.
Mostly we use our laser for cutting rather than engraving with whole classes - in particular, joints in frames and holes for gearboxes. This allows pupils to make things that would largely fail if marked out and cut by hand, and can be achieved in minutes rather than hours...
hope these are of interest, I'll add more as I find time to organize photos!
David
Mostly we use our laser for cutting rather than engraving with whole classes - in particular, joints in frames and holes for gearboxes. This allows pupils to make things that would largely fail if marked out and cut by hand, and can be achieved in minutes rather than hours...
hope these are of interest, I'll add more as I find time to organize photos!
David
- Attachments
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- balsa and tissue airframe 1.JPG
- traditional construction - overall length 135mm
- (54.28 KiB) Downloaded 4182 times
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- Year 8 beach buggy.JPG
- Motor and gears pre-defined, switch operated by front bumper, body and 'drivers' designed by students
- (60.78 KiB) Downloaded 4182 times
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- Year 8 beach buggies.JPG
- Activity week projects in 3mm acrylic
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School project work
Activities week again - 20 year 8 students making cameras, using photographic paper for negatives and either scanning the result or making contact prints
- Attachments
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- prototype pinhole camera 1.JPG
- finger jointed 3mm MDF
- (46.1 KiB) Downloaded 4178 times
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- prototype pinhole camera 3.jpg
- alternative shutter design
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- pinhole car park.jpg
- results - negative and positive
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School project work
Using the 'contour' effect in Corel Draw allows parts to be nested: the entire design only uses 360 60x6mm softwood. Sails are laser cut polyester - the edges become welded thus avoiding issues with fraying or hemming.
- Attachments
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- Year 8 dinghies.JPG
- variations on a laser dinghy theme
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- Year 8 dinghy.JPG
- in use!
- (67.22 KiB) Downloaded 4177 times
Re: School project work
Thanks for sharing David.
Do the students do the designs themselves? What software do they use for this?
I particularly like the Camera project. The box is very neat and looks well made.
Look forward to more pics when you get chance.
Regards
Dave.
Do the students do the designs themselves? What software do they use for this?
I particularly like the Camera project. The box is very neat and looks well made.
Look forward to more pics when you get chance.
Regards
Dave.
Re: School project work
We use Corel Draw (12) for most things - younger pupils are usually given a starting point such as motor mount profiles and gear spacing, but most of the creative stuff is independent design work. Snapping to a 1mm grid sorts out joints in 3 mm thick MDF, but acrylic thicknesses seem to be nominal, with up to 10% variation that is accomodated by measuring the actual piece of material. Setting the nudge offset to the difference and then nudging nodes gives a better fit, and perfection (!) can be achieved if further allowance is made for the thickness of cut, typically around 0.2 mm.
The MDF camera is one of my designs for club use: one of my A level Product Design students has taken the idea further, using a mahogany case, MDF film carrier, and blanks for (subsequently machined) brass components cast from scrap brass in laser cut laminated MDF moulds.
The MDF camera is one of my designs for club use: one of my A level Product Design students has taken the idea further, using a mahogany case, MDF film carrier, and blanks for (subsequently machined) brass components cast from scrap brass in laser cut laminated MDF moulds.
- Attachments
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- improved pinhole camera 1.JPG
- a more traditional approach in mahogany and brass
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- improved pinhole camera 2.JPG
- film carrier and winder attached to top - matt black stepped opening is sufficiently light proof
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- improved pinhole camera 3.JPG
- 35mm film carrier: box structure with laminated top and bottom sections
- (53.38 KiB) Downloaded 4166 times
Re: School project work
That really is very good and a credit to you too. Very impressive.
I thought you could make use of this great little Java program for boxes. http://www.rahulbotics.com/project-details.php?id=12 I found this via one of the other forums.
I realise it's not an ideal learning tool when you need the students to make the plans themselves, but could be a useful tool for yourself.
Keep up the good work.
Dave.
I thought you could make use of this great little Java program for boxes. http://www.rahulbotics.com/project-details.php?id=12 I found this via one of the other forums.
I realise it's not an ideal learning tool when you need the students to make the plans themselves, but could be a useful tool for yourself.
Keep up the good work.
Dave.
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Re: School project work
Hi Dave,
The box maker link was brilliant, thanks
Do you know of a similar application to produce toothed gears?
I sometimes have to engineer gearboxes for models and demonstration equipment, my laser cutter seems perfectly suited for the job but I am not that skilled with Autocad as yet.
Best regards.
Bernie (CPE)
The box maker link was brilliant, thanks
Do you know of a similar application to produce toothed gears?
I sometimes have to engineer gearboxes for models and demonstration equipment, my laser cutter seems perfectly suited for the job but I am not that skilled with Autocad as yet.
Best regards.
Bernie (CPE)
Best regards.
Bernie_of_CPE (Custom Product Engineering)
Bernie_of_CPE (Custom Product Engineering)
Re: School project work
Hi Bernie,
I found these links you may find useful:
http://www.allycad.com/ This is freeware and apparently you can create gears with it.
http://woodgears.ca/gear_cutting/template.html This one is an on-line gear generator and you can download a .plt file for the design.
Haven't tried either of them. I'm just doing my usual late night browse for interesting stuff.
Out of interest, I came across this too http://www.sentex.net/~mwandel/marbles/index.html These marble machines look to be very educational and fun too.
Cheers
Dave.
I found these links you may find useful:
http://www.allycad.com/ This is freeware and apparently you can create gears with it.
http://woodgears.ca/gear_cutting/template.html This one is an on-line gear generator and you can download a .plt file for the design.
Haven't tried either of them. I'm just doing my usual late night browse for interesting stuff.
Out of interest, I came across this too http://www.sentex.net/~mwandel/marbles/index.html These marble machines look to be very educational and fun too.
Cheers
Dave.
School project work
Still adding photos...
A few years ago, we ran an after school club making low cost (less than £1 !) slot cars with a laser cut chassis, guide, wheels etc and a vacuum formed body. Our county advisor liked the look of it, and last autumn it rolled out nationally as http://www.scalextric4schools.org with PTC and Hornby as the main partners. Since then, we've continued to play - four wheel drive, suspension and differentials now being part of the game.
A few years ago, we ran an after school club making low cost (less than £1 !) slot cars with a laser cut chassis, guide, wheels etc and a vacuum formed body. Our county advisor liked the look of it, and last autumn it rolled out nationally as http://www.scalextric4schools.org with PTC and Hornby as the main partners. Since then, we've continued to play - four wheel drive, suspension and differentials now being part of the game.
- Attachments
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- slot car chassis 1.jpg
- early versions - protective resistors allow cheap 3v motors to be used on a 12v system
- (55.36 KiB) Downloaded 4145 times
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- slot car 4wd chassis.jpg
- general view without the body
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- slot car 4wd detail.jpg
- our ultimate 4wd up close
- (67.94 KiB) Downloaded 4145 times
more...
The Art Department also make use of our 6040, cutting a lot of card stencils, printing blocks in lino or softwood, leather work at a level of detail difficult to acheive by the hand of a teenager, and a wall display.
The wall panels were sponsored by one of the Worshipful Companies promoting stained glass as material: laser cut and engraved acrylic was deemed acceptable as a safer substitute in a school environment. Each panel is a composite piece by four different students, laminated between clear polycarbonate panels.
The wall panels were sponsored by one of the Worshipful Companies promoting stained glass as material: laser cut and engraved acrylic was deemed acceptable as a safer substitute in a school environment. Each panel is a composite piece by four different students, laminated between clear polycarbonate panels.
- Attachments
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- A level Art leather 1.jpg
- student trial pieces
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- A level Art leather 2.jpg
- student work book
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- panels in Edgecliff Reception.jpg
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Last edited by David on Tue Dec 01, 2009 4:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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