_R9 Machining
This area of the audit has been marked at '1' meaning very little knowledge if not any at all.
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What I have learnt and what I now understand
I now understand and have learnt why this section of the audit is so important within a Design and Technology context. I know that we are always going to be using machines to help build our projects or during our exploration sessions in the workshops, so I recognise now that it is vital to be able to know which machine is best appropriate for a job, and to use the machine safely and effectively.
Now that the course has progressed I understand and recognise that it is also very important to be aware of the potential dangers that the machine can pose. Therefore, it is very wise to carry out several checks before you use it, for example:
Insure that the blades are working properly
Check the electrical leads to see if they are not damaged
Make sure that there are no loose screws
I have also learnt that before using a piece of equipment you should always make sure that:
Bhav told us today that it is SO important to know and understand which materials can be used on each machine and also be aware of the similarities and principles that there can be.
I have decided to create a little chart using illustrator that demonstrates these principles not only to support my development but also to use as a source that can help me in my teaching methods.
I now understand and have learnt why this section of the audit is so important within a Design and Technology context. I know that we are always going to be using machines to help build our projects or during our exploration sessions in the workshops, so I recognise now that it is vital to be able to know which machine is best appropriate for a job, and to use the machine safely and effectively.
Now that the course has progressed I understand and recognise that it is also very important to be aware of the potential dangers that the machine can pose. Therefore, it is very wise to carry out several checks before you use it, for example:
Insure that the blades are working properly
Check the electrical leads to see if they are not damaged
Make sure that there are no loose screws
I have also learnt that before using a piece of equipment you should always make sure that:
- Your work is held securely in a chuck of vice
- The correct cutter is selected to cut the material
- The piece is held in a chuck tightly and securely
- Chuck keys are removed before operating the machine
- Guards are placed down and eye protection is worn
- The emergency stop button works properly
- The extraction is working
Bhav told us today that it is SO important to know and understand which materials can be used on each machine and also be aware of the similarities and principles that there can be.
I have decided to create a little chart using illustrator that demonstrates these principles not only to support my development but also to use as a source that can help me in my teaching methods.
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Anaylsis of new gained knowledge and the next step
When I first approached this area of the audit I did not really understand the purpose of this section, I also was unaware of the real definition and what it translated to in a Design and Technology context. For this reason I marked the area as a '1' which means little knowledge if not any at all, in retrospect I do still believe that this was a fair grade but I would say that I now have been able to develop a further understanding and learn more about what this may mean and as a result shown progress in my learning.
There are so many machines in the workshop that can complete different processes and techniques using various materials but what I wanted to do is to recognise the principles and common concepts that all of these machines share. During the course of this year I feel that I have really developed and progressed in terms of my ability to underpin and recognise these certain concepts and principles within various processes or techniques. Once I was able to identify these similarities I think it was then at this point the content that I was faced with was a great deal clearer and I understood more about why this area of the audit was important and included within the module. This in my opinion was a successful part of my learning, not only was I able to make clear of the content but also I was able to select such principles without having to research or look at other sources to support my learning and understanding. I certainly have been able to adapt a new way of working and learning as I have developed throughout my time on the course, which is something that I shall also take with me during my teaching career and further learning next year.
Another factor that I feel has been successful during my engagement and learning stages was to create a visual aid on illustrator. I have said from day one that I am a visual learner, by creating posters or visual aids such as the example above it not only helps me to further my understanding and development within the content or subject area but also it acts as a good source to use and reflect upon at later dates. Once I had completed the visual aid, it not only helped me to remember the principles but it made me understand the importance of why we must remember them when we are working in the workshops.
I feel that in order to learn further and understand more about the common machines used in a Design and Technology workshop, I need to be able to demonstrate that I have a good understanding and can display competence in using the machines. I have not yet really practiced or experimented with all of the machines properly, I am aware that with some I am better at using than others but what I must do is improve my skills if I am going to improve my understanding. Therefore, I would say that this factor is almost a unsuccessful part of my engagement during this time, I need to explore more and practice my skills in the bid to be comfortable at using and teaching them. I want to be able to show that I have engaged with the machines and illustrate how I have progressed throughout this time.
So far I have only looked and learnt about some of the principles and concepts of machining, I now understand the importance of going through visual techniques or checks and having the ability of knowing which machine is used for each purpose or material. My next stages now in my learning and development is to become more familiar with certain machines that I find difficult and show that I have been able to tackle these obstacles through my own engagement and further exploration. Perhaps I need to go back and look at examples of work or experiments that I have completed using the machines and see if I can find anything that displays my development in this area of the audit.
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Anaylsis of new gained knowledge and the next step
When I first approached this area of the audit I did not really understand the purpose of this section, I also was unaware of the real definition and what it translated to in a Design and Technology context. For this reason I marked the area as a '1' which means little knowledge if not any at all, in retrospect I do still believe that this was a fair grade but I would say that I now have been able to develop a further understanding and learn more about what this may mean and as a result shown progress in my learning.
There are so many machines in the workshop that can complete different processes and techniques using various materials but what I wanted to do is to recognise the principles and common concepts that all of these machines share. During the course of this year I feel that I have really developed and progressed in terms of my ability to underpin and recognise these certain concepts and principles within various processes or techniques. Once I was able to identify these similarities I think it was then at this point the content that I was faced with was a great deal clearer and I understood more about why this area of the audit was important and included within the module. This in my opinion was a successful part of my learning, not only was I able to make clear of the content but also I was able to select such principles without having to research or look at other sources to support my learning and understanding. I certainly have been able to adapt a new way of working and learning as I have developed throughout my time on the course, which is something that I shall also take with me during my teaching career and further learning next year.
Another factor that I feel has been successful during my engagement and learning stages was to create a visual aid on illustrator. I have said from day one that I am a visual learner, by creating posters or visual aids such as the example above it not only helps me to further my understanding and development within the content or subject area but also it acts as a good source to use and reflect upon at later dates. Once I had completed the visual aid, it not only helped me to remember the principles but it made me understand the importance of why we must remember them when we are working in the workshops.
I feel that in order to learn further and understand more about the common machines used in a Design and Technology workshop, I need to be able to demonstrate that I have a good understanding and can display competence in using the machines. I have not yet really practiced or experimented with all of the machines properly, I am aware that with some I am better at using than others but what I must do is improve my skills if I am going to improve my understanding. Therefore, I would say that this factor is almost a unsuccessful part of my engagement during this time, I need to explore more and practice my skills in the bid to be comfortable at using and teaching them. I want to be able to show that I have engaged with the machines and illustrate how I have progressed throughout this time.
So far I have only looked and learnt about some of the principles and concepts of machining, I now understand the importance of going through visual techniques or checks and having the ability of knowing which machine is used for each purpose or material. My next stages now in my learning and development is to become more familiar with certain machines that I find difficult and show that I have been able to tackle these obstacles through my own engagement and further exploration. Perhaps I need to go back and look at examples of work or experiments that I have completed using the machines and see if I can find anything that displays my development in this area of the audit.
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Further Development
As mentioned to further my development and skills in machining I said that I wanted to become more skilled at using some of the machines in the workshops. Hopefully by then end of this year and next this section will display examples of my further development as I engage more with these machines.
Scroll saw
I first used the scroll saw when I was working on the two-part mould, I really could not get the hang of it at all which started to frustrate me. For some reason I just could not create the shapes that I wanted, but I was determined to get it right by practicing and just having more attempts by using some scrap wood. I asked Les to give me a hand and show me his technique, once he demonstrated this I noticed that it really helped me to understand how to work with the machine.
I learnt that as you turn a piece of material around you should push it. If you do not wish to cut the material then simple stop moving the material. I know now that it is hard to cut straight lines and that you cant stop and try to turn the blade you must turn it as you go along. It is also really important to hold the material down with force, it wants to move up and down with the saw blade so using the guard as well as your hands to keep it firm can help. Once I understood these principles I noticed really quickly that I had improved and found it a great deal easier to use.
Below are some photographs that show my progression using the scroll saw. The shape that I wanted to create was a banana as you can see I clearly have improved just by practicing and learning the techniques that Les has shown me. It just goes to show that practice makes perfect.
As mentioned to further my development and skills in machining I said that I wanted to become more skilled at using some of the machines in the workshops. Hopefully by then end of this year and next this section will display examples of my further development as I engage more with these machines.
Scroll saw
I first used the scroll saw when I was working on the two-part mould, I really could not get the hang of it at all which started to frustrate me. For some reason I just could not create the shapes that I wanted, but I was determined to get it right by practicing and just having more attempts by using some scrap wood. I asked Les to give me a hand and show me his technique, once he demonstrated this I noticed that it really helped me to understand how to work with the machine.
I learnt that as you turn a piece of material around you should push it. If you do not wish to cut the material then simple stop moving the material. I know now that it is hard to cut straight lines and that you cant stop and try to turn the blade you must turn it as you go along. It is also really important to hold the material down with force, it wants to move up and down with the saw blade so using the guard as well as your hands to keep it firm can help. Once I understood these principles I noticed really quickly that I had improved and found it a great deal easier to use.
Below are some photographs that show my progression using the scroll saw. The shape that I wanted to create was a banana as you can see I clearly have improved just by practicing and learning the techniques that Les has shown me. It just goes to show that practice makes perfect.
Once I felt a lot more comfortable with using the scroll saw, I wanted to set myself a little challenge to create some other shapes. I went for a fruit theme and decided that they could be fridge magnets or pencil decorations.
It was a really nice way to develop my skills but it also made me think of mini projects that I could set my future pupils in order for them to get the hang of the machine just like I did.
It was a really nice way to develop my skills but it also made me think of mini projects that I could set my future pupils in order for them to get the hang of the machine just like I did.
Pillar drill
I learnt a little trick today as well whilst using the pillar drill today! This is such a key principle to remember so I made note of it during one of my sessions in the workshop. This is regarding to the chuck for when you need to change the drill bit.
Common principles in 'Machining'
Today I realised that there are actually common concepts and principles that you should apply and practice before you use any machine or tool in the workshop! I thought that it was a good way to support my development and show my engagement within this section of the audit. I decided to write some notes on this and typed it up. In some respect these common concepts are generic questions and golden guidelines that you would ask yourself before you complete any process or use any machine or hand tool. These are as follows:
Do you know how to use the tool or machine properly?
Misconceptions occur when a student does not know how to use a piece of equipment properly - it can lead to damage to the material, work and injury. It can also damage the machine or tool.
Have you been given permission to use the tool or machine?
Some tools and machines are far too dangerous for students to use for example the circular saw - a pupil would never be allowed to use this piece of equipment. Some tools also may need supervision. Have you asked for this?
Are using the correct or most effective tool or machine for the particular material and process?
You do not want to damage your work or the tool/machine that your using. Just by taking a moment to think whether the tool or machine you use is best and correct can save you time and hassle. For example, would it be better to use a tenon to cut a straight line in your wood? Or would it be easier to use the Band saw.
Does the machine or tool have the potential to cause damage to your material?
You must make sure that with any tool or machine it does not pose any threat in damaging your work. For example when working with metal if you need to use a holding tool like a engineers vice, protect the metal so that it does not mark, scratch or dent it. We have been taught in lessons to use tape as well on plastics to avoid scratches and breakages.
When working on your material with a machine or tool is it held securely?
When using hand tools it is so important to hold your work whatever the material in a vice. The vice keeps it steady if your cutting it, it also makes it easier for you to cut it and you know when you have secured the material properly because it will not be making a squeaky noise when cutting. Using a guard and holders on machines also allows you to keep work steady. All of these principles avoid injury as well.
Does the tool or the machine work accordingly?
Tools and machines will not work properly if they are blunt. Although predominantly it is the technicians or teachers in the schools to be responsible of such matters yet, it is an important factor to be aware of. Also things like handles on chisels, is it loose? If so report it. The end of a chisel can cause a great deal of injury to someone if the handle is loose. Bhav has already informed us of a certain near incident.
Are you using the tool or machine correctly?
A hand tool should not be hard to use, if a student finds it difficult then most likely they are not using the tool properly. Your body position also aids with better use of the machine and saw, standing with your feet apart and standing head on allows your technique to be more accurate. You would never sit down in a workshop whilst using a tool or machine.
Today I realised that there are actually common concepts and principles that you should apply and practice before you use any machine or tool in the workshop! I thought that it was a good way to support my development and show my engagement within this section of the audit. I decided to write some notes on this and typed it up. In some respect these common concepts are generic questions and golden guidelines that you would ask yourself before you complete any process or use any machine or hand tool. These are as follows:
Do you know how to use the tool or machine properly?
Misconceptions occur when a student does not know how to use a piece of equipment properly - it can lead to damage to the material, work and injury. It can also damage the machine or tool.
Have you been given permission to use the tool or machine?
Some tools and machines are far too dangerous for students to use for example the circular saw - a pupil would never be allowed to use this piece of equipment. Some tools also may need supervision. Have you asked for this?
Are using the correct or most effective tool or machine for the particular material and process?
You do not want to damage your work or the tool/machine that your using. Just by taking a moment to think whether the tool or machine you use is best and correct can save you time and hassle. For example, would it be better to use a tenon to cut a straight line in your wood? Or would it be easier to use the Band saw.
Does the machine or tool have the potential to cause damage to your material?
You must make sure that with any tool or machine it does not pose any threat in damaging your work. For example when working with metal if you need to use a holding tool like a engineers vice, protect the metal so that it does not mark, scratch or dent it. We have been taught in lessons to use tape as well on plastics to avoid scratches and breakages.
When working on your material with a machine or tool is it held securely?
When using hand tools it is so important to hold your work whatever the material in a vice. The vice keeps it steady if your cutting it, it also makes it easier for you to cut it and you know when you have secured the material properly because it will not be making a squeaky noise when cutting. Using a guard and holders on machines also allows you to keep work steady. All of these principles avoid injury as well.
Does the tool or the machine work accordingly?
Tools and machines will not work properly if they are blunt. Although predominantly it is the technicians or teachers in the schools to be responsible of such matters yet, it is an important factor to be aware of. Also things like handles on chisels, is it loose? If so report it. The end of a chisel can cause a great deal of injury to someone if the handle is loose. Bhav has already informed us of a certain near incident.
Are you using the tool or machine correctly?
A hand tool should not be hard to use, if a student finds it difficult then most likely they are not using the tool properly. Your body position also aids with better use of the machine and saw, standing with your feet apart and standing head on allows your technique to be more accurate. You would never sit down in a workshop whilst using a tool or machine.
Today I had a experiment using the router machine. I learnt a little tip through Rob the technician on how to undo or tighten up the drill piece. There are two spanners different sizes and the trick to to slot them into place is to hold the tools at the bottom of the drill piece and lift them up slowly so that they slot into the groove sections. I can't remember which way is which but you hold the top spanner in the opposite direction to the bottom one, this in turn will tighten it or loosen it.
It is things like this which has helped me to develop my learning and skill in machines like this.
It is things like this which has helped me to develop my learning and skill in machines like this.
Using the band saw today I learnt a really nice technique which helped me cut a a circle out of MDF.
I used the bandsaw within this process and cut 'relief lines' these are lines that enable you to cut a circle out of a block of material. I drew around a template first, and from then I cut straight lines up to the pen mark of the template. Once I had all of the lines in place I started to shape it using the blade of the machine. I learnt that it was really important to create all of the relief lines first before beginning to cut the template out it just is not as effective and will not work.
I now understand that when completing this process it is important to cut the wood out gradually because the bandsaw blade does not want to turn because it only cuts straight lines. You also need to keep stopping to turn the machine off and move all of the little bits of wood because they do get in the way. Overall completing this little technique really made me realise that this is an easy way to not only shape material but also demonstrates a lovely skill using the machine.
Below are some pictures of the final out come.
I used the bandsaw within this process and cut 'relief lines' these are lines that enable you to cut a circle out of a block of material. I drew around a template first, and from then I cut straight lines up to the pen mark of the template. Once I had all of the lines in place I started to shape it using the blade of the machine. I learnt that it was really important to create all of the relief lines first before beginning to cut the template out it just is not as effective and will not work.
I now understand that when completing this process it is important to cut the wood out gradually because the bandsaw blade does not want to turn because it only cuts straight lines. You also need to keep stopping to turn the machine off and move all of the little bits of wood because they do get in the way. Overall completing this little technique really made me realise that this is an easy way to not only shape material but also demonstrates a lovely skill using the machine.
Below are some pictures of the final out come.
Whilst I was shaping the wood today on the bandsaw I also learnt how to use the bobbing orbit sander. I had never used it before and it was really good actually to be able to learn a new machine. I learnt that you MUST keep hold of it tight because it will kick back otherwise as it did , apart from it kicked forward. ! Also it will only want to move one way when your sanding it.
Please note - I am aware that I should be using two hands whilst holding this.
Please note - I am aware that I should be using two hands whilst holding this.