Tools We Used
(Hover over each picture to read a description of the process)
1st year were given the design brief to create a wooden shelf. To begin, we had to make the legs for our shelf go at an angle. The tool we used was a smoothing plane. Next, we had to mark our main part of wood. (245mm, by a 5mm gap and 100mm.) We used the tenon or a copping saw to cut the wood in half. (Not two equal halves!) We then had to put our backs into sanding the wood down. We could use the sander machine or do it ourself. After sanding it to the smoothiest point, we used the smoothing plane again to make the piece of wood (which will be nailed into the main body of the wood) and again cut it at a slight angle.
By Peter
Plane Sailing
We started to mark out the base of the wooden rack.Then we clamped our base into the vice. After that we used a plane, a plane is a tool used for taking small layers of wood off quicly and smoothly. It has two handles one at the back and one at the front, if you are right-handed you would put our right hand at the back and your left hand at the back. If you are left-handed you would put your left hand at the back and your right hand at the front. As you slide the plane along you notice that small curly peices of wood appears, these are not sharp or warm. In St.Luke’s we all make sure that all of the pupils are safe and cannot be harmed when in the workshop.
By Amy
Our Clocks
I really like tech because it’s great fun and it is very interesting. Tech is my favourite subject because we get to make things in the workshop. We have so far made clocks and keyrings and they turned out really well. I like my classmates and I enjoy Tech very much !
Jo Marie 
Sci-Tech Challenge
http://www.teachertube.com/flvideo/12815.flv
Check out more of our pictures of the day!
2nd years recently took part in a busy morning full of design challenges in the Design and Tech deptartment. The whole of 2nd year was split into three where they rotated about different activities:
- Designing and making their own land yacht. Thanks to the staff and students from Strathclyde Uni who ran this event. This was a true ‘test and test again’ challenge where groups built their yacht, tested it infront of the huge fan and
then adjusted their design to improve it. - Groups had to design and make a free standing bridge from ‘broadsheet’ newspapers. The bridge had to span 600mm and support 250g. The bridge had to be at least 100mm wide at one point. The team who won managed to make their design out of only 2 sheets!
- Groups had to design a system to lower an egg out of a first floor window (without smashing it of course). They had some string (not enough though), balloons, paper and scellotape. They were some very creative designs and also some smashed eggs!
Well done and thankyou to everyone involved. It was a busy, exciting and memorable morning :-)
Our shelfs
Right now in tech we are making shelfs which will be lots of fun. I am going to make mine as a present for my mum as she never has anywhere to put her spatula when she is cooking, so she puts it on the worktop which is brand new and she always has to wipe the worktop. I will update this when we are further into the design project.
Sarah