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Physics  Honors

Blog Entry #1 - September 6th

 What is the tool or process you are considering for your project?

 

       At first I wasn’t drawn to any particular tool. Not to say I didn’t think of cool projects to make with them but it wasn’t until I saw the CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine that I felt I had found my tool. I’m considering making the CNC machine as my tool to learn more about. I’m excited to see the possibilities available to me with the precise and intricate cuts and designs it can make. I am also intrigued by the computer and programming aspects of the tool after using Inventables and Easle. 

 

How might you stay safe while using it?

     A helpful way to stay safe while operating the machine is to remember never to put your hands near it or attempt to remove your material while it’s on. Be sure to check while loading and unloading your material that the machine isn’t on. Ensure the tools are in quality condition and that the spindle is adjusted accordingly. If you need to get your material out make sure to stop the machine. As always wear safety glasses to ensure nothing will fly into your eyes. It’s important not to move the material as doing so could result in damaging the machine or endangering yourself. Be sure to remember to always stop the machine if needed don’t attempt to interfere while it’s in motion. 

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How does it work?

 

     The CNC machine works by using a spindle to cut or carve into material.  The first step is creating (or finding) a file to upload to the machine. The file essentially tells the machine what to do to the material. For example, if you wanted to carve your name in a piece of material you would find or make a file that the CNC machine would use to carve out your name. The CNC machine allows for automation in the sense that a person doesn’t need to do anything more than prepare the machine with the material and upload the file. From there the machine follows the instructions until the project is completed. 

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Blog Entry #2 - September 13

Describe your proposal?

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For my physics honors project I propose my project to be a wooden model of a bunny made using the CNC machine. I feel this project will help me gain an understanding of the CNC machine and editing software Easel. Using the CNC machine I will be cutting out individual pieces of wood for the bunny and afterwards assemble them (similar to those balsa wood airplane kits). Once I have made and assembled a few of the models and learned more in terms of Easel and the CNC machine I will work on creating my own design similar to the design of the bunny (as in they will be assembled in the same style).

Why did you decide on this project?

When I initially was searching for an idea I went on the website Inventables and scrolled through many of the templates and found a few ideas that interested me. Most of the ideas felt very simple however and when it would come time to customize my own design based on the original project nothing came to mind. However the bunny as my project felt simple enough to learn the workings of the CNC machine and would be easier to add my own creative design. The project will allow to me to learn more about how to use the CNC machine and will help me in learn how to use the CNC file editing software Easel. 

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How difficult do you anticipate this project to be and why?

Personally I don’t feel it would be incredibly difficult in the beginning. Once I upload the file of the bunny to the CNC machine, it’s as easy as cutting the part and assembling it. Afterwards however I feel the challenge will come in learning more about the customization and editing of the file. When I create my own animal (in the similar design to the bunny) I will need to learn more about Easel (the CNC file editing software) and essentially master the process. Another challenging factor is before this class I haven’t done any woodworking since my 7th grade class (and it didn’t go any further than making a frame) however I feel this is an opportunity for me to take my time and learn more about the tools. 

Blog Entry #3 - September 27th

What Happened While Working on Your First Draft?

When I made my first print I used a 1/8th bit instead of a 1/16th which resulted in the divots in the bunny not to get carved. There was also the issue the cuttings weren't completely cut out this was probably do to a slight miscalculation with the thickness size of the board. I used a chisel and an ice pick of sorts to help cut the wood out. This time however a new issue emerged. The divots were made the design was made to fit a certain thickness of wood and the wood I had used was too thick to fit with one another. My solution was to edit the file itself and adjust the width of the divots to fit the wood this time the bunny could be assembled but some parts fell apart due to the size being too small. It was then I followed my teachers suggestion of making a file that had everything resized. Once I had done that my bunny came out but looked a little off I had miscalculated and left small gaps between the divots. My solution was to use shims to create firm attachments between all the gaps. I got a thin piece of wood and sanded down the end so it would fit into the gap then used a hacksaw to cut out thin pieces. Afterwards I wanted to try using the wood stain to see how it would look I took apart the parts of the bunny and the shim to apply the wood stain. While the coat didn't give an even shade of brown across the entire bunny I liked the way it looked and how it didn't look like just one shade of wood and instead had a more realistic look to it

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What will you do differently next time? Summarize the Feedback you received. 

When I begin working on my final draft there are many things I intend to do differently. The first would be to ensure I am using a bit size that will make the machine cut out the divots rather than ignoring them. I will also be sure to size my design in a way which the divots are wide enough for the width of my material without having my cutouts be so small the gaps cause them to fall apart. I also need to make sure to have my width be measured with upmost precision so I don't need to use the ice pick or chisel again to get my designs out of the wood itself. I also want to find a more accurate way of measuring the divots as they seem to be the reoccurring problem in my drafts. This may include using a different software (such as google drawings) and transferring it over to Easel. I found that I can upload JPEG files to Easel so one possibility is using Google Drawing to create my design and then upload it to Easel. 

Summarize the feedback you received

While completing my drafts I got critique from many people. My teacher suggested I refrain from using wood stain in my final draft due to its complexity and tendency to put uneven brown layers. One of my friends also suggested if I end up needing to utilize shims for the final draft that I evenly cut out my shims so that they add more of a dimensional look. Another piece of feedback I was told was to use sandpaper in the event my divots were too small. I intend to use the feedback and experience in making my drafts to help overcome any challenges that may arise while working on my final draft

What went as expected and what surprised you?

I was surprised at how easy it would be to memorize the process of setting up the C.N.C machine. Clamping down the material, changing the bit size if needed, using the Z-probe, setting it to the start point. When I originally chose the C.N.C machine I felt by biggest struggle would be needing to remember everything I needed to do. Another thing that was surprised by was how difficult it was to use Easel. I expected a program that would let you evenly measure out your design and would include other tools to help. However I found the only tools available were inserting shapes, drawing lines, adding text, and importing files. So when it came to resizing the divots in my design so it could fit with the material I needed to find a way to measure the file within easel. My solution was using the line tool which I could turn into a rectangle and resize to the width of my material. What went as expected was  assembling the pieces of the bunny after they had been cut. I had anticipated using either glue or shims to reinforce the pieces in the event they were cut with slightly larger divots. That ended up being the case but with some thinly sanded material I was able to make shims that would work with my design. 

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Blog #4 and #5 - October 23rd

Describe how you completed your project. 

I completed my project by designing my own animal as opposed to using the already made design of the bunny. I choose to make a wolf (due to my appreciation of the Martin Scorsese film The Wolf of Wall Street. I had first outlined the wolf by using side views of photos of wolves. Then I added "fur" by making jagged lines. I then got the idea of cutting out my template first on paper so I could envision the look of the design before I cut it out on wood. When I did it I saw changes that I wanted to make and changed my design accordingly. When it came time to cut the wolf out on the C.N.C machine I made sure my cuts were even enough so that I wouldn't need to use as many shims as my last project. Unfortunately the tail was vacuumed during the cuts I overcame this issue by adding tabs to the design so it wouldn't be vacuumed again. Once it was done I assembled the pieces together. Then I painted it black. When painting I made sure to apply multiple coats to give it a more darker look. Once the paint was done I added three coats of polyurethane and was complete.

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My finish designed painted black with three coats of polyurethane. The precise cuts on the C.N.C machine require no shims to help wedge the project giving it a more simple and smooth look

Paper template I cut out to see sizes beforehand

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Were Changes From Post #3 useful?

I feel the changes that I mentioned in terms of what I would be doing differently were helpful. I discussed finding ways to create more accurate cuts for my gaps which I felt I did in my final draft. I found Easel had a setting for how the lines were cut either on the inside the outside or on path. I found when I set the machine to cut on "inside" the path of the line it would cut lines that was exact to what I was doing. I also made sure to refrain from using wood stain this time around I choose to use black paint. I would say overall the changes that I talked about in post #3 were helpful in my final design mainly in the mistakes I made previously and what I could do to.

Paper template assembled. This assisted me in visualizing how my design would look

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Where in your project best demonstrates your mastery of what you learned?

I felt it was my increase in skill level surrounding Easel. I felt in my time working on this project and multiple drafts I have been able to explore more of the tools easel offers and find creative solutions to any issues that arose. A specific example was my final cut on the CNC machine for my project where I made the discovery of Easels setting that allows the cut on the line or the inside or outside. Discovering this I had realized that my issue in my previous drafts was I had the cut be on the line. Given the drill bit has a width itself this lead to a slightly larger gap than I wanted. When I made the change to my final draft to cut on the inside of the line rather than the outside my issue with the gaps was completely solved. Another issue I overcame which demonstrates mastery of the CNC machine was finding a way not only to include tabs but to change the amount present in the cuts which was helpful if any part was particularly unstable during its cut. Personally I am curious to see if anyone else has experienced an issue similar to mine and if my discovery will help solve issues other groups will face. Regardless I have no doubt that I will be able to help my future apprentices in using the CNC machine and overcoming any issues they may have with Easel.

The setting which allowed me to cut the design on the inside rather than on the line. A major development in mastering my skill

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What are the two most important things you learned about the process or tool you selected?

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Th Easel template of my wolf which I argue is the most important part of the process to learn

I learned the most of all the tricks and tips when operating Easel and the way to avoid issues when it came to imputing the wrong setting in terms of thinking the machine will cut one way when it actually is programmed to cut another way. I feel that is the main thing that I learned and one of the most important parts. I also learned how to set up the machine and tips on ways of avoiding any mistakes. I would still however emphasize the importance of learning how to use Easel. I would argue that learning to use the C.N.C machine itself is easy enough that many people could learn, but Easel is one of the most important program to learn. If you don't know how to use Easel, the product won't come out. Another thing to watch out for is the vacuum sucking up any of the parts you cut out. An easy way to avoid the issue is by using tabs to keep your design in place.

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The vacuum sucking up the tail of my wolf. I learned for next time to add additional tabs to prevent it from occurring again

How much of a difference is there between your first and final draft?

My first draft was made to get a better feel for the machine rather than to simply make a bunny. My first draft used many shims to fill the gaps that were made on the CNC whereas my final only uses three shims. In my first draft I used wood stain which in retrospect wasn't the best idea and sanding down the polyurethane made grey scratches in my design. When it came time to making the second design I went the route of making one that was 100% original. Once the pieces were cut out I adjusted the setting on easel so that the lines that were cut for the gaps were on the inside rather than the outside. This lead to less gaps in my design and I only needed to use a shim on the tail and the ears. I also took the time to paint it using multiple layers of black paint and went over with polyurethane to give it a smooth texture. I ran into the same issue with the grey look as I sanded it but I used it as an opportunity to give it the look of fur. Lastly I painted on a yellow dollar sign for the eye. I did this due to my love of the book and movie The Wolf of Wall Street. My insparation behind my choice of animal for my own design

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Top: First draft of my project being the bunny that I finished using wood stain

Bottom: Final draft of my wolf finished using paint and polyurethane. Mastery of the process shows with the knowledge I learned in my previous drafts of how to properly apply finishes, paints, and polyurethane to my project. Adding multiple layers of paint and gently sanding after applying poly made for a better finished version of my final draft rather than my first

Gallery

Blog #6 - November 6th

Describe the work you will do with your apprentices? What is your plan for assisting them? What do they want to make or what are they having a difficult time using

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The image that will be imported into Easel

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How the final project that Elsa wants to make will look

The project for Micheal will require a smaller bit size so that the level of detail that is necessary can be acquired. This will cause the machine to take longer to cut so the appropriate sizing of the image and the text is important and something I want to show Micheal how to use it more.

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The Easel Template for the image trace file Michael wants

Throughout class I have been assisting people with the C.N.C machine however I want to help people more one on one especially since it will be interesting to see new designs being cut on the C.N.C machine. I asked around other students in honors and partnered with Michel and Elsa. With my apprentices, Elsa and Michael, I will be teaching them the basics of the editing software Easel so that they are able to accurately calculate how their designs will be cut out. I will also be teaching them the process of setting up the C.N.C machine involving clamping down the material correctly and using the z-probe as well as  any easy mistakes they could come avoid. My plan for assisting them is to guide them through the process and similar issues I can across when I first made my cuts on the C.N.C I will also show them the tricks tips and unique tools that I discovered in my time working with the C.N.C machine. As for what my apprentices want to make, Elsa would like to make a case for a clock which has the outline of a guitar. When we work on the design I will ask her if she in interested on any additional decorations she might want on her project and if she does we can use tools like the shape maker or the image trace to help put those designs on the project. As for Michael he wants to utilize the image trace feature to create a C.N.C machine cut out an image which he plans to add text to afterwards. His project requires a smaller drill bit so I will also show him how to change bit sizes. In the end I want both my apprentices to be able to prepare the C.N.C machine and have a basic understanding of the Easel software. I also wouldn't mind learning anything new myself with these new designs being made.

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The Easel Template for the guitar clock case Elsa wants

Blog #7 - December 13th

How was it helping someone else?

Helping someone else was interesting. Neither of them had practice with the C.N.C machine so being able to teach someone who didn’t know anything about it made me feel more confident with my abilities. I shared with them some of the helpful tips I had about using the machine like certain ways to clamp and how to use Easel more efficiently. It was fun to help people though and pretty exciting to see more projects being made on the C.N.C machine. I find most people only ever made gear or plain frame pieces with the C.N.C machine so seeing other designs being made and getting to be apart of helping people make them feel fun to do. Overall helping someone was a nice change of pace and getting to reflect more on how much I have grown with the machine to be able to  help others. I wouldn’t mind teaching other people in the future, especially since I feel a machine as important and useful as that should be well known.

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Micheal using an Exacto knife to shave off the excess wood flakes on the project 

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Elsa clamping down her material on the C.N.C machine

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Elsa using the computer to adjust the X&Y points 

Describe what you had to do to help both of your apprentices

With Elsa we first went through a list of different projects she could make. Once she selected the project she wanted to do we went to get the material and took it to the C.N.C machine. I showed her how to measure the material so the design would be cut out correctly and how to clamp it so it wouldn’t move while it was cutting. I showed her how to use the z-probe and set the x and y coordinates and turn on the vacuum and spindle. Once the product was cut out I helped her with sanding and polyurethane. For Michels he wanted to take a pre-existing image and put it into Easel. I showed him how to save an image and upload it onto Easel using image trace. He then wanted to add words so I showed him how to use the text tool. We found that the image details were so small that cutting with a 1/8th bit would be too small and the entire design wouldn’t show. If we made the design larger it would just take more time and use a lot of material so we ended up switching to a 1/32 bit so we could make the image smaller and more detailed. The trade off was it would take a little over an hour.  I showed Michael how to use the C.N.C machine, Z-probe, X and Y coordinates, vacuum, and clamps then ran the machine. When the design came out we decided we wanted to make another cut this time having a more shallow cut so that the design came off cleaner. We changed the design to make it less deep and the cut time was lessened to about half an hour. After we changed the design we set the machine up and went for the second cut. Once we finished it came out better and we were able to sand it more easily. We put coats of polyurethane and then made a frame for it. 

How did their final products turn out? 

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Elsa's final product turned out well, the cuts came out great and it only took a little sanding to get rid of any rough edges. Once we completed it we sanded it down and put a few coats of polyurethane. As for Michael's product we ended up doing a second cut. The first cut we did came out decent but had a lot of excess parts of wood that became hard to sand. We wanted to make a better draft to be more presentable. After we made our second cut we sanded and coated it in polyurethane and made a frame for it. Overall both end results turned out well and I was glad to see new things being cut on the C.N.C. machine.   

The design after being cut on the C.N.C machine

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Elsas final product completed with coats of polyurethane

Gallery

This is a gallery showcasing photos I've taken throughout the process. Click on them to see the title of the photo and a brief description.

Blog #8 and #9 - January 10th

Reflect on what it was like to use the tools related to your area of expertise.

In many ways the difficulties of the CNC machine didn't come with learning the machine itself but rather Easel the software that was used to program the machine. Yet it was still interesting to program the machine it was fun to visualize how it would turn out once the cut was done. When I assisted Micheal in his project it was the most interesting. Using the smallest bit we had to cut out an image incredibly precise it took over an hour to make. Small things like these were interesting but the big projects like gears were fun as well.

What is difficult or frustrating about using them?

In the beginning the most difficult thing was learning how to use Easel I found the software to be challenging and small errors on designing led to issues with the machine as a whole. It was frustrating when it came to my first few prints given that I had not perfected the ability to measure the gaps on the bunny design that would let the pieces slide in.

What do you wish you had known at the start of this work?

I wish that I had known more ways to use Easel. A big development in the process was learning I could decide if I wanted the line to be cut on the line, on the inside, or on the outside. This was pivotal in making a more sized up cut of the bunny model because the gaps I needed could be more accurately calculated.

Propose a change that will make the completion of your work easier

A change I propose is creating a space for the tools that the CNC machine uses such as drill bits, clamps, and the Z probe. Talking with my teacher he suggested making a railing and mounting it to the wall in the CNC machine room. This railing would allow containers to be held which could hold the tools

What did you do and why? 

Taking an old railing off of the wall using a drill then used the miter saw (butter blade) to cut a section of the railing. I took the wooden containers and sanded the edges so people could get tools they needed without it being uncomfortable. I found a space for the railing to go that would be out of the way. Then I used a countersink for the railing and then mounted them onto the wall and then put the wooden containers on them

Once you have made your improvement how much did it help? 

I felt it will help a great deal in keeping the tools for the CNC machine in one central location and in a location that won't make moving the tools a hassle for future users of the CNC machine. Another issue was also cleaning the top of the CNC machine which would require the tools being moved off to clean and then moved back on. The improvement stores tools as well as keeps them from occupying the previous space on the CNC machine which may have been an inconvenience to people using it

How does the change work/improve the space? 

The space before felt a little crowded and disorganized the tools before had their own yellow bins but the bins had no central spot. They were constantly moved from the top to the bottom of the CNC machine or be placed on one of the stools in the room. This addition improves the space by reducing the clutter and disorganization that came with the tool bins not having a location out of the way they could be

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The final product wooden containers for the tools

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The wooden railing that was mounted onto the wall. Wooden containers that were later sanded for smooth edges

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Process Photo: The large railing that needed to be cut with the miter saw (butter blade) so I could fit the piece on the wall

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The Final Product: the wooden containers that were mounted onto the wall. 

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