MY VACUUM FORMED CLOCK

YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY! Last lesson my clock was finally vacuum-formed! And can I just say, it looks pretty good. The layers have worked extremely well to create interest and 3D realism. A viewer can easily tell my clock design is of a Ferris Wheel, and the inner piece that I have changed to a star adds repetition and unity. I think that the numbers of the clock are very obvious and will stand out even more once the clock mechanism is put into place.

Just before I asked Mr Andrews to Vacuum-Form my clock, I had just finished hot glue gunning my layers down and had left them to set for about 10 minutes, just enough time to be the last person to get my clock Vacuum-Formed before the bell rang. My clock was placed in the Vacuum-Former with Eliza's VW which looked amazing. When the process was underway we heard a pop or bang which meant one of our moulds were either to pointy or sharp or the plastic had to stretch too far before it gave in. Luckily it was Eliza's and she did not have to re-Vacuum-Form her clock!

Once mine had cooled down Mr Andrews showed me that some of my small circles (on the carrousels) had attached to the plastic along with both numbers (1&2). I was okay with this though as they were the smallest pieces and I had only just stuck them down - so I wasn't taken by too much of a surprise.

Now all I have to do is paint my clock in many thin layers ready for Wednesday's lesson when Mr Andrews can put the clock mechanism in. After that our clocks will be completed and the class will do some reflections and sheets based on this Semester and this blog. For my paint I am thinking to have the inner piece bright red then fading out to a soft pink by the time we get to the base of the Ferris Wheel. The background (behind the Ferris Wheel shape) will be painted a light blue for the sky - maybe with clouds if the clock isn't too busy already. I am also thinking painting the background a darker colour like black to all attention is drawn to the Ferris Wheel only on a nice frame. Each carousel is going to follow a rainbow pattern starting at 1 and finishing at 11, these will be the most exciting part of the design. The posts connecting the carousels to the body of the Ferris Wheel will be painted red to tie back into the centre piece of the clock. The little dots in the middle of the carousels will either be painted red or the same colour as the carousels themselves - I will see what looks best.

My Vacuum-Formed clock. Still with the numbers stuck.  

The last stages of our clock making are coming so rapidly but I really cannot wait until next lesson when our clocks will basically be completed. Stay posted until next lesson. Bye!

Our 3rd Lesson For Term 4

My Layers

Our last lesson for me was something I very much enjoyed as I accomplished all my goals so that I will be ready for vacuum-forming next week. Really, all I have to do is cut out 5 more carriages by tracing the already completed 1-6 - this way the Ferris Wheel will look symmetrical. I have also decided to recut the centre piece as it is a side on view compared to the front view of the rest of the Ferris Wheel, this will make it more appealing and understandable to the eye. Last lesson I also decided to trace the sticker numbers 1 and 2 to make the number 12 onto cardboard. I then suck the two together to resolve my problem of not actually layering and just having everything even and on the same level. I have taken my clock and all materials that I have done so far home, so that I can finish cutting out my carriages and complete the same activity I did with the the number to the legs of the Ferris Wheel. I will also have a chance to redraw and cut out the centre piece, and sand back the edges of all my cardboard shapes - these are meant to look like sharp edges but this can be accomplished and done properly without the edges actually being sharp which will then effect the plastic when the mould/die being Vacuum-Formed. In our next DF lesson on Monday I will check with Mr Andrews that everything is good and no problems look evident before he Vacuum-Forms it. I will then take it home again to paint the plastic clock in many thin layers of paint. I am thinking that every carriage will be a different colour starting from yellow, orange and then red, through to pink then purple, blue and finishing with green.

My Clock

So far I am extremely happy with the progress I have made and look forward to when my clock is Vacuum-Formed.

Second Lesson - Term 4

Our second week back into the Term, and some people have already finished their clocks or are extremely close to that point. Initially this made me feel quite worried as I thought I was behind, but I realised many other people are at the same point as me or even behind - so I am thinking after I have completed my clock, I may be helping others. The lesson for me however was quite productive mentally and on my clock.

Last lesson I had managed to get through the first layer and made a plan to accomplish - well, plan ACCOMPLISHED! I was able to get my second and third layer completed this lesson and am now onto my fourth which is half-way off completion. I have also made sure to make all edges neat as I was cutting. My plan after the fourth is to go right through to the end with all layers then come back to the carrousel layer. I have two reasons for this:

1. So I can see how much room I have and how large or small they need to be, along with the 'pole' holding them onto the body of the Ferris Wheel.
AND...
2. They are the most time consuming and I would like to have everything else completed first - worst comes to worst (which I am 99.9% sure it won't) I will just have no carrousels which wont look as bad compared to not having as many layers on the body or no legs to 'hold the Ferris Wheel up off the ground'.

Half way through the lesson Mr Andrews showed us the process of Vacuum-Forming again as Lily had completed her clock. All was good until one of the middle pieces from her Frangipani became stuck into the plastic as she did not use the Hot Glue Gun - which is crucial. Lily then went away with her plastic ready to take home to paint, however she will have to come up with a way to make sure her mould or die doesn't break as that will not be complying against the criteria of DF for Grade 7's in 2012.

Afterwards, we went back to our bench and I just wanted to check up with Mr Andrews with my design. He thinks I am going pretty well however some of my layers drop down and are therefore not really creating a layer as there is a gap (this happens with the stilts or legs at the bottom of my Ferris Wheel). Mr Andrews said not to be too worried, but if I could fix it, I probably should. This would probably be my first major 'bump in the road', but a new task to do to improve my clock's look and overall grade.

Next lesson, my goal is to finish off all layers and then the following lesson go back to the 12 individual carrousels. This should therefore only take another two lessons or three maximum.

Thank you very much, and keep posted for next weeks blog!

First Lesson of Term Four

On Wednesday the 10th of October, 7K had our first DF lesson of the Term. This lesson, was quite important for me and my design process as I planned when I would like to accomplish certain parts of my clock, and some of my design elements changed.

When we arrived, I set straight into work - finishing off my first layer. Last Term I thought I had already done this, however leaving it and then coming back to look at this first layer I wasn't quite happy. So I simply sharpened a few edges (the cutting was a little dodgy on some Ferris Wheel spokes) and made sure to emphasise the fact that some spokes were of different sizes to others depending on the angle my Ferris Wheel has been set at. I was a little disappointed in myself for not cutting it out properly to start with, but after about five minutes of trying to cut that (extremely thick and hard) cardboard, I realised my hands must have been getting sore and tired.

Nevertheless, I made sure not to waste any time on starting and completing my second layer. During this time, I was also helping others carve their original piece of wood to the correct size. I was also helping others with cutting, glueing, tracing and giving the right advice. On a side comment this is where I would like to mention what I really enjoy about DF, we have a strict plan to follow, but we are still free to use what ever resources we would like and are able to help others whenever we feel necessary whilst doing our own work. Anyway, back to my clock...

Whilst doing my second layer I realised that I had sanded my original piece of MDF wood bad too far so my other layers would not fit once I added on the ferris Wheel Layers. You see, I was meant to have gaps for the spokes, but Mr Andrews told me that would take too long for the allocated time space. So I then went onto the idea of having my carrousels still on the main piece of wood but connecting them to the very top of the spokes. This would have worked if I hadn't sanded my base shape off too far, so now my idea is to have the carrousels on the side of the spokes and to paint the remanding spaces blue for the sky, this will also give the impression of the spokes.

Although my clock hit a little 'design stumble', I am actually quite glad of it, as I now have a better design which I am still extremely happy with. The end of the lesson for me was the spent tracing and cutting out my second layer, along with helping others with their clocks, as some still hadn't started their first layer, or were a little behind.

Next week, I am planning on doing my next few layers (I should get more done as they are smaller) before the carrousels. My plan is to do the carrousels last or all in one lesson along with the numbers, as their are twelve carrousels which are quite small and will be time consuming.

At this point, I feel extremely happy with how my clock is coming along so far, and absolutely cannot wait until the final version is completed!

The Vacuum Forming Process

This is my final blog on these extra topics I am talking about that will help with the overall understanding of our clock making. Definitely in this case I have left the best until last, and will talk about Vacuum Forming - something that everyone in Grade 7 who has made a clock has seen and had the process used on their clock. 

Anyway, on with the description!

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Vacuum forming is a manufacturing technique where thin plastic, and in this case, thermo plastic is shaped by heat and force. 

1. The first stage of vacuum forming is to make an accurate die or mould. This die must be very precise as any flaws will show when shaping the thermo plastic, any sharp edges can pop the plastic or if an edge is hanging over the plastic will wrap around that then underneath it causing the die to become stuck. 

2. The die is placed in the centre of the vacuum former

3. A sheet of thermo plastic is placed above the die and clamped into position.

4. The heater is turned on. When the machine is being used from ‘cold’ it takes about five to ten minutes to warm up to the temperature needed to heat the thermo plastic sufficiently.
Once warm, thermo plastic takes only four to five minutes to heat up before the vacuum forming process can begin.

5. The thermo plastic must become flexible before it can be formed properly.

6. Once the thermo plastic is ready the "Platen" or the base the die is placed on is lifted towards the thermo plastic sheet. The air underneath the thermo plastic and the die is pumped out and the thermo plastic takes the shape of the die.

7. You then pop your die out and cut out the plastic to just around your shape. 

8. The next part is the fun part, you can paint your plastic shape or decorate it in any way you want! TIP: A good tip for painting is to paint from the inside so you can see the coloured plastic still with the shine from the plastic.

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Well, thats all from me on these Extra pieces of information and blogs! My blogs will now go back to my regular lesson reflections, unless there are any other topics to talk about or cover. Once again... Thank you very much! 

Sustainability

This is my first post (out of two) on Processes and Things We Need To Think About in the workshop during our clock making process. This first blog is based on Sustainability. Please enjoy!

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AN OVERVIEW ON PLASTIC AND SUSTAINABILITY: 

In order for a product or material to be truly described as sustainable it must be environmentally, economically and socially sustainable. These aspects have become known as the Three Pillars of Sustainability. Plastics make a positive contribution to all three pillars of sustainability.

Plastics make an immense contribution to the environmental sustainability through their energy saving potential and intrinsic recyclability and energy recovery options. Economically plastics form an important part of the UK economy and are a major export product. Socially the plastics industry is a major and inclusive employer with an attention to training and education.

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY:

Plastics have a very good environmental profile.  Only 4% of the world’s oil production is used for plastics and much less energy is used to produce it compared to other materials.  Plastics are durable yet lightweight and thus save weight in cars, aircraft, packaging and pipework.

When plastics have completed their use phase, whether as a car bumper or a bottle, they can either be recycled or if this is not economic or environmentally beneficial the calorific value of the plastic can be recovered through energy from waste incineration to provide a much source of home-grown power. As a consequence plastics can be viewed as ‘borrowing’ the oil.

• Plastics provide unparalleled benefits as a packaging material. This is because plastics are lightweight, resource efficient and offer excellent barrier properties. Due to these properties packaging items in plastics significantly reduce waste and saves energy.

• Plastics have a huge role to play in sustainable construction, whether it be PVC windows, plastic foam insulation or plastic water pipes. 

• Plastics have a number of inherent properties which make them an ideal material for modern
transport systems. Plastics are lightweight, corrosion free and easily moulded into complex  shapes without the need for assembly or fastening systems.

• Plastics recycling takes place on a significant scale in the UK and there is considerable research conducted to discover the most efficient ways to recycle. Raw materials have a high value and are a precious resource, so to conserve both money and the environment the industry makes every effort to recover as much as possible.

ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY:

Plastics make a major contribution to the UK economy and a healthy manufacturing sector is vital to a sustainable economy.


Plastics contribution to the UK economy:

• Circa 7400 plastics companies in UK.
• The industry turnover is approximately £17 billion.
• Plastics are a much need source of export revenue with circa £4.5 billion in exports.
• For many plastics products, especially construction related products, the whole supply chain is situated within the UK.

Plastics also have a role to play at a micro-economic level:

• Plastics products are very cost effective to produce and provide the ability to make single moulded components in complex shapes. This significantly reduces costs associated with assembly and the use of fixtures.

Plastics also have a role to play at a micro-economic level:

• Plastics products are very cost effective to produce and provide the ability to make single moulded components in complex shapes. This significantly reduces costs associated with assembly and the use of fixtures.

There are also many other Economic benefits, but for now I will only stick to these (some of the most important).

SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY:

Completing the final pillar of sustainability, plastics are also socially sustainable;

• The UK plastics industry is socially inclusive and offers a wide range of worthwhile careers with considerable room for career development, progression and training. The industry is very attentive to training and this is led by Cogent (the Sector Skills Council) and Polymer Training in Telford.

• Plastics companies are geographically widely distributed across the UK and provide jobs to some 180,000 people.

• The plastics industry has a superb industry health and safety record as demonstrated by BPF accident survey statistics.

• Plastics make a major contribution to safety, the used plastics in cars, for example, reduces weight and allows for the addition of safety features such as airbags. Furthermore, plastic foams such as EPS and EPP provide the necessary shock absorbency to be used in life saving devices such a bicycle helmets.

Essential medical applications include:

• Blood bags
• Fluid bags
• Heart and Lung bypass sets
• Blood transfusion sets
• Blood vessels in artificial kidneys
• Surgical gloves
• Catheters
• Endotracheal tubing 

Plastics are essential in modern day healthcare. Plastics products are used in surgery, healthcare products, pharmaceuticals, drug delivery systems and medical packaging.

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Thank you very much for taking the time to read about Plastic and its sustainability in the world. My final blog under these extra topics will be the Vacuum Forming Process. Stay posted!

Cellulose Nitrate (Extra)

This will be my final blog on materials we may use or encounter in the workshop...so enjoy!

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The plastic cellulose nitrate was invented in the early 19^th century, and is often thought of as the earliest synthetic polymer or plastic. The uses of cellulose nitrate range from everything including cutlery handles, toys and dolls, photographic film, and many other cosmetic, household and toiletry items. It was even used by Kodak, and other suppliers, from the late 1880s as a film base in photograph, X-ray films and motion picture films; and was known as nitrate film. After numerous fires caused by unstable nitrate films, safety film started to be used from the 1930s in the case of X-ray stock and from 1948 for motion picture film.The colour of an untouched, unprocessed cellulose nitrate plastic is transparent and colourless, and until about the 1920, the only cellular nitrate plastic available was light coloured or translucent.

An old, rusted, rolled up film reel made from Cellulose Nitrate

The stability of cellulose nitrate is strongly influenced by the amount of nitrogen present, the more nitrogen content, the more unstable the product. Therefore, products with high nitrogen content (usually more than 13%) are likely to explode on contact to heat, friction, or shock, whereas objects with a lower nitrogen content (typically less than 12%) are not explosive.

There were two main types of Cellulose Nitrate Guncotton and Nitrate Film: 

Guncotton:

In general, cotton was used as the cellulose base, and is added to concentrated sulphuric acid and 70% nitric acid cooled to 0 °C to give cellulose trinitrate (or guncotton).

While guncotton is dangerous to store, its risks can be reduced by storing it wet or in oil.

Nitrate Film:

Cellulose is treated with sulfuric acid and potassium nitrate to give cellulose mononitrate. This was used commercially as Celluloid, a highly flammable plastic used in the first half of the 20th Century for lacquers and photographic film.

However, cellulose nitrate degrades to produce acidic and oxidizing nitrogen oxide gas. In enclosed spaces with restricted ventilation, these gases can build up, causing metal to erode, and discolour organic materials, as well as accelerate the process at which objects decay. Cellulose nitrate is additionally a very flammable material and must be isolated from heat and ignition sources.

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                                  Thank you very much for reading my post on Cellulose Nitrate.

                                                 Next up, will be a post on Sustainability!