Zane Middle School wedging table: Difference between revisions

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Abstract

The purpose of this project is to create a wedging table that will be used in Zane Middle School’s Art class. The Imagineers team created and designed a wedging table to provide a reliable efficient area to wedge clay. The Imagineers was formed as part of Humboldt State University’s Engineering 215: Introduction to Design, taught by Camille Penny.

Background

Humboldt State University's Engineering 215: Introduction to Design provides its class with experience in design projects, team building, and communication skills. The Imagineers team was formed as part of an assignment for Engineering 215. The team's task was to provide Zane Middle School with a wedging table for their Art class. The team members include Oscar Bermudez, Shaela Hogue, Vincent Hurtado, and Erin Pyne.

Problem Statement

The objective of this project was to provide Zane Middle School with a portable area to wedge clay. The Imagineers designed a wedging table that can be portable and is also able to be stationary when in use, the table also provides storage and a side ledge to place dry clay.

Criteria

Below is a table listing and defining the criteria that was considered when choosing the projects' final design.

Criterion	Definitions
Safety	The table should not contain any toxic chemicals, sharp metal, or splintered wood. The locking casters need a caution warning.
Sturdiness	The table should not be able to teeter over, wood or metal must be securely attached throughout the table, and the locking casters must be able to remain locked.
Portability	The table should move with ease, fit within all doorways, and be able to lock in place.
Durability/Longevity	the table should need little maintenance, and should be able to withstand minor weathering.
Cost	The cost for materials that compose the wedge and a ledge cannot exceed the amount of $300; this includes $75 per group member.
Environmental Impact/Sustainability	Reusable items would be most preferred, or the use of less harmful products used to construct the design.
Aesthetics	The table needs to be appealing to the public eye. It should be clean and not look out of place.

Description of final project

Through the use of the Delphi Method, this is a process where as a team we evaluated each one of the designs each of the team members created, the design with the greatest raking would be chosen as the final design. The solution with the greatest ranking was “Wedge and a Ledge” design. This design is located to the right, it meets most of the criteria that was stated above section "Criteria". It is appealing, affordable, made of durable materials, uses materials with low impact to the environment, highly portable, is one of the safer alternatives, and is reinforced with three crossbars which provide it with support.

Costs

Below and is a table showing the cost of the materials used along with the grand total (the total does not include the value of materials that were donated). Figure 4 shows the amount of hours spent in each phase of the design project along with the total amount of hours.

Quantity	Material	Source	Cost ($)	Total ($)
2	Aluminum posts	Arcata Scrap	7.50	15.00
4	Casters	Ace Hardware	7.99	31.96
4	Hinges	Ace Hardware	5.39	21.56
1	Micellaneous Hardware & etc.	Ace Hardware	NA	32.76
16	Screws for Casters	Ace Hardware	.22	3.52
16	Screws for plaster box	Ace Hardware	NA	NA
2 boards, 2 sheets of plywood	Wood	Donated by Almquist Lumber	NA	NA
1	Wood glue	Donated by Almquist Lumber	NA	NA
3	Plaster of paris	Client	21.00	63.00
Total Cost				$168

Testing Results

The original design that was chosen was modified along the way to improve any of the obstacles that were encountered. Some of the things that were adjusted were the replacement of shelves instead of drawers. An implementation of a latch on the caster mechanism improved its portability capability.

How to build

How To Build Wedge and a Ledge
Image	Steps
	Step 1 Cutting the aluminum tubing for legs.
	Step 2 Drill pilot holes where necessary into the aluminum legs.
	Step 3 Assemble the wood frame and shelving.
	Step 4 To keep the wood frame from having water damage issues, caulking was used on the seams and a sealant was used on the wood surfaces. We used a salad bowl finishing stain to seal the wood.
	Step 5 Drill pilot holes where necessary to attach aluminum legs.
	Step 6 Assemble and attach the caster mechanism.
	Step 7 Attach the legs to the top and shelves.
	Step 8 Mix plaster and pour letting it set.
	Step 9 Deliver the wedging table to the client.

Next Steps

The “Wedge and a Ledge” design will be placed in the art room storage area while it is not in use. The table will remain stationary while the caster locking mechanism is disengaged. When the table needs to be used, the mechanism must be engaged for the table to be rolled to the designated wedging area. Once in that area, the mechanism can be disengaged so that the table remains stationary during use.

Results

As of Monday, May 2nd 2016, the “Wedge and a Ledge” design was completed and is ready for use by the Ken Weiderman and his students. We successfully demonstrated our constructed design to judges, our peers, and our instructor during a presentation to Zane Middle School.

References

• Bayer, M. F. (1922). “Caster Lock.” United States Patent Office, US1428932 A.

• Bergeson, Lynn L. (2014). “FTC’s Recent Enforcement Cases for Misleading Recycled Content Claims.” Regulatory Developments, <http://www.acta group.com/regulatory-developments/entry/ftcs-recent-enforcement-cases-for-misleading-recycled-content-claims> (Feb. 20, 2016)

• Boesel, J., Richey, J (1993). Machines on Wheels, The Taunton Press, Newtown, Connecticut. Caster City. (2016). “Dual Wheel Casters- Total Locking Brake.” <http://www.castercity.com/specific-app-casters/dual-wheelcasters.htm> (Feb. 23, 2016)

• Ceramic Arts Community (2014) “Wedging Table Surface Options – Studio Operations and Making Work." Ceramic Arts Daily Community <http://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/5460- wedging-table-surface-options/> (Feb. 2016).

• Ed. Koichi Hirata. (2002). "Metal Materials." Elementary Knowledge of Metalworking, <https://www.nmri.go.jp/eng/khirata/metalwork/basic/material/index_e.html> (Feb. 25, 2016).

• Frisch, David, and Susan Frisch, (1998). Metal: Design and Fabrications. N.p.: Whitney Library of Design. Print.

• Gumpert, Meagan C. (2014.) "Clay Wedging Table - Plaster Mixing Ratios and Guidelines." Clay and Glass Blog of Meagan Chaney Gumpert, <http://www.meaganchaneygumpert.com/> (Feb. 20, 2016)

• Hutchings, Gilbert R., G. Eugene. Martin, and J. Mario Coleman. 1982. Working with Wood. Bloomington IL: McKnight Pub., Print

• Meier, Eric. (2008). “The Wood Database.” The Wood Database, <http://ww w.wood-database.com/> (Feb. 24, 2016).

• Mike. (2014). "Painting furniture – Should I use latex or oil paint? <http://lauerfurniture.com/painting-furniture-should-i-use-latex-or-oil- paint/> (Feb. 23, 2016)

• Miodownik, Mark. (2013). Stuff Matters. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. New York, NY.

• Rockler. (2007). “Wood Stain in a Nutshell” Buzzsaw Blog, <http://www.rockler.com/how-to/wood-stain-in-a-nutshell> (Feb. 24, 2016)

• Walters, C. (1935). “Tools And Materials: Via: Ceramic Sculpture; The Preparation Of The Clay”. The American Magazine of Art, 28(8), 500–502.

• Walstrom, Emil A., (1942). "Builder's Safety Horse Clamp." United States Patent Office, <https://www.google.com/patents/US2330766> (Feb. 25, 2016).

Group Member Pages

• http://www.appropedia.org/User:Bermms
• http://www.appropedia.org/User:ShaelaHogue
• http://www.appropedia.org/User:Vch51
• http://www.appropedia.org/User:Epyne