October 24th, 2011 → 11:13 am @ admin
It’s been another busy year with the online Design and Technology Mentoring Program. It really keeps me very busy reading all those draft Folios at night and the large range of innovation being produced is truly wonderful. I thank you for your patience as on some occasions due to family matters I have not been [...]
January 7th, 2011 → 1:29 pm @ admin
A very common machine in a school workshop is the Pedestal Drill. One of the advantages of using this type of drilling machine is that the hole you drill will be square to the job in two planes. It is very difficult to achieve this with a hand drill. The Pedestal Drill is easier to [...]
October 16th, 2010 → 3:35 pm @ admin
Many students once they have made a Design and Technology Project will need to metal plate their project to prevent it from rusting and give it a professional look. Here is a video on how metal can be plated and the various steps that go into metal plating.
May 28th, 2010 → 11:52 pm @ admin
Your folio will naturally contain many photographs of your Major Design Project as it develops. When working in either school or home workshops always make sure you have safety in mind. You need to mention how you observed safety regulations and this should be evident in any photographs you present in your folio. A student [...]
February 21st, 2010 → 11:10 am @ admin
Anything is possible! One of the questions I regularly receive from Design and Technology Students is asking my advice on the suitability of their proposed Major Design Project. Sometimes the ideas proposed are either going to need very expensive manufacturing equipment or processes which are not available to the average Design and Technology student [...]
January 25th, 2010 → 6:30 pm @ admin
Sustainability Firstly what is sustainability? We hear the words ‘sustainable‘ and ‘sustainability‘ almost every day. But what does it mean exactly? Is it about people and culture, our environment, or jobs and money? Is it about cities or the country? Is it about you and me or is [...]
January 24th, 2010 → 7:32 pm @ admin
Silicon Molds Silicon Molds are often necessary to produce a number of similar items for a Major Design Project. One method of achieving this is by manufacturing a silicon mold and casting the items using the mold. Lets say we are going to produce a chess set for your Major Design Project but with a [...]
January 23rd, 2010 → 8:05 pm @ admin
Students often choose to use mild steel for the manufacture of their Major Design Project. Mild steel tends to form rust after a very short time and really needs to have a protective surface finish applied. There are a number of surface preparations which include painting, electroplating to mention but a few. Many students may [...]
January 19th, 2010 → 11:16 pm @ admin
Once a concept has been developed by a student there is a tendency to launch head-on into the project without quality planning. What do I mean by quality planning? All aspects need to be planned if you are going to produce a worth while project or innovation. While not compulsory CAD ( computer assisted drawing) [...]
December 16th, 2009 → 3:10 pm @ admin
From time to time students want to use a microprocessor of some type in their Major Design Project. I came across this valuable little book which offers a thorough introduction to the open-source electronics prototyping platform that’s taking the design and hobbyist world by storm. Getting Started with Arduino gives you lots of ideas for [...]