First Cuts

The first full day of work with the whole team resulted in the successful cutting of two templates!
We also had our first wound. Although her finger was grazed by a cotter, with the help of a Band-Aid, Alé is expected to live. The majority of the day was spent in the CAD lab, since designing templates that are effective for making standing frames while also easy to build is challenging. For a router to cut the slots needed on the standing frames, we must first develop what essentially functions as a large stencil for power tools. Since tools like routers have a lot of power, cutting the standing frames requires this type of guidance.

These screenshots show the template for the standing frame’s backboard during the designing phase in CAD. A significant amount of time goes into ensuring that the measurements are precise so that we can use all of our resources efficiently. We are only using one sheet of 4’ by 8’ plywood to make two standers, and the pieces that are cut away from the backboard are used for the headpieces and tray table.