Jungle Adventure Obstacle Course - Day 2 - Week 3 (Mark Day School)
Usually the finer points of construction and engineering for strength don’t really become a topic of conversation until day three, but with designs progressing rapidly we decided to introduce good building practices early. During morning circle, Jayson presented on the importance and technique of bracing. This included a great demonstration of what happens when weight is applied without a brace. The cracking of un-braced wood sent giggles of delight through the audience, but if the bracing we saw in the afternoon is any indicator, the message sank in!
Climb-testing the entrance mountain
After the exit mountain group decided to make their volcano ten feet long, they had to figure out how to connect pieces of wood since our longest pieces are only eight feet.
The idea of a bridge went from thought to sketch to prototype to build. This sequence is repeated for many of the things we make at Tinkering School. And once something is built, it’s time to test! The bridge will be raised slightly and tinkerers will jump off onto a lower platform above the river.
Today was a day to really gain confidence with the tools through repeated use. There were so many jobs to be done. There was also a great energy for building, and lots of cooperation among the tinkerers. This lead to a potentially record-setting day for the number of boards cut on the chopsaw on a Tuesday!
A “partner push” can help drive a screw.
“How can I help?” often translates into holding wood for someone while they drill and then taking turns and drilling while they hold the wood.
During tool training, tinkerers learned to hold wood secure with a knee, foot, friend’s hand, or clamp (which we refer to as a “third hand”).
Beth offered as-needed training on the jigsaw, a useful tool for cutting straight lines and curved areas out of plywood.
Click through the gallery below for more photos from today. And visit our Flickr page for hundreds of photos from the week.
