TSO-6: Off to a Rolling Start

Hello from Tinkering School Overnight! We’ve had a jam packed first few days…

Once drop-off concluded we went up the hill for opening circle and tool training. We learned about the chop saw, drills, clamps and about the workspace. Then after a spaghetti dinner we tucked in early to get ready for a busy build day Monday.

Trinity showed Beck how to use the camera and he took this photo of the yurts.

Monday started with waffle, eggs, and project reveal. The prompt? A trojan mobile that can discretely carry all 11 tinkerers from the workshop to the forest. A narrative is developing around a malevolent king who we must take the forest back from. Gever helped the tinkerers think through designs for a safe mobile.

After drawing designs we used a physical model to find the dimensions of the chassis.

Once confident in the design we hiked up the hill to the worksite to start building the project (and go back to the whiteboard!).

The balcony group - Matthew, Hendry, Aaron, and Hayes - start building the rails for the top of the chassis.

Meanwhile, another group makes wheels strong enough carry the weight of the entire camp and the chassis.

After lunch we have a quick engineering talk regarding the project. Today, Gever taught the tinkerers about trusses which will help the chassis have a secure floor to carry the weight.

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We’re learning about so many tools while building this project, including the bandsaw, circular saw, angle grinder and drill press.

By the end of Monday we have 4 wooden wheels, the bottom of the chassis secured with trusses and 2 rails for the balcony. After dinner, a group makes an apple pie to cap off our first build day.

On Tuesday, fueled by eggs, sausages, and coffee cake, we finished the bottom of the chassis by adding a plywood floor and the start of the walls. Then came to securing the axles to the chassis so we can get it rolling. We also started and finished a bench for the interior of the chassis.

With the wheel attached to the chassis its finally time for the first test of the chassis! All we needed to do was pick up the whole project off of the saw horses and get it on the ground. A task that would need the help of everyone.

It rolls!

After a day of challenges and successes we walked back down the hill and either went to the creek, played in the conference room, or helped make fried rice for dinner.