Workgroups [updated with Finishes Workgroup]

23Sep09

All day during studio on Friday, you are to work closely within your workgroups, and to create a post of your developments for Monday.   The following is a brief summary of what I expect each workgroup to accomplish:

Master Model Workgroup

You need to develop a complete 3d model of the F-Stop in Rhino.   This needs to be a highly accurate 3d model including the exact location of utility outlets and HVAC grilles.  From this 3d digital model, prepare 2d cut files (at full scale for now) for a physical model to be laser-cut on Monday.

Grasshopper Workgroup

For Monday, your primary goal is to demonstrate to the class what grasshopper is, and why it matters.  You don’t have to know how to use it yet to be able to share this.  There are severable invaluable resources to learn grasshopper:  Design Reform, designalyze, woojsung, the grasshopper primer by lift architects, the Grasshopper Forum, and Scott and Tam’s  digital toolbox.  Download Grasshopper available at the Grasshopper Forum, and begin some basic tutorials such as found at the digital toolbox.

Laser Cutter/CNC Studio Support

Help others as requested, especially the master model group as they prepare their digital model for the physical model.  Read the CNC router guidelines through the d[fab] link. True you may have it easy this weekend, but you will be in high demand throughout the quarter.

Blog / Process Coordination

Your role is really as managers, making sure the other workgroups are posting, and helping them out as they need it.  Begin to organize the blog appearance, adding different links at the right.  Provide a little blurb in the “about” box for the blog – you can grab some of this from the syllabus.  You can begin to process some of the laser-cut joint projects.

Wood Procurement

Field Trip!  Visit Mayan Hardwood in Paso Robles, take pictures of the  place, and most of all, take detail pictures of select wood species and plywoods (both the veneer and the plywood core at the edge).  Ask about a basic “shop grade” or “cabinet grade” plywood – they will probably point you to a birch and/or maple plywood.  That should cover a basic plywood for about $40 a sheet (don’t forget to ask for pricing!!), but then also look at a higher end plywood such as ApplePly.  Get pricing and availability of this, as well as alterante pricing for prefinished maple plywood and prefinished ApplePly.  For each variety, be sure to get pricing on 1/2″ and 3/4″ thicknesses. Keep your eyes open, and see what else is of interest to you.  Let them know you are students, as they are great supporters of our students.  Call Higgins Lumber, and get similar pricing information, as well as pricing for their Baltic Birch (they carry this in 4×8 panels, whereas Mayan has it in 5×5).

Plastics / Metal Procurement

This will take a little effort and time to get information and pricing information.  Metals wise focus on aluminum sheet, thickness from 1/16″ 3/32″ and 1/8″.  Get pricing on sheet steel around 1/16″ (you’ll have to do a little web search on steel gauges and their thickness). I’d start with talking to Doug regarding where sheet metals can be located.  You’ll be able to find more resources on line from plastics, such as HDPE and LDPE, such as starting at Mcmaster.com.  Lastly, find local resources for powder coating, and inquire about costs for this (for starters, just tell them its a flat 4×8 sheet).  Find some images of what can be done with plastics and metals, and their associated processes for digital fabrication (laser and water jet cutting, both available locally).

Lighting / Hardware

Web search for lighting, such a places like outwater plastics, or even mcfeelys, and don’t forget a trip to Home Depot (?).   Consider the environment, and look into LED’s as well as low voltage and fluorescents.  Provide a list of resources for Cabinet hardware, including different hinge types (mcfeelys probably has a great diagram).  Can get other hardware information for shelving, and drawer slides.  And its worth taking a look at dougmockett to see what we can’t afford.  Your job is to make these lighting and hardware options visible and available to the entire studio.

Finishes

Seek information on finishing through three sources: directly with people that work with material at a high level of craft, library and web searches – please don’t forget  books!, and lastly a trip to Home Depot to document different stains, and multitude of finish types.  Get samples of what you can, as well as see what Vicki has in the MRC.

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Tags: materials, technology, workgroups