Saturday, February 25, 2006

Week 1 and 2

It's been a while but all is well.

We have split the class of 15 into 2 groups for the first stage. This is for a number of reasons but mostly to allow close supervison of the studnets and their developing class interactions and to ensure that there is positive development for each of the studnets. In previous years this cohort has come to us with a range of 'issues' and we are using the split classes to help get these into perspective and get on with the work that we are supposed to be doing.
As we progress through the tasks the membership of the 2 teams will be 'adjusted' to balance the personalities and to get the most producitvity for the students.

This week (Week 2) I was off work for 3 days so not much happened on the board front. The studnets worked on the other bits of their course. The order for the materials was placed and futher work on the sponsorship arrangments was all.

Last week (Week 1) we kicked off with the whole group measuring themselves and recording this information so that the design of the boards could be undertaken using snoCAD. Once this was completed the class was split into the 2 groups. Green and Yellow teams.

Team Green went to the PC lab and completed the board design (not the graphics) from here we will convert these to tool paths for CNC machining of the cores and bases. Team Yellow will be doing the same on Monday and I'm hoping that there will be some real interest from this group in the design of the boards. The greenies did a great job with the board design and there are some fine boards that will be coming out of the press soon.

Everything else is falling into place and it is beginning to look like the whole thing might really go off with a bang. There is considerable interest from the other studnets who have noticed the preparations that are occuring in Building F and it has me thinking that this could become something that is rolled over into an ongoing course. Annual snowboard trip and a new board each year, sounds like fun to me.

Plans are in place to press the first board during the coming term break so the first completed board is only a few weeks away.

Will post with images from the yellow design work next week.

c.

Monday, February 06, 2006

WE HAVE THE MONEY !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Excellent news today with confirmation of the funding to cover the materials required to begin the project.

This is excellent timing as the studnets started today and we had a great response to the idea with some studnets already discussing the details of the board they will be designing.

We are putting in place a focus on the designing aspect of the production process and looking at the way design is used in a manufacturing environment.

Will begin the snoCAD work next week with the studnets. A HUGE thanks to Dan from Graf Snowboards, the developers of snoCAD, for allowing us use to the program free of charge. Thanks from me and the studnets.

Bye Chris

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

It's being a while but I had some very promising news on the funding front today. Will be able to explain more at news comes to hand.

I have refined the CNC programs and have run another sample core. This one is machined both sides including the flange and taper for the inserts. Nice no iffy drilling.

Parts have being ordered from the USA and production of the first board will begin as soon as the parts arrive.

Will post photos of the first production as they occur.