Week 1 - Tools & Equipment / Model Materials

Today was my first day of Model Making HND at the Metropolitan College. As per usual it was an induction day. Quite different it has to be said. The first task was a team building exercise.

The Task.
To build a bridge able to span a distance of 800mm.
The Bridge must be able to carry a small motorized train both ways unaided.
Each bridge will then be tested to destruction with added weight.
Only materials provided can be used.

The materials included approx 80 paper straws, assorted paper and card of various thicknesses, a bottle cap, clothes pegs, some string and some coloured pipe cleaners. 1 metre of masking tape, 1m of double sided tape along with some latex glue was also provided.

We were divided into teams of 3. Each team was also giving a theme which must influence the design. Our theme is Lady Ga Ga. We have 2 days construction time along with a 30 min 'tinkering time' on Weds morning before testing. Each bridge will be tested in 3 ways, ability to carry the train in both directions, aesthetics and final tested to destruction with added weight.

We quickly concluded that a simple truss box would be the simplest and most effective way of spanning the gap.

-Insert scan-

I worked out the dimensions needed to create the boxes and we started a production line. Straws were cut into the correct length before being glued into rectangles. 3 rectangles, each 1000mm x 100 were created which will act as the floor plate and 2 walls. Long beams were created by inserting straw inside each other to join and strengthen them. These will be connected to the rectangles forming 2 prism shaped beams from which the structure will be supported.