project 1 - geometric shapes

I switched my direction quite a bit with this project. My initial sketches and plans were very much based on my limited knowledge. I thought in the sense of what I could currently do rather than possibly do.

Initial Ideas

The joinery assignment was really useful in terms of just getting me introduced to the tools and be a little more comfortable with them. I then re-did my sketches keeping mind the different tools I could use.

full initial sketches

Official Sketches

I settled on doing a tetrahedron. I just think the shape is neat and I like how all the sides are the same.

After drawing my sketches for this, I then worked on the mathematics behind the project. I figured out how long each side could be, and also determined what angles I would need.

I settled on making each side 5.75 inches.

full sketches for tetrahedron/square pyramid

Prototype (Cardboard)

I then made a cardboard prototype just because I'm very visual and before I attempted at cutting I wanted to see what a possible physical version would look like as well as confirm what I had in mind for the angles.

To measure out each side I drew a line at the bottom and then a line through the middle. From each corner I measured out 5.75 and lined it up to where it intersected with the middle line. I don't own a protractor but this worked out fine. I then measured each side just to confirm and later when I had a protractor I confirmed the angle (60 degrees).

After seeing the cardboard version, I measured out my lines on the wood. I also drew one down the side since I would need to split the wood in half to get the surface area I needed to make my tetrahedron.

First Build

The first thing I had to do was cut my wood in half to make it thinner and increase the surface area. My first attempt at this was a little rough, I neglected to put pressure at the bottom so it wasn't against the wall. Since the wood was crooked, the blade was cutting into the side instead of straight ahead. But I figured I had two other planks to use and I could at least get a sense if I could even get the shape.

I used the miter saw to cut the edges of the triangle. This actually worked pretty well except it was long enough that it didn't cut all the way across so some smaller pieces from the plank were still attached. For that I used the band saw.

Once I had my triangles cut, I had to cut for the mitered edge. I bought a small plank of wood for $2. This is what I used to make a jig. Using the band saw, I cut a triangle out of the wood to hold it in place as I put it through the table saw. I actually had to do this twice since my first triangle left way too much wiggle room. I then tilted the saw 30 degrees and made my cuts.

The Problem

I was super excited once it was all done. However, the sides did not line up when I put them together. I rethought my calculations for my angles but they weren't wrong. It was then I realized that I misinterpreted what the table saw was doing. It was cutting 30 degrees from 90 which would leave me with 60 degrees. The two edges needed to make a 60 degree angle, but because of the way they were cut they were joining to make a 120 degree angle. After doing some research, I realized I needed to make different kind of jig in order to get that acute miter joint.

ash gets injured

I got to wear this wrap thing that made it look like I was Mickey Mouse unintentionally giving people the finger which was a time.

rip to all my unused triangles

New Plan

I decided to change my plan and make a square pyramid. I knew I had enough material, I just needed to cut three triangles on one side instead of two and that would give me enough room to cut a square.

I took a pair of scissors to my initial prototype and tested out the triangles. I decided to stick to the equilateral triangle thing I had going.

For the bottom, I had to figure out what I wanted to do. The problem with hiding the edges is I would have had to make a steeper cut to hide it. I thought about maybe cutting a 45 degree miter on that as well and making the top part smaller so it could blend into each other. The measurements would have gotten messy though, and I needed to be able to measure it out on a ruler.

I really wanted to use the greenish wood (100% b/c it reminded me of the Illuminati pyramid on money) so I really wanted to get this right.

Let's Build!

I used pretty much the same process as last time. The splitting of the wood was a lot smoother, but I pinched the edges which left the bottom with a thin extra layer of wood.

I cut the triangles and my edges. I then taped together the sides just to see if it all worked together. Then it was time to glue.

Glue

I don't entirely know if 45 degrees was the right angle. The only part that actually matches up on the pyramid is the very edge. This made it difficult for them to stay in place without any kind of support. I decided to glue two pieces together at a time. I hadn't built anything to hold it together while it dried either. But the angle clamp was still really helpful.

I used it to line up the corners and then pushed the two pieces against it. I couldn't use the clamp alone just because the pieces were unstable so it slipped anytime I tried to tighten it and this would unalign them. I put on an audiobook and stood there for 30 minutes holding them together. I did it again for the next two, and then again to connect the two halves so all four triangles were connected.

Having lost feeling in my fingers I left the bottom and the rest of the pyramid figure itself out with the glue.

Sand/Finish

Before sanding I sacrificed a brush and filled the gaps with wood glue and rubbed sawdust in it.

I then sanding using the belt sander. I tried to flatten the bottom since there was an extra layer of wood due to my imperfect cutting on the table saw. I for the most part was able to do that, but the bottom does curve inward a little bit in the middle. I was really surprised by how much sanding impacted how it looked. I was able to remove all excess wood and align the bottom with the sides.

From there I sanded by hand to smooth the wood down completely. It took a little bit but I am really happy with the results.

I finished it using a lemon-oil finish that I had at my house.

Final

Overall, I'm really excited with how it turned out. I was a little discouraged before sanding just because to me it looked sloppy despite the time I spent on it. I was taken aback by how much sanding helps and completes the look, and I've made something I'm really proud of. That and the edges are so satisfying to touch now, like an Apple box but better cus I made it.