16 October 2015
Year 7
Year 7 boys have been entertaining the Pre-Prep in the CDT room this term. They made some simple moving toys for the younger boys to play with. Firstly they produced some colourful ‘Jitterbugs’, which moved using a simple electric circuit with an off-centre weight on the motor. Having understood the concept, they used recycled products such as paper cups and old felt tips to make a ‘Jitterbug’. On completion of the circuit by closing a switch, the Jitterbug jiggled its way across paper and if balanced, it made a circular pattern on paper. The Pre-Prep boys will now have to wait to see the results of the Year 7’s next project. They are busy cutting, heating and bending acrylic to use as a base for a simple desk fan.
Year 8
Year 8 boys have tried a new project using acrylic tubes. They have studied desk tidy designs and used their findings to create colourful products. The challenge was to make a desk tidy that would hold a pencil, a ruler, scissors and an eraser. Experimenting with size and shape was important to make a neat end piece. Cutting the acrylic was tricky as the fretsaws could easily crack the hollow tubes. All pupils’ work is now on display opposite the CDT room. The boys have also made a set of salad spoons using some recycled wooden laminates. Gluing layers and pressing them in a mould was the first step before cutting and shaping them on the power tools. The endless fine sanding proved worth it as the useful end products looked highly professional. After half term the boys embark on the challenge to make a fan propelled boat to take part in the annual Year 8 boat race across the swimming pool!
