We are getting close to the end of Quarter 3, which is hard to imagine! Our students are pushing forward on their work to complete as many projects as possible before the year ends. It’s great to see the shop busy with so much student work. Let’s get to the specifics.
Senior Tanzerul Azam dedicated this week to advancing the roll cage installation on the shopping cart. He began by drafting and modeling the design in Fusion 360, making adjustments for feasibility. A PVC pipe mock-up was presented to Mr. Jackson for feedback, who approved the design and requested detailed drawings due to the cart’s tapered shape. Benjamin Wirz assisted by creating these drawings and conducting stress simulations, confirming the roll cage’s capability to support the cart’s weight. The team then prepared the cart by grinding off paint at the mounting points to facilitate welding. During this process, they encountered a brake cable issue, which they resolved with an additional zip tie, improving braking performance. However, the brake pedal broke due to modifications, prompting plans to design a new pedal while awaiting the roll cage welding. See more of Tanzerul’s work linked here.
Junior Kim Dao resumed work on the Giant Word Clock project. She focused on writing the Daylight Saving Time code and tested the Real-Time Clock (RTC) connections and power supply, applying heat shrinks to prevent short circuits. Collaborating with Mr. Christy, she learned about the modulus operator (%) to optimize the code for updating the display every five minutes. They developed a function to control the time display, incorporating delays to reduce flickering. Despite challenges with a new RTC module, Kim reverted to the original, achieving satisfactory accuracy with only a minor deviation. See more of Kim’s work linked here.
Tim Hunt focused on installing flat thruster guards. He addressed initial challenges by tightening center tolerances and increasing the outer diameter, enhancing the guards’ rigidity. Using Make software, he added a center point to the cut file and manually adjusted the traces. During cutting, he employed the vector tool in the layout software to center the water jet nozzle on a corner of the mesh. After successful testing, he proceeded to cut the remaining seven guards. On Wednesday, Timothy organized the strain relief and assisted Miles and Jonas with pool testing. Observing Jonas’s difficulties with a task, Tim proposed a modification to the fork manipulator by adding a bar across its middle. He designed and printed a prototype that evening. The following day, after assembling and testing the prototype, Jonas approved but suggested adding a central divot to accommodate the hook used for grabbing. Jonas also decided to replace the gripper with the smaller fork. Tim then enhanced the claws by stripping and repainting them, adding a highlight to their edges. See more of Tim’s work, linked here.
The Freshmen completed another week of coding and circuitry. They will continue work in CAD this week and hopefully learn to cut steel on the WaterJet!
MVTHS Engineering 
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