Mentorship up date (Day 1)

So sadly I did not realize that I had to be keeping track of my hours and writing what I have been doing during my mentorship. So today I am going to explain everything Ive done in the past and continue to update it from here on out.
So for my mentorship, I usually do it at home in my garage where my dad has his small wood shop. Every day I go to the wood shop and I devote 1-2 a day Monday- Thursday. Then on Saturdays and Sundays it is either 1-3 hours. So weekly, thats anywhere from 6-14 hour, but on average, I usually have about 10 hours a week. I've been doing this since November 1, 2012, and I recently began working with David Wade in early December. Here at Home, I usually work with my dad as he shows me how to use certain tools, how to be safe while working, how to do joinery, how to finish, which finishes to use, how to design, pretty much everything he knows. We recently finished putting a frame on the attic entrance on the ceiling two saturdays ago (December 29, 2012). So every day, I go back there for at least an hour and I work on what he tells me to work on, he is always with me showing me how to work neat and clean and teaching me how to enhance my techniques which has really paid off. I have learned how to properly use a planer, how and most importantly when to use a chisel, how to use the ban saw, a router, how to sand, how to read the grain of a wood, how to mix finishes together, which woods are good for what, how to cut the wood, different joinery, how to angle the edges of the wood, and soon i will be learning how to curve the wood.
So thats pretty much what I have done so far, I apologize for not updating my blog so often but I will start from here on forward.

Blog 11: Mentorship 10 Hours Check

1.   Where are you doing your mentorship?

For my mentorship I either go to Orange County with my mentor David Wade and talk to him about my independent component, woodworking techniques, advice, and sometimes help with his projects. If not then I go with my primary mentor (my father) and he makes me practice some techniques in the garage; such as joinery, finishings, sanding, chiseling, using a planer etc. And currently they have been both helping me design my independent component.
2.   Who is your contact?

 David Wade located in Orange County and Paul Yanes

3.   How many total hours have you done (total hours should be reflected in your mentorship log located on the right hand side of your blog like your WB)?   

I have not been recording my hours on my blog, but I have kept track on my phone, with Davide Wade I've done 10 hours, with Paul Yanes I've done a total of 80 hours (which is up to date). In total it is 90 hours since I have started my project.
4.   Summarize the 10 hours of service you did.

The ten hours of service I recently did with David wade was primarily a meeting with him to help me figure out a way to have my independent component show one of my answers to my EQ. So I met with him for three saturdays (about 3 hours each visit) and we drew out ideas and talked about which type of wood to use, which joinery, how to make the design, which finishings to use, the function of my project, and we experimented with woods to understand how they work. He helped me a lot because i realized how much there was to take into consideration such as the finishing, the environment it would be placed in, the warping of the wood itself, the temperature I would be making it in, the wood type, the joinery, and function.
5.   Email your house teacher the name of your contact and their phone number.    

Blog 10: Senior Project Update

(1) What are you currently doing in your independent component? 

I am currently drawing out a sketch of the table I would like to make with the correct dimensions and the correct type of wood that I am going to be using. There is quite a bit of planning and precautions that I must take into account such as humidity (which shrinks or makes wood grow), the environment/ surroundings of where this furniture will be located, the most efficient (as in time) way to make it, and the joinery I'll be choosing but luckily I am almost done.

(2) What is a recent piece of research (article, interview, or audio-visual) that have you reviewed you would say was significant in helping you understand where to go next in your senior project?  The piece of research should be something you reviewed in November.  Please explain what you learned and where are you going next because of this piece of research.

I found an amazing mentor named David Wade who is located in orange county. I visited him the 25 of November on a Saturday at his shop. He offered me so much help and allowed me to use his shop for what ever I needed. Because of him i decided my final science fair project or more so how to complete my science fair experiment. But more importantly, he helped me come up with an efficient and good independent project that I can do to show what I have learned. He pointed me in the right direction and showed me how to generally build something before I even pick up a tool, which is planning and sketching a draft of what you'll be making with correct dimensions.

(3) Provide evidence from your independent component or the piece of research as something you recently did.  For example, a photo of something you working on for your independent component or your notes from the video you watched. 

My mentor is currently reviewing my draft so far, but I was looking up maple wood and some joinery such as tusk tenon joints which helped me understand how to make one and helped with my design for my table.

http://www.bloodandsawdust.com/sca/tusktenons.pdf

http://ctd4furniture.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/precedent_joinery_v3.pdf

Blog 5b: Science Fair Proposal

1. What is your topic?
Wood Working

2. What is the driving problem behind your experiment and the quote by an expert to support that problem? (Expert citation must be MLA format.)

"Wood is a hygroscopic material, which means it naturally takes on and give off water to balance out with its surrounding environment. Wood can safely absorb large quantities of water before reaching moisture content levels that will be inviting for decay fungi. "
&
Wood shrinks/swells when it loses/gains moisture below its fiber saturation point. This natural behavior of wood is responsible for some of the problems sometimes encountered when wood dries.

"Moisture and Wood." Moisture and Wood. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2012
<http://www.globalwood.org/tech/tech_moisture.htm>.
3. What is your hypothesis? (Must be in If-Then form.)

"If the weight of the same size piece of wood is heavier, then the wood will absorb more water."


4. Write a paragraph summary of how you will perform the experiment.  Include the tools you plan on using.

Tools I maybe using:

• Water
• 3-5 different types of wood
• 3-5 same size pieces of wood (lighter)
• 3-5 same size pieces of wood (heavier)
• 3-5 buckets
• A saw
• Measuring tape
• Scale to weigh (in grams)
• plastic bags

For this experiment, I will be trying to prove my hypothesis saying that if a certain wood type (such as redwood, pine, etc.) is heavier , it will absorb more water as suppose to the same type of wood, but weighs less. I will do this experiment by cutting two different size pieces of wood (of the same type) one being heavier then the other, weighing the two pieces of wood, and then put them in a bucket of water for 1-3 days. I will record their weight about 3-5 times a day so I can record as much data as possible. I will be also be putting plastic bags over the buckets of water to see how much moisture is collected just as a side experiment perhaps. But the primary experiment consists of me trying to find out if a heavier piece (of the same type of wood) will ONE) absorb more water if it is heavier as suppose to it being lighter and TWO) which TYPE of wood absorbs the most water.

5. Select one of the following Project Categories for your experiment:
Plant Biology & Physiology

Blog 9: Working EQ and Possible Answers

(1) What was the working EQ you used during your presentation?
"What is the most important aspect in woodworking when it comes to making an amazing piece of furniture to the human eye?"

(2) Did you decide to revise your working EQ after your presentation? If so, write your revised EQ here.  If not simple write "I am not going to revise my EQ at this time".
"I am not going to revise my EQ at this time."


(3) What are possible answers to your current working EQ? 
Function and creativity.

Blog 8: Rough Draft of Presentation 1

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G2Lf1zMksO2iE0A1nbE14PzfhVCQr_VEtMqS9cNoTOM/edit

Blog 7: Independent Component 1 Plan Approval

CONTENT:

(1) Write a description of what you plan on doing for your independent study component.

I plan on perhaps making a piece of furniture myself that compliments it's environment using angles, color, and finishings. 

(2) Describe in detail how you think your plan will meet the 30 hours work requirement.

My plan can meet the thirty hours  of work required because designing and making a piece of furniture takes a very long time. Also I know I will need help and need to be mentored because I would like to make my piece of furniture unique. So pretty much making it myself is already time consuming, but also being mentored and seeing first hand how to make what ever it is that Im going to make will be more then thirty hours.

(3) How does your independent study component relate to your working EQ?  

It helps me relate to my working EQ because it allows me to explore the possible answers as to how a piece of furniture can impact its surrounding environment, how it can impact the people who see it weather its the color of the wood or the angles that it has.