Stages

Equipment
Quality Control and Safety

Time

Done

1
Firstly, I am going to design 6 initial designs to get a rough idea on the kind of bird house I want to make. Then I will create one main, developed, deign from the 5 initial ideas. Once that is done, I’m going to make a template of my chosen design on 2D design
Pencil
Paper
Any computer device
2D design software
I will be using 2D Design, a CAD/CAM piece of software, to produce my template so it will be as accurate as possible with minimal errors.

Approx.1hr30mins

2
Using a USB, I get the template I have created on 2D design and transfer it to the laser cutter – before that I have to change the file type to DXF in order for my template to be cut, unless it won’t. Then, I will place my chosen material in the laser cutter to be cut, which will be MDF.
USB stick (to transfer the template)
Laser Cutter Machine
MDF
In order to make sure the laser cutter identifies the template and cuts it, the template created on 2D Design has to be outlined in red, as an instruction to the laser cutter. (The laser cutter identifies things to be cut if it’s marked as red.) The laser cutting will be done under the supervision of a teacher to minimise errors.

Approx.1hr

3
Using screws I will attach my template to my final material (which is plywood) so that it’s ready to be routed using the router, the router will follow the template as a guide – the template and cut out material should be nailed down so that there is excess all around the template. Using the router I will go around the edge of the template removing the excess material from both the front and back panel. Then, I’ll remove the template and attach it to my second piece of cut out material and repeat the same thing as the first cut out material
Screwdriver
Nails
Router
Plywood

When I am putting in the screws, if I force the screws in too much, I may chip the wood or i might hit my fingers by mistake. Before rebating, you have to put on goggles, for eye protection – they are essential for protecting your eyes in case of the wood shavings flying into your eyes. Next, during rebating, make sure to keep the guard on the router and always firmly hold the material in place especially when you’re close to the router blade, if not, your piece of material may fly off and hurt another student or yourself, also damaging your own work. To ensure high quality, make sure to not let go or stop mid-way as it might chip the wood – try to do it all in a single motion. This will then result in a smother, splinter less, end product

Approx.30mins

Using a third piece of material, I am going to mark out four circles where it will be drilled for dowel joints. This will be done using a pencil and a ruler because I need to be as accurate as possible when marking out where to drill because on my routed materials, at the bottom, there are already marked out circles, where it will be drilled, so they have to match them and I have to be as accurate as can be. Once this is done, I will then begin to drill, with supervision of a teacher, about half the length of a dowel peg, into the base of the feeder. I will also drill another hole, the diameter of the rod that I will be using to go across from each side panel. After all this is will then sand and stain all my work with the colour teak, then I will leave that to dry and then carry on with the next step Pencil
Drill
Ruler
My Design; base and side panels
Sand paper
A3 Sheet of sugar paper
Stain
Paint Brush
When I am drilling I need to make sure I am the only one in the marked area and also, that I am wearing safety goggle before I even attempt to drill my work. I also need to be wearing an apron. When I am staining, I need to make sure I use a clean brush to allow a better finish because if not I will have mixed colours and also there is paper underneath my work, also when sanding, so that it doesn’t damage the tables. Once I have finished staining I need to wash out the