3/21/17

Since most of our project is dependent on Claude's designs and his ability to finalize decisions, we're moving at a slow pace currently. He's still hung up on the original T design and finalizing SolidWorks issues, so Kevin and I decided to get started with the "cat's eye" design. We found a board of wood in the Superway shop and figured it would be easiest to use a tool such as the bandsaw to cut out the intricate beam design of the cat's eye. We couldn't figure out how to work any of the equipment in the Superway shop, so we went to the ME shop on campus on Thursday evening. Their equipment wasn't much better.

This is one of the "cat's eye" versions that we went with in the shop. We figure the guideway method of attaching beams could be used to connect the cat's eye to the guideway. The black blocks are where the guideway would go if this were fully developed, but we have no input on what goes in that area, according to the scope of our subteam, "Supports and Railings." We used a bandsaw and drill press to saw the general shape of the design, then sanded the edges to the best of our ability using the belt sander and hand files. I later painted the black boxes.

We are still waiting on Claude's father to manufacture the interlocking columns for the project. We expect it'll be a quick process, because his father owns equipment that is much better quality than the school's. Claude is still finalizing the dimensions, but once the columns are completed, we will leave room for it to fit where the slit in the wooden design above is.