#11
|
||||
|
||||
Dear Bionic Modeler:
Some Thoughts, Scoreing thingie that is the tough one, I have wondered about plastic Silver wear the knife use a sanding stick to shape the end and wrap the rest of the blade and handle with duct tape. Working smaller classes are better than a larger class See if the school will have parent helpers there to add to extra hands with the students that are slower. One page models are best for starting, the HAKO idea is good if the kids can pick a charactor they like before the class. Blow up to 11x17 for a demo sheet to show to the class and use magic marker to show score lines. Hope this helps, MILES |
#12
|
||||
|
||||
Following on to Miles - my classroom kit consists of:
- package of blunt scissors (backup - the school usually has these) - 6-8 rolls of tape (one for each team or so ... sharing issues) - round things (various dowels just in case, though the stomp rockets are rolled around parts of the launcher - can you say "mandrel" class?) - a set of washable markers (again, school usually has these) - a couple of large nails (10d) with the points ground conical and the tip blunted very slightly - so you can score paper if needed but can't break the skin. For the smallest kids I pre-score any folds (rocket fin attachments) needed on all the sheets rather than go though that drill with them. - modelling clay (plasticine...) for weights or even forming nose cones - 50% extra on the model sheets (spoilage and things to leave for the teacher/class to share) - two sets of pre-cut parts (spoilage - keep things moving) - several sheets of card for whatever - small bottle of glue (time limits usually means taped construction but just in case) - small handouts with links to modelling sources and sites appropriate to the model we're using. Sounds like a lot but fits in a small box about the size of a college dictionary (from the years before spell check). The set of stomp rocket launchers is in a bit bigger box, though. Yogi |
#13
|
||||
|
||||
Lots of good suggestions. I like the stomp rocket idea best. That way they can play with them after building them. I have never built one because my disability prevents the "Stomping" But I saw some neat designs on youtube where they built an air chamber with a larger piece of PVC pipe and charged it with a compressor to 90 lbs. Then he used a simple low voltage sprinkler valve as a trigger and walla it fired perfectly. I don't know how safe that is or what the pressure limits of the PVC would be but it was a pretty cool setup
__________________
Tim Hinds "Oh wisdom thou are fled to brutish beasts and men have lost their reason" (Bill Shakespear) |
#14
|
|||
|
|||
If there is a reason to have a cutter, this might be it. although the estimate of ten minutes to cut out the stomp rockets parts makes that less appealing, still if you set your heart on a more complicated model,the cutter might be worthwhile.
|
#15
|
||||
|
||||
Tim,
A PVC pressure tank and valve might be the neatest solution for middle school and up, but the elementary school teachers are likely to be more comfortable with the kids stomping a bottle - and the kids do love to stomp. They can even jump on the bottle (up to a nominal 10-yr old?) without cracking it. Think about your procedures if you do use a pressure tank - need a safety switch or system to ensure everything is dead while you pump up the pressure and whenever the tube is being loaded or manipulated. You'll also need to watch like a hawk to keep everyone away from the launch corridor when the launcher is charged and loaded. Even with a "stomp-bottle" I've had the over-excited brigade get out of control either running loose or just randomly stomping ... Yogi |
Google Adsense |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|