Assembly and Production of the first Models from the DuckBill Collector's Manufacturing Line!!!

Pieces are ready for assembly.


Picture of the first assembled product!


Students who worked at the final assembly point are happy to display their work!!

Final sanding and assembly of the first "DuckBill Collectors"

Students sand the parts and see how the first products from their manufacturing fit together!
They are learning about the different processes necessary to produce this product and are gearing up for a production line. One production group has already began to work on a flowchart that will demonstrate how to make a DuckBill Collector. They are studying their initial example to determine how to do this. (See pictures of these flowcharts later!)

All of the parts must be joined together. The students and teacher have the option of using glue, or screws, or both. First their first production line models they will be using only screws.
A special wood drill bit was purchased that would not only drill a pilot hole, but this drill bit will also make a hole so that the head of the screw will go in, and below, the surface of the wood. This is called "countersinking" the screw. Therefore this is a countersink drill bit.

Using recycled lids as templates for marking round edges,
and "cutting" the edge down with a sanding tool.

The students quickly learned that they needed a full-time vacuum cleaner next to this sander with each use, because this machine makes a lot of dust when used!

Sanding the wood, to make it smooth, is one of the many jobs in our process!!

Students sand the different pieces!

Students begin to lay out the measurements and then cut out the various pieces for the "DUCKBILL COLLECTOR"!

The students are working in three production teams. One of those teams are making one Duckbill Collector by hand. The other two production groups are using machines and doing some hand work. There is ALSO a Research and Design Group who are now learning about design and will be working on different aspects of the design process of our products as well as coming up with marketing ideas, advertising ideas, and will try to communicate the purpose of the Duckbill Collectors and Letter Holders!!

Students begin by measuring and cutting the 10 ft piece of wood into to smaller pieces.
The teacher is also asked to help cut the wood, and demonstrate how to use the band saw. Soon the students will be taking safety tests to be certified in the use of the band saw.

Buying our first piece of WOOD!!!!

OK its time to buy wood! The class needed some wood. 1" x 4" planks or 1"x6" planks were what we decided to buy. I picked up a 1"x6"x10' piece of white wood pine on a trip to Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse. It was only a few dollars to buy this one piece.