Learning Intentions: Understand the stages of the Design Cycle Understand how timber is classified into softwoods, hardwoods and manufactured boards Be able to write a design Brief

Wooden Car Project

The Design Cycle

Identifying a problem or need Tinker Toys Corporation are a small company that make traditional children’s toys. Instead of using plastic which is the material most toys are made from these days, they prefer to use wood. They are also very concerned with the environment so want their products to be as sustainable as possible. Tinker Toys Corporation have lots of pieces of wood, 25mm x 25mm x 150mm, and want you to design and make a wooden car with these left-over pieces of wood. The target market will be young children.

Design Brief A Design Brief is a short sentence about what you are going to design and make. When you write a Design Brief you need to mention the target market and explain the problem you are going to solve or the need you are going to meet, but you shouldn’t say how you are going to solve the problem. Use the words, I am going to design and make…’ Example: Cat owners often have the problem that their cat scratches the sofa. I am going to design and make something to stop cats scratching the furniture.

Materials Research

Think about what is happening and why it is happening.

What’s the topic for today? Identify types of wood and explain what they are used for. Hardwood Softwood Manufactured boards

Can you spot the odd one out?

Do you know the difference? BBC Hardwoods and Softwoods activity

Do you know the difference? Broad leaf deciduous trees often loose their leaves in winter. Grow slowly, usually stop growing in winter and produce expensive hardwoods. Coniferous trees are evergreen, needle-leaved, cone-bearing trees. Grow fast all year and produce cheap softwoods. Wood from trees only comes in relatively narrow widths, due to the sizes of tree trunks.

Materials Research – Wood Draw a line to the tree Forest Stewardship Council USB Drive Project Coniferous trees are evergreen, needle-leaved, cone-bearing trees, such as pine, cedar and spruce.. Broadleaf deciduous trees often loose their leaves in winter, such as oak, beech and balsa. Grow slowly usually stop growing in winter and produce expensive hardwood. Grow fast all year and produce cheap softwood. Often used for high quality furniture, interior woodwork, for example expensive staircases Often used for CHEAP FURNITURE and CONSTRUCTION WORK.

Do you know the difference? BBC Hardwoods and Softwoods activity

Promote the responsible management of forests worldwide Forest Stewardship Council How can we buy sustainable wood? Look for the stamp!

A small problem Wood from trees only comes in relatively narrow widths, due to the sizes of tree trunks. Can you think of a solution? Watch how trunks are converted into timber planks

Can you think of a solution? The solution - Manufactured Boards Timber sheets which are produced by gluing wood layers or fibres together. Often uses waste wood. Can be made in very large sheets. Boards are available in many thicknesses.

Watch how MDF is made