MECHANISMS

This year (2004/5) my school has experimented with variations of the traditional mechanisms course. Normally a CAM type arangement is made in wood but this year we have split the time up into three separate projects.

1. A card lever mechanism project. The final outcome is an A4 piece of card which contains the bits ready to cut out to make a lever mechanism, along with instructions and diagrams. When finished, these were given to other pupils to assemble and write about them in an evaluation.
   
   
2. A cam project where pupils are given four pieces which make up a base, and then design a mask influenced face in foam sheet with a mouth moved by the cam and follower.
   Click to enlarge
   
3. A pulley project where pupils construct a car from a set of parts, then test its build quality by seeing how straight it will run on a prepared course.
   

These resources are available:

A set of photographs showing how to create a lever mechanism in card

2D Designer files of a sample card mechanism. Assembled-------Components

2D Designer files of the Car Assembled Full ------- Assembled simplified

2D Designer file for cutting car Ply components on Laser cutter

2D Designer file of CAM base for cutting in 3mm acrylic on laser cutter

Pupils design and card prototype which is later used as cutting templates

Publisher file of plan for pupils to build car chassis directly onto

Publisher file of 5 different pupil worksheets relating to wood and mechanisms