Building Your Structure
1. Structure Requirements
a. The structure must stand at least 6 inches off of the floor.
b. The structure must have an opening in its center that is .5" in diameter to allow
it to be placed on the weigh station apparatus.
Building Materials
2. You will receive the following materials. You will receive no other materials. If materials are lost or damaged, they will not be replaced.
a. Each team will receive 3 sticks of balsa wood
b. Wood glue
c. 1 hobby knife
d. Wax paper
e. Pins
f. Foam board/Cardboard for cutting on
g. 1 hot glue stick and one hot glue gun
Pre-Construction Brainstorming
3. As you develop your construction plan, you might want to think about and discuss the following points with your partner:
- How will you stabilize structure components while you are gluing them together?
- How will you cut the balsa wood to size?
- How will the balsa wood need to be cut in order to be glued together to form joints?
- The specific steps involved in building your structure. What should be done first, second, third, and so on.
4. The best way to build your structure is to lay your blueprints over the foam board or cardboard and cut the balsa wood on top of your blueprints. Once each piece is cut, you can dip the ends in glue and hold the joints together using pins. This makes gluing and assembly easier and more precise.
5. Helpful Building Tips:
http://www.battaly.com/science/ConstructionTips.pdf