1. GCSE Resistant Materials A Grade Task 1: Bird house for a domestic garden

2. Context and Design Brief Analysis of Context Research into Existing Products Materials research and their properties Finishes for my product. Ergonomics and anthropometrics Designs of inspiration User profile Analysis of research Specification Initial ideas Design strategy Aims of product Development Developmental Changes Testing / changes of shape Modelling and testing Exploded view Step by step plan Cutting list Manufacturing dairy Evaluation, Modifications and Changes to product Life Cycle of Product 3. Context 1 A garden centre wishes to sell products to encourage wildlife into domestic gardens. Design and make a small product that could be sold in the garden centre. Design Brief The product I am going to develop and manufacture is a bird house that can be sold in a high street retailer, like IKEA or even a garden centre. The product will be able to be crafted and developed by hand in class, but it will also be able to be mass produced in a factory, by using CAD/CAM to produce it rather easily, at low cost. 4. FUNCTION? The product will need to store seeds for the birds; a small bird bath and a decent sized space for a short period of time.WHERE? The product will be designed for a domestic garden at the back of a house. It will be designed to hang on a fence or an alternative wall in a garden; higher than cats reach. HOW WILL IT BE MADE? The bird house will be manufactured using a range of production methods. I will try to make it using the Boxford router, laser cutter, vinyl plotter etc to make sure it is commercially viable and easy to mass produce if manufactured. Then other flat wooden panels must be attached to the flexible plywood by using wood joints to make sure I practice my hand skills. RECYCLING? The materials I plan to use is HIPS for the small bird bath as it can be vacuum formed and then it can also be recycled after long period use. The main material I could use is plywood, so it is strong, easy to shape and durable when used outdoors in weather conditions.CAD/CAM USED? The design will not be too complex to make commercially, because if it is too hard to make, the CAD/CAM, it cannot be made commercially, so it has to be not so complex; however if it is too simple it would be too boring. CAD/CAM is important in mass production because without CAD/CAM, production would be a lot slower and not as accurate in results of products made and therefore cost the company more in the long run to manufacture. Will use as much CAD/CAM as possible for accuracy. COST? The materials I have chosen to use are not expensive, because flexible plywood, HIPS and steel are not a rare expensive material selection, which will help my cost restrictions issues because cheaper materials are just as high in quality overall in production. However the cost restrictions may influence my design to be a little bit different in some areas.SHOP AIMED AT? The sort of retailer that would have this product, would be a garden centre or a big, common retailer like B&Q , or just a local pet shop that has domestic products for birds and has an interest in this product, for birds. I will therefore ensure the product is small enough to fit on shop shelves accurately to avoid damage and allow for ease of stacking. 5. Its function is to attract small birds for a short period of time, in a tropical looking holiday hut. Its finish will be possibly Danish oil or polish, to protect it for a short period of time. The roof would be made from thick straw, that will be tightly packed, to protect it from rain, over a long period of time. The construction of the beach house style bird house is possibly teeth or finger joints, however it looks like the wood is being tightly fastened and glued together. The roof would have been glued on tightly. The material choice is thick straw for the roof, and the base of the house is possibly ply wood or pine wood, because it is cheap to but and very solid. I LIKE THIS DESIGN DUE TO ITS CREATIVE AND QUIRKY APPEAL.Its function is to attract common, small birds into a humble, hotel styled bird box for a short period of time for the birds to live in. Its finish is in a thick paint coat that makes it feel more durable, and protects the wood for a period of time. The wood has been fix together with finger joints, and the wood it made from materials that are not expensive, because expensive wood is rare and hard to keep protected outdoors. The construction is bold finger joints that have been solidly glued on, and the roof is tightly screwed on in place. The material choice is possibly plywood or pine wood, because these two woods are relatively cheap to buy and very strong, over a long period of time. I LIKE THE GEOMETRIC SHAPE. ITS VERY SIMPLE, YET EFFECTIVE. It s function is to attract more birds, than just one into a bird house, with this large sized bird house, so more birds can fit inside of it, and more comfortably.Its finish is possibly pine or oak wood, like the luxury bird house before, but it is less expensive because it is made from less wood. Danish oil may have been used for protection. Its construction is not finger joints, but possibly just wood that has been glued and fastened together to make it adhere properly. This bird houses function, is to fit, only small, common birds, and possibly only one bird at a time. The function is to also be a humble home for birds, for a short period of time. The material choice is most likely to be pine or oak, for a solid and strong finish, with great aesthetics as well, because no paint has been used, to cover up the pleasing grains of the wood, which is a good thing. I THINK THIS IS OLD FASHIONED AND I WANT MY DESIGN TO BE MUCH MORE MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY IN APPEARANCE.Its finish is a solid and durable paint, that would make it a little more protected to corrosion and rotting to rain, than bare wood. Its construction is possibly pine or oak wood, because it looks more professional and more solid than most bird houses. The joints must be teeth joints. The material choice is possibly oak or pine, because it looks solid and expensive. These material choices are very expensive, and can be ruined in the rain, if not protected properly. THIS IS TOO TRADITIONAL AND BORING, ALTHOUGH I LIKE IT BEING HIGH ON ITS OWN STAND. 6. Its function is to attract more than one small bird into this uniquely styled bird house. The living time will only be for a short period of time. Its finish looks like a Danish oil, or another type of oil to protect it from corrosion or rotting away, over time from the outdoor weather.The construction looks rather complex and very solid, because it looks like a hard wood. A lot of methods of holding it together would have been used, because its complex shape would need a lot of glue, nails and fasteners. The material choice is possibly a hard wood like oak or walnut, because this complex shape would need to be very strong. TOO DETAILEDIts function is to attract one to two birds, into a roomy, airy bird house. It function is to also blend in with a domestic house garden. It`s finish looks like Danish oil because the bird house shines, and Danish oil makes wood shine, when coated. Danish oil is a good choice because it durable and water proof, so the wood does not corrode and decompose over time, outdoors.Its function is to attract birds to more tropically styled bird houses, and possibly live there for a short period of time. Its finish looks like Danish oil, which protects the wood from corrosion, even though, over time you have to recover it over time. Its construction does not look very solid, because it has been made from straw and pine, as it looks, and it is being held together by some glue and it has been strapped together by string, and the roof has been held on by stitching or string. The material choice would have been a soft wood such as pine or fern, because it looks like a soft. The roof is made from straw, and the rest of the bird house looks like pine, because of the straight grains. IT REMINDS ME OF BEING ON HOLIDAY ON A TROPICAL ISLAND, SO THIS WOULD APPEAL TO THE BIRDS!Its function is to attract only one small, bird to eat and drink, but not live there for a short period of time, because the bird house is too small for that. It finish looks like finger joints, and the roof is nailed and glued on for a secure fitting. The wood looks like a soft wood like pine or fern wood. Danish may have been used for protection. Its construction is finger joints, so the walls are solidly put into place, and the roof looks like it has been nailed in, but glued on before hand. The material choice would have been a soft wood because it looks dark and soft around the edges, more than hard wood. Soft wood doesn`t last as long as hard wood, and can be decomposed much more easily in outdoor weather. The good points is that it is very small and has a light weight wooden case, which is strong and tough. Another good point is that it is interesting to look at and has cheap price point. The bad points, is that its is too small for a regular sized bird , and in bad weather it will be knocked about, because of its light weight. THIS IS NOT LARGE ENOUGH FOR THE EFFECT I AM TRYING TO ACHIEVE.The construction looks like a finger joint or a dowel joint, to solidly hold it together for a long period of time, so you can get the most out of it for birds.The good points is that it is a strong structure, and has a nice finish because it has a coat of Danish oil on it, for a shine, and some protection, at low cost as well. The bad points is that it looks like a trash can, and it makes it unappealing in the aesthetics, and the bird house could have a stand as well, so it can be hung on a fence, or it could be on a stand, in your back garden, because it has non of them.The material choice could be pine or plywood because it doesn`t look like an expensive wood like oak or walnut. The material choice is a hard one because, if you use oak, it will last a long time, but if it is not protected properly, it will be ruined over time out doors.The style represents a trash can, which is not interesting or aesthetically pleasing and a bird should look like something more interesting like a rocket or even just a big posh house, which would interest some one into buying one. I LIKE THE ORIGINAL SHAPE BEING ROUND. I WILL TRY AND BE MORE CREATIVE AND STYLISH WITH SOME OTHER IRREGULAR SHAPE. 7. Its finish looks like Danish oil or a another type of common polish that would be used on a bird house, to protect it from cold and wet weather. It also looks like it has been given teeth joints to solidly hold it together for a long period of time. The teeth joints would have been tightly glued together to hold the teeth joint together, because teeth joint s on there own are not strong enough.The construction of this bird house could not be simpler because the wood has been cut out into the square shapes, and the has been sanded down enough to give it a high quality finish. Then the pieces are joined together with teeth joints, with some glue as well to make it more solid, and last a lot longer in it present shape.The materials that have been used is possibly pine wood for the whole base, stainless steel or mild steel being used for the hook to hand it up onto a fence. The other material that has been used is also steel or aluminium nails for a tighter fit as well.The good points about this bird house is that it was very simple and relatively cheap to make with the materials used to make it. The bad points is that it would be too small for some birds to use, and the construction is rather boring to look at. It also has no stand for the bird, before it enter the hole Its function is to attract small domestic garden birds to find shelter or consume seeds to eat. It would be used day to day, by blue birds or thrushes. THIS IS TOO PLAIN AND NEEDS MORE CREATIVE DESIGNING.It`s finish is solid paint, and it looks like it was to cover over the wood, which may be cheap, like MDF, so the unpleasing finish will be hidden away fully. The paint finish makes it look like an upper class type of bird house, and it makes it look smooth, clean and efficient. The construction of this bird house look like the walls were done on a laser cutter, and so were the windows, because it would take a great amount of time to finish the windows to the high quality standard. The roof looks very well made and finished. It looks like it was made from pine wood, then coated with Danish oil, and during construction, the woods were over lapped, to give it a ridged look, like on a cottage It function is to accommodate large birds as the hole is rather large, the style of this bird house will also have great attraction. The upper class look is very attractive and brings birds to attention. The materials that have been used is, what looks like pine wood for the roof, walls and floor, for a light and strong structure. Pine wood also doesn`t split or soften up either. The good points about this bird house, is that it looks very upper class, and high in quality as well, so it should last a long time, in harsh weather. It looks very detailed and solid. The bad points is that it is possibly expensive to make, and to buy as well. However it is a very good bird house overall, because of quality and finish. I REALLY LIKE THE OVERALL SHAPE AND STYLE OF THIS HOUSE WITH EXTRA MATERIALS ADDED TO MAKE THE WINDOWS. I WILL TRY AND USE THIS IN MY DESIGNING. 8. Stainless steel Plywood Plywood is a cheap wood to purchase, which is important to my project, because expensive materials means expensive prices if the product would go on sale in a garden centre. Plywood can also be very flexible, so it can bent into the desired shape that you want. (flexible plywood). This wood has an odd number of layers of different woods, and unlike MDF, it doesn`t split or soften up in rainHIPS HIPS plastic looks great when laser cut and vacuum formed into shape. This will obviously store the bath water for the birds to soak in. HIPS is very strong and doesn`t wear away quickly. It will be a great material to work with when I make my project. This can be recycled easily and is only 2mm thick so it is much better than acrylic as that uses more crude oil in the manufacture of the product.Stainless steel is a great material to work with because it looks aesthetically pleasing when polished and it doesn`t corrode because there is no iron in it. I shall be using this material in my bird house project. I am using stainless steel because it has a great finish, and because my project is an outdoor based product, it needs to be corrode free. The stainless steel will be used for the handles and the hook, to hang it on a fence.I have chosen to use these materials because for one reason, stainless steel is a very good metal to work with. It isn`t too expensive and has a great finish when polished. Stainless steel will be used in my project on the hook that will enable my bird house to hang on a wall, secondly it will be used to make stylish rim on the edge. This will give it a luxury and high quality look. The next material I am using is ply wood and flexi plywood to make most of the box. Plywood is a very cheap to purchase type of wood, however it is a great type of wood to be using on my bird house because it is strong, and flexible. It is also light weight, which means it would hang on a fence easily enough. Many bird houses use plywood because it is low cost, durable and light. The ply wood will be used for the open top lid, the floor and walls of the bird house. The HIPS plastic will be used for the bird bath. The stand on the outside of the bird hole, will also be made out of acrylic plastic. I will use transparent HIPS if I can access it, because it is more aesthetically pleasing. This plastic is very strong and durable. It separates it apart from any other bird house in terms of style. This is much better for the environment as it can be recycled at the end of its useful life unlike thermosetting plastics. 9. My bird house will need a finish for it to give it a high quality standard, and smoother finish, and there are a huge choice of finishes for wooden bird house, however I have chosen to use Danish oil, because it is not very expensive like most wood polishers and protectors because it is more common and not rare like some others and can be used on just about any type of wood. This can be applied using a cloth or brush. The Danish oil would have to be applied on the bird house about once every year, to re condition it and keep protecting it, because over time the weather does wear it down, to keep protecting the wood properly, so it lasts much longer and therefore customers get better value for money and will re-think about using my companys products again. Danish oil is the most sensible polish to use because is protects the wood and It will also give it a shiny and high quality coat. Without Danish oil, to wood will mould, swell or decompose over time. Danish oil is also environmentally friendly, as it has very little amounts of VOC`s, so it is better to the environment . If I used varnish, the VOC`s would make the bird end up dying and it causes negative impact on the ozone layer which is something designers / manufacturers need to consider. To hold the walls in place, I will use PVA glue to hold them tightly. To enable the hinged open top lid, I will use hinges, and a stainless steel handle, with another handle underneath to have a pad lock on it to lock it , to protect the birds from cats and other animals that may harm them. Also the locked, hinged door, will help in strong windy weather, so it won`t open up and swing about in the wind. 10. Ergonomics means the studies of people and animals, with the environment around them, so they fit with products perfectly well, so they can use products comfortably. Anthropometrics means the study of humans and animals and its movements, with products. After searching the RSPCB website and measuring holes in garden centres on current nesting boxes I found that the bird house needs to be a decent size so the bird can nest and live in the bird house for short of time comfortably. The hole needs to be around 30 to 35mm wide and tall, so only small birds can get in. Birds like bluebirds, or thrushes can only fit through the hole, so no large birds can intrude and ruin a nest that a small bird has made. The young birds can also be much safer with a smaller hole because they cannot be harmed by large birds. The height of the bird house will be 250 mm, so the head room will be good and the length of the nesting box will be 320mm. The width, from rear to front will be 200mm.The entrance hole will need to be only large enough for blue birds and thrushes. The height off the ground will also be very important, because cats will try and disturb and the birds, and put them in danger. A stainless steel hook, will be screwed on the back, to keep it away from cats, and the small hole will also help with protection from cats. It will be a size that a cat`s claw can not fit into. The most important measurement is the hole, because each bird is a different size, so the hole needs to be the correct size, for these requirements. This is the information gathered from text books. I converted this to mm.320 mmPrimary photographs taken by me in garden centre250m m200mm60.3mm 2.5 inches 11. After completing some further research these two designs will give me inspiration for my bird box, because the two side of the bird box will be angled, like the cocktail shaker, has on its sides, however the angle will be pushed out a little bit further, so it doesn`t look similar to a box. The tea and coffee tower has inspired me because I want the roof to be curved and brought up by at least 30mm, so it has a high quality look and feel. The stainless steel metal cocktail shaker has also inspired me to put a stainless steel rim on the edge of the top of the bird box. Even though it doesn`t sound like much, it does make a difference by giving a look of luxury and quality. The bowls, on the tea and coffee tower has inspired me for the shape of the bird bath, next to the open top, curved door as well. 12. The general interests of the target audience of this product are most likely, going out into the country side and enjoying the fresh and do some bird watching. A second interest could possibly be gardening and making their back garden perfect for them selves. The age range would be around 25-55 years of age, because it is aimed at a more mature age range, because wildlife products are mostly bought by consumers, who are of this age range. The cars that they would possibly drive, are SUVs, because they like to drive in the country side and in forests, by lakes and through forestation, to find and watch rare birds in their natural environment that they live in. The people who enjoy driving through forests and exploring wildlife, normally are mature and sensible people who enjoy having lunch in the outdoors, taking in fresh air and enjoy spending their week ends at wildlife attractions, owned by landlords, who like to keep the their forests standing and helping the environment. They normally also spend the night or two at small lodges in the hills or in the near by forests. They tend to like the out doors, and enjoy the experience every weekend, and they like driving in mud ruts, over broken log, damp hills, and through forests to find rare birds, to watch. They tend to dislike big, busy and congested cities like London, new York on even Liverpool. 13. Research into existing products I found that bird boxes are priced from as low as 2 to as much as 30 to buy, so mine will compete with these prices Most of them are made from cheap and light woods like plywood or MDF wood. Not a lot are made from plastic as wood will last must longer Most of them are readymade, although they can be disassembled and some can be DIY built within 30 minutes Most bird houses do not have large bases for support, because they do not need it because they hang off fences or trees, so I will make mine hang off a tree so theres no waste materials used on a larger base Many are featureless and plain, with no real details to them so again I will try and keep mine as simple as possible not to put the birds off staying Only some have a bird bath and a nut feeder with them, so that is why they are cheaper to buy I will make sure that my design is original and stylish so that it is professional enough to sell and attracts customers when they see the birdhouse. I wont use too many different materials to keep it simple and better for the environment as unnecessary materials are not being wasted / used Materials and their properties I researched into different types of materials, to find the right one to use on a bird box project. After long research, I have discovered that the best type of wood to use is in deed plywood, because it is relatively strong and cheap to buy, as well as positively light, which means it will easy hang a tree branch or a fence, without falling off because of weight. Plywood may swell up, if the wood is not protected, and re coated and that is why I am going to use Danish oil to protect it from rain.Ergonomics and Anthropometrics The Ergonomics is very important in the design of my bird box because if the ergonomics are not great and un comfortable for humans to use and hold, then it would not sell well because of bad design. The ergonomics of the bird box project will most important on the size of the hole and the measurements of the bird house, so the certain birds can only get in, and so they have enough room for a real living space, so the birds can live there a small period of time, and then it can be used again. The Anthropometrics is also just as important because the movement of the lid opening and closing needs to be smooth and not stiff. It must open straight and not be uneven, because over time it may get broken or loose. Also the lid must not rub against the bird bath, as this will show buyers uneven measurements and poor quality.Finishes for my bird house The finish is very important because it stops the bird box from decaying away and swelling up in rain and heat. The finish will be Danish oil and it will give it a protective barrier. However the bird box will need to be re coated about once every year, so it stays protected. To finish it off, I will apply a lock to my bird house to stop the lid from swinging about in the wind, and to stop cats getting inside the bird box and harming the birds and nesting. 14. My design must: Meet the targeted age group of 25 and over, both male and female, so it is for both genders and has a multi sex theme. It must meet people who like wild life in their back garden Have a maximum size hole of 40mm x 40mm so that it is suitable for only small birds like blue birds or thrushes, and not large birds, so the hole must be small to meet this target Not be heavy, because it would not hang on a tree branch or a fence easily Not offend any other races or religious beliefs, with offensive graphics on the product Be suitable for use in an environment that is surrounded by common wildlife and natural environments like trees and flowers; where birds liveHave a protection on that will make it last a decent amount of time (3 to 5 years or longer if possible) Must be interesting and creative to look at using a creative shape to attract the buyer It must have a variety of materials used, like plywood for strength and HIPS for the birdbath so its easy to clean. I will use a good amount of these materials, so they can be recognised visually and complement each other in a modern way Reflect the designs of inspiring famous designers such as Alessi to reach a wider audience and look creative / original Have been made by hand, by laser cutter and some of it by vacuum former to make sure it is easy to mass produce commercially Have built in the amount of time given in the project; which is a maximum of 40 hours for the whole project Include strong joints so that it is durable for the user and they good quality for money and so it protects the birds from predators Have some sort of hanging device so it can hang off a tree or wall easily. 15. This bird bath is made out of transparent green Acrylic plastic, which is 30mm deep. It would be made on the vacuum former, to get this curved shape on the sketch picture.The structure is mainly made from ply wood, because it is cheap to buy, light and has decent durability as well. It can also be shaped by steam forming into the shape of the open top lid on this design. The dowel bird stand will also be made from plywood as well.The rims around the bird bath , lid and bird hole is a stainless steel rim, which adds to quality and a luxurious look as well. Stainless steel doesn`t rust (corrode) either. This would be cut to the desired shape and then sanded down, as well as polished, for a high quality look.The main material that is used for the structure is ply wood, because it can be bent by using steam forming, to achieve this shape with ease. Plywood light in weight and is very cheap to buy, as well as strong, because it is made from layers of different woods, being left as waste. The stainless steel rim on the bird hole, adds to a high quality look, and a more classless finish as well. It would be formed by cutting out the desired shape and then sanding it and polishing it. The use of plastic, is the bird bath and open top lid. The bird bath is made from transparent green Acrylic plastic and is 40mm deep. It would be shaped on the vacuum former, for this deep dish look and depth. The open top lid is made from normal green, Acrylic plastic, and has been formed by shaping it on the laser cutter, the sanded down, to get rid of sharp and rough edges.The bird bath is 40mm deep and is made from normal green Acrylic plastic. The shape will be achieved by using vacuum forming. Also the transparent feature, allows me to see if a bird or two is inside the bird, so I know when to clean it out, without harming them, while they are inside.The main material for the structure is plywood and it is light weight and cheap to buy. It will also be used for making the curved open top lid as well, by using steam forming to achieve this shape.The stainless steel rim on the bird hole and on the tope of the bird box is to add a luxurious look and high standard of quality. Many manufacturers use this metal rim detail on their own products as well for a luxurious look as well.The large bird bath will is made from a darker shade of solid green Acrylic plastic, and the shape would easily be achieved on the vacuum former, to get this curved shape. Acrylic plastic is a very good type of plastic to use because, it looks great with a shiny finish and is very durable, so it should last long. The hatch door is also made green acrylic plastic, but it is light green and transparent. It is cut out on the laser cutter, and then it is polished and sanded down. The large piece of stainless steel, designed to look like a door, is cut into a thin piece and shaped to look like a door. The hole is drilled out and then thorough work is done to sand it down and polish it for luxurious look. The window is also made from stainless steel, but in very small strips of it, by cutting it to the shape desired and then polished and sanded down.The main material used here is pine wood because it is strong and relatively cheap to buy, if not as cheap to buy as plywood. It would also look great when coated in Danish oil. It is a soft wood, so it can be cut and shaped very easily. 16. The open top lid, is made from transparent green Acrylic plastic, so you can see inside, if there are birds inside, so you can clean it when birds are not The stainless steel inside of it. It also has a pleasing appearance, rim on the bird when sanded down and polished. It would be cut hole, is cut to the on the laser cutter and then smoothened down. desired shape and The main material used is plywood and pine then sanded and wood for the flat surfaced pieces of wood. The polished until ultra curved top piece is plywood, because it can be smooth and shiny. shaped and bent by using steam forming to This adds a lot to achieve this easily. The advantages of using the high quality and pine and ply wood, is that they are light weight luxury look as well. and cheap to buy as well. They both have nice and shiny finish as well, when coated in Danish oil. The two bird baths are made from stainless steel and are glued inbetween laser cut solid The bird stand is made out of green Acrylic plastic, high quality stainless by hot gluing them on. stee,because it is very strong Before that though, and it doesn`t corrode, in rain they are sanded down and oxygen in the air. It would and polished to be cut out into shape, then perfection. thoroughly sanded and polished.The shape is inspired by the shape of a coffin / fish combined. The main material used is plywood and the curved shape can easily be done by using steam forming to achieve this. The pieces of wood on the front back and sides are cut clean to the perfect shape and then they are sanded down thoroughly, for high quality, smooth finish as well.The two are formed on the vacuum former and are made from texture solid green Acrylic plastic. One of them is hinged and held upwards by a plastic tag, and it drops down until the flat side hits the bird house. ns on the sides are vacuumThe bottom piece or wood and solid green Acrylic plastic is done on the vacuum former and the wood is steam formed to the desired shape needed. They are attached by using a hot glue gun. The feet on the bottom are vacuum formed into shape on the vacuum former. They are made out of Transparent green Acrylic plastic.This shape is inspired by a radio. The bird hole is made from textured green Acrylic plastic, and is shaped on the laser cutter, and then sanded down to a smooth finish.The main structure is wood, because the curved back piece could be easily shaped into that curve needed, by using steam forming. The front piece would be cut on the laser cutter, and the sanded down thoroughly for a smooth finish. The other pieces would be done by hand, and then sanded down to the same standard as the back and front piece.The fake speaker is made transparent, green Acrylic plastic, and it is shaped on the vacuum former, and then sanded down to shiny and smooth shape. Then it is plated with stainless steel cross rims, that have been chipped off a larger piece of stainless steel and then sanded down to a shiny and high quality finish.The bird bath is the fake radio dial in the middle, and it formed by using the vacuum former and then it is sanded down to a perfect smooth shape and feel. The depth of the bird bath 40mm. The fixed, fake controls are made from textured green Acrylic plastic, and shaped on the vacuum former and they are then sanded down to a perfect feel of quality, even though they do nothing at all.The main structure is made from plywood because it is light weight, and strong, as well as flexible when steamed. It is also rather cheap to buy, so it would keep the cost down if it did go on sale. The curved top can easily be formed by using steam forming and then sanded down to a smooth and high quality shape. 17. The bird hole is made out of solid, light blue Acrylic plastic, and it would be shaped on the laser cutter and then sanded and polished to a fantastic and high quality finish.The main material used is plywood because plywood is light weight and flexible, so the curved shape could be easily achieved by using steam forming in the design. To joint the pieces tightly, teeth joints would be used in this area. Before joining them together, I would sand them down and polish them for high quality finish.The material that is most used here is plywood because of it light weight and cheap prices. However, because this bird house is essentially a sphere, it needs to be made out of a wood that is flexible, and plywood is. That is why it is needed in this design. Plywood can easily be shaped and curved, by using steam forming.The bird bath is made from textured, solid red Acrylic plastic, which is 30mm deep and would be shaped by using the vacuum former. Then it would be attached on to the bird house by using stainless steel hinges, so they don`t corrode over a long period of time.The stainless steel rim around the bird hole, would add to a high quality and luxurious finish. It would be cut out and then sanded down, as well as polished, to get out its fantastic and shiny finish. Also stainless steel doesn`t corrode, so it would look great all the time.The hatch on the right hand side, is made from transparent, orange Acrylic plastic, which has been heated up, intensely, to get the curved shape, and it has been cut clean by using a laser cutter. Then before attaching it on with stainless steel hinges, it would have been sanded down and polished.The noticeable stand on the bottom, is made from textured, light blue Acrylic plastic. To achieve this shape, it would be vacuum formed into the desired shape. Then it would be sanded and polished thoroughly, so it looks its best.This is the design I am going to craft my self, for my project, out of a choice of 10. I have chosen to do this design because, it makes good use of the three different materials that I have aimed to use in this project, and it is perfect size and shape for only small birds to use, which was one of my targets that I had focused on. It uses the stainless steel for high quality look and feel. The plywood is used to give it light weight, the ability to bend panels, which what has been done for the lid of the bird house . It uses Acrylic plastic for the 30mm deep bird bath, which is very aesthetically pleasing, strong and it looks great when sanded down and polished. The transparent colours also look very interesting and stylish as well. 18. These are the three design that I have done on Google sketch up. I have focused on these three designs because I am most fond of these three overall. I have chosen to do the hexagon shaped bird house because it is large enough for small, domestic birds, and not large ones. I really like the design and shape of it as well, and the use of Stainless steel, transparent green Acrylic plastic and flexible plywood is great for my overall usage in my project. The curved open top lid is very aesthetically pleasing as well. Bird bath is a good size for small domestic birds as well, as it is only 300mm deep. The transparent green colour is also very stylish and interesting to look at. The measurements are also proportional enough for small birds as well, by being 500 mm wide, 400m in height and 250mm in length. The other designs are a similar in size, however a feel that my design choice is perfect for a bird and family to live in for a short period of time. The second CAD/CAM design inspired me to make the hexagon shaped bird house in the first picture on the left. The bird bath was originally going to be 50mm deep, however a thought that it would be too deep for small birds and would not be suitable for them. There fore I had changed that to 30mm, instead. The box like shape would also bring down my mark as well and the overall styling would not be aesthetically pleasing. I had continued the curved open top lid because I liked the design of it overall and a normal flat lid would also limit space in side for the birds as well. However I have raised up the height of open top lid so there would be more room for the birds to move about and give them a more airy feel of space. I have continued the stainless steel rim around the outside as well, so it would still give it luxury and high quality look. I would use the vacuum former to shape the bird bath properly and I will take precautions to make sure the plastic doesn`t get creased during the moulding of it. Then araldite would be used to stick the bird bath to the wooden structure. 19. This is my design that I am going to do for my project. It takes some design elements for the first incarnation of the design, but is has been effectively improved and the measurements have been changed slightly as well. My original design takes inspiration from a treasure chest, as they are a good size and relatively stylish as well. However after discussing this with my peers, I decided to change it by pulling out the side walls, to make it a hexagon instead, because marks go down if it resembles the shape of a box. The open top lid is also slightly higher, and this allows more room for the small, domestic birds to use. The depth has been shortened because small birds don`t need a depth of 50mm, instead I have chosen the depth to be 30mm. 20. I have done changes to the design to show that it can be changed easily, so suit the consumer`s tastes. I have done three different changes to the design to show that it can be easily changed, if needed to. A variety of lids could be sold in the shops and customers could choose their own top if possible. This would increase the target audience meaning customers might purchase extra pieces to change their product regularly. This shows changes in the design of the project that I am doing, and the middle design is my actual design that I am doing. I had thought of different designs, of this current, design as you can see on the sheet. I had concluded that the design that was the best overall, was the original design, in the middle. I had changed the location of the bird hole and bird stand, and changed the size of the open top lid. As well as changing the colour of the bird bath to a deep and dark orange, however, I prefer the original design elements. I would purchase a bird feeder from a garden centre or a DIY store like B&Q. Then I would hook it on to the front of the bird house by nailing it on securely. 21. I have made my card model to see how large or small it would be in real life, and to test out its function properly, before making the real model. This will help me to understand what improvements I will need to make, and to how well or not it functions as a bird box. CHANGES AFTER MODELLING I have chosen to make a change to my design, by shortening the height by 30mm, because I found that my bird house is too deep for small birds, to get in and out with ease. The card model looks too high up as well to be aesthetically pleasing, so a decrease in height, will help the problem. The width is large enough, so that doesn`t need any changing or improving. The size of the bird hole is a good size, only for small birds, as it is 30 mm in diameter. Originally, it was going to be 40mm, however, I found this too large, because larger birds would over take the bird box, from other, smaller birds, so I reduced the size of the hole, to only allow small birds to enter and exit. 40mm hole looked huge when I cut it out of card so the smaller hole is required. The whole of the bird box was made by hand, and I have tested the open lid, that allows you to clean out the inside of the bird box, and my hand fits in perfectly well. Im not sure how to make the lid just yet as this is quite a complex design. However I will deal with this problem when I start making. I will also add a perch on the front using dowel but I could not make this from card it was too difficult. Additionally as you can see below, when placed on a nail on a tree, the birdhouse hung straight without moving to one side so all weight is distributed evenly making it a successful design. 22. 250 mmThe front design will be designed using 2D design on I am using the exploded view to explain how my project is going to be made, and what the computer, because cutting out the hole, would be you have to do, when it is mass produced for consumers to purchase from a garden too complex and hard to do it yourself. The laser centre. cutter, would do all of the work needed to cut the shape out perfectly. The bird bath will be moulded from a flat sheet into a 30mm deep pool, by using vacuum forming, then araldite will be used to securely fix it on to the wooden structure. Before fixing it onto place, I will sanded it down and polish it. PVA glue will not be enough to keep the wooden pieces stuck together for long, so I will use finger joints, and to make it even stronger, because finger joints lock the panel together, so they cannot move. I will use tacks, to tuck them together. This will keep the structure holding together for much longer. The bird stand will be drilled out using the laser cutter, so the job is not too complex, and to save time as well. Then if the dowel, is too long, I will shorten it by using the ban saw to shorten it. It must be straight on level, otherwise marks will be deducted because of it. Then it will be sanded down, to give it a smooth finish. The most complex part of the design, is the curved open top lid, for which you can use to clean out the inside of the bird house. Although it looks complex, it isn`t that difficult to achieve, because the wood I am going to use is flexible plywood, as it can be bent into the desired shape easily, by using steam forming. Then the two side pieces are cut out by hand and then sanded down, the polished, at the end. Only PVA glue is needed to hold the top pieces together, as it is only a small surface area. The rest of the wooden panels, apart from the front panel, will be hand cut and sanded down. Then all of the panels will be coated in Danish oil, to protect it from harsh weather conditions.MaterialpiecesWhy?Plywood/flexible plywood.2 front pieces 250x320mm. 4 side pieces 200x150mm. Base piece 220x200mm.1 piece for the open top lid 250x110mm.2 pieces for the sides of the open top lid 200x250mmBecause plywood is light durable, flexible when steam formed and very cheap to buy.HIPS1 piece for the bird bath 110x200mmBecause its attractive to look at when polished and its very durable; even when vacuum formed.Stainless steel2 pieces 20x200mm. 2 pieces 20x220x240mmIt looks great when polished, and it is very strong and will not corrode. 23. Plywood1 base piece 220x200mm 4 side panels 150x200mm 2 front and back panels 250x320mmIts light, durable and cheap to buy. It can also be bent, using steam forming.HIPS1 piece for bird bath 110x200mmIt`s light in weight, durable and relatively cheap to buy. 24. Start. Cut out front and back pieces of wood, and then sand down. Cut out joints. 1 hrCheck that the two pieces are the correct sizes.Cut out the HIPS forCheck that its of high standard quality and is well put together.YES the bid bath to the correct size.1hrNOYES Add stainless steel pieces and coat it in Danish oil. 4 hrsNONO Make sure that both pieces are the same size as each other.Cut out the two side panels fro the open top lid. 1hrCheck that the piece is the correct size.RestartYESAssemble the project with PVA, Araldite and tacks. 1hrFinish.YES YESYESCut out four side panel pieces, and then sand them down, until smooth. Cut out joints. 2hrsNOCheck that the piece is the correct size, that is needed.NO Vacuum form the piece of HIPS 30mm deep, for bird bath. 30minCheck that the hole is correct sizes and in the correct location.NO Check that the four pieces are the same size as each otherYES Cut out the top piece for the lid, and steam form it to its correct, arched shape. 3hrsCheck that the sizes are the correct numbers.YESDrill out the 30mm entering and exiting hole with hole saw . 20minNo. Restart front panel. 25. In this project, I had to use and show evidence of using CAD/CAM while I was making it. The lid was cut out on the router, because its much faster and much more accurate, and that is why in mass production, machines like router and a laser cutter are used to make processes faster and make exact copies of the first product. From Video game consoles, mp3 players, TVs and Automobiles. The processes are fast, cheaper and extremely accurate, making complete exact copies in millions of units. I made sure the piece was securely fitted to the machine and double sided taped to a scarp piece of MDF to save the router bed from being damaged. If I were making lots I would do the same for all pieces. As you can see I found this really simple once shown by staff. The router was easy enough to set up and it asked me if I wanted to make more products in quantity which I would have said yes to if I was mass producing the product. I really enjoyed using this machine and would like to use it again. 26. This is a page on my evidence of my work on my project, through out small and progressive stages, up to full completion. For a high quality finish and feel, small steps are needed to get to high quality levels. This shows all Quality Control, measures needed to make this birdhouse successfully in industry. Earlier on in my project, I hadn`t taken any pictures during assemble, so I have no images of my first steps. The first step I did was drawing lines of the shapes that I needed, to cut out, to become panels. I made sure that the measuring was accurate by taking my time on this first step as I cannot make a mistake on the first level, because then the panels wouldn`t fit properly, and that would mean I would have to start again. Then the panels were cut out with a jigsaw, which cut panels very quickly and accurately, and these can be used in mass production as well. Once all of the panels were cut out, I then started chiselling out the joints on some of the panels. I had to chisel out the marks, because the joints only go halfway in (stopped finger joint), meaning a saw is irrelevant. While chiselling out the marks, I had to clamp down each panel to a desk, so that I could chisel out the joints as evenly as possible. This took a long time and if I had used a router for each individual piece this would have been much easier and less time consuming. One I had finished chiselling out the joints, I then sanded down and smoothened very panel, before attaching each piece together, with tape to get an idea of what it would look like when all of the panels are glued together. Once I taped them together, I then sanded down the whole product from the exterior.Once I finished every panel, to size and shape, I then tested the fixture of the pieces to see if they fitted properly. I found that they did fit rather well, but some corners needed filler, and more sanding done.The bird house as first held together with tape, to get an idea what it would look like when put together in the end. I found out that the bird house had some noticeable gaps, at the edges, so had to use filler, later on after the main structure had been glued together.Once the glue dried, this was the end result, after the gluing. I then applied a little more sanding on some corners and angles. I found that some of the glue had squeezed out of the gaps, so I sanded them out to tidy the corners up.Before finally gluing it together, I had to drill out the hole so the birds could get in and out, otherwise, it would be rendered uselessWhen the hole was drilled out, and the edges were sanded down, the bird house was finally glued and held together, with several clamps to support and tighten it together and hold until the glue dried. To make sure that no glue leaked out of the gapes, between each panel I applied only enough glue to tightly hold it together. For safety reasons, my project was taken away from spaces of where it could be knocked over.When the extra, sanding was done, I then applied the filler on the corners on the outside, and on the inside as well. Without the filler, it would not work very well at all. 27. After a lot of sanding and filling, I finally started to apply my Danish oil finish in one coat, before waiting 6 hours, until the next day, applying another coat, because just one coat isn`t enough, to keep the wood protected and give the whole product a high quality finish.Before coating the bird I then coated the bird stand in stand in Danish oil, I Danish oil, so it would match with applied Danish oil to the the bird houses colour correctly. edge of the hole, that I had forgotten about.Another picture of the hinge on my bird house.This is how I made my bird bath lid so the bird bath could double as a lid to get inside it and clean it.The next day, after the first coat, I then applied the second and last coat of Danish oil, to properly protect and solidify the quality of the wood and feel of the product. Once the second coat was applied, I let it dry and then coated the bird stand in Danish oil.This is what the bird house looks like when fully coated, with the bird stand finally on it tightly.This is 3D view of the lid, that I cut out on the router.Next, I finally screwed on the hinge to hold the bird bath in place. The job was really easy and fast, and it has a very tight fit as well.These two pictures are of the lid before cut into shape properly. Before cutting out the shape, I changed the drill blade to the correct, flat blade to cut out the hole needed. 28. The router is starting to cut out the shape here now. This is much faster and more accurate than doing it by hand.Then I considered giving the inside of the hole another coat of Danish oil, so it would match the outside.Once the lid was finished, the router asked me if I wanted to do another copy, because CAD/CAM machine asks for mass production.Then I finally put the lid on the vacuum former. To support it and mould the bird bath properly, I found a spare piece of plywood to put underneath lid. Then a started the process of moulding the bird bath into shape.Then I screwed on a hook, to the back of the bird house, so I could hang it on a wall. Another piece goes with it, which screws onto a wall, which is where the bird house will be hung in use.This is what the lid looks like afterwards, when it was cut on the router. The lid was produced faster and was cut more accurate than by hand.This is what the bird bath looked like when it was glued on to the lid. I noticed it had some gaps around the edges of the bath, so I had then used the laser cutter to cut out a plastic rim, to put around the top of the bath, to hide the gaps.This is my finished bird house project, with everything attached. The hinge has been successfully glued and screwed on. At first the lid was not straight, so I knocked it into place, so no rain can get inside of it.Once I sanded down the lid, I gave it a coat of Danish oil, so it would match the bird house exterior.These are more images of my bird bath before and after I have glued on the plastic rim, that hides the gaps. I had to glue another thin piece on top to hide further gaps.I also replaced the dowel on the front, which is a bird stand, because the first one split due to the pilot 29. I have now finished my bird house project and I think that it meets most, if not all of its specifications, like the age range of 25 and over, because it meets this audience very well, because it looks practical, sensible and unfussy as well. Another factor that it successfully meets, is its priority of being light weight, because its made from plywood and HIPS plastic, which is very light, but also decently strong as well. Another specification that it meets is that it is inspired by designs of a professional designer, like Alessi. The shape of the bird house its self, has been designed to take inspiration from an Alessi designed stainless steel flask. However, it doesn`t meet some criteria's like that the fact that in the specification, it must have been made from wood plastic and metal, but of course my product doesn`t consist of metal an where, as I ran out of time to add stainless steel trim pieces. Another reason why is because metal take a long time to file shape and sand down as well. The product itself was intended to be easy to use, so consumer could actually use it. So for that reason, I made sure that it was a simple operating design, and that it as ergonomically friendly as well, because the better the ergonomics, the easier it will be to use. The design is very simple, with a straight forward operated lid, that just opens manually and come with no lock of key, which is what I was going to use originally, on the lid. I left this idea it save time, and to be honest it wouldn`t have made much difference to the lid, but apart from making it heavier and the pad lock would also knock on the wood, which over time would dent it and ruin it as well, so I left this pointless idea. Secondly, I was also going to have two part on the top of the bird, house, with a fixed bird bath, and a separate lid, on the left hand side of the bird bath. To have done, that the lid would to be made from flexible plywood, and then cut out two identical semi circle shaped pieces of wood, so the flexible plywood would be tacked on. I abandoned this idea, because I was running out of time.The product does function the way it was intended to as the bird bath doesn`t leak, and after important research, the entrance hole is large enough for just small birds, as it is 25mm wide, which is perfect for Thrushes, Blue birds, and Chickadees. Another important function that it must have, is the ability to hang straight on a fence or garden wall. To make sure it does hang properly, the hook, is right on the centre and it has four screws for great support. Another function it had to achieve was to only be suitable for small domestic birds, like the Blue bird. The small hole helps with this because only small birds will fit through. The design of the product is also important, just like its function, because an unattractive design is not going to get any one to buy it, as the looks is the first thing that attracts you. So the design must be interesting, original and practical as well. The Alessi inspired flask, has shaped the side panels of the product, and that has helped with its interesting and yet practical design. Consumers think the design looks good in quality because of the Danish oil coats, which gives it a smooth, shiny and solid finish. This quality from the Danish oil has helped its attraction and style to persuade consumers to take notice of it and purchase a unit as well, if it was going into mass production. The simple design is also a bonus, because busy and complex designs are not usually bought by the common casual buyer. The green bird bath is also a positive area, because it is an outdoor based product, and woodland implies to outdoors, with crops, fresh and healthy leaves on trees and hedges in rural areas, where you can do bird watching. The bird baths colour really does help its attraction as consumers think that it is the only suitable colour choice for the plastic parts of this product, as the mix of a shiny and solid wooden grain, and a rich green coloured bird bath resembles, the two tone colour of healthy trees in forests. 30. There are some features that are positive about this product, and some that are negative as well. A positive feature is the interesting and practical design that it has. The hole is also a good feature, because the size of it is only large enough for small birds, so that does show concentration has been put on this product. Another good feature that is has, is the shiny and attractive design of the bird bath as well. The Danish oil finish is also good for protection from harsh weather. However some features of this product are not good because firstly, it was extremely difficult to make, because the plywood splits very easily, so I had to be very careful and fragile with the making of this product. One of the side panels had to be redone, because one split. On a mass production line this problem wouldn`t and issue, because the sanding and cutting would be to one setting, so no splitting would occur. Another bad point about it, is the fact that plywood get scratched easily when you sand it too hard.There are some bad sides to this product, but I made sure that it would have many pluses because that would make it more satisfying to consumers. I made sure that is would be light, affordable, interesting and practical. The shape makes it practical, by giving it lots of space. The plywood is light and cheap to buy as well, and it looks great when coated in Danish oil which enhances the overall grain and appearance. The environment is an important today, because we need to keep good care of it, because of what has been done in the past. To help the environment, the VOCS, from the Danish oil is very low, and plywood is also recyclable, which is a bonus for limited materials, even though plywood is renewable every little helps. The HIPS plastic bird bath is of course recyclable as well and the steel bracket also has the credit for being melted down and reformed, which means the whole product can be escorted to the recycling bins at the skip and recycled into something new, after several years of good use in your own garden. Mass production is a very important factor for any new product, as it must be made as cheaply, quickly and efficiently as possible, as because it has a simple design, it could be easily built in a factory by a set of skilled robots, meaning production of hundreds of thousands in a week. The shape may look complex to make, but by a set of robots, it wouldn`t be a problem, as they are more accurate and they don`t make mistakes, unlike a hand made version of this product like mine, as I had to be very careful with the building of my Project. If could change and improve my project in any way, it would to be more accurate with the gaps between the panels so I would have used less filler to fix the gaps, in the corners. The bird hole entrance could have also been made on 2D design instead of spending a lot of time, doing the hole by hand, and then drilling it out with a hole drill. I did a good job though but for this, I had to be very careful not to make a mistake. If I could have made a change, then that would have been to work faster, so I could have got the lid done, as a I originally wanted, with a a curved lid on the left, and a fixed, smaller bird bath on the right, on the top of the product. Because I didn`t have enough time though I had to think again, so I doubled the bird bath as a lid as well. Overall I am very proud of my finished project, because I put a lot of time and effort into step by step assembling of my product. I really like my work on my Danish oil finish as it is solid, smooth, protective and shiny as well. The styling is also a factor that I like as well, because it looks interesting, solid and practical as well. I like the end result of the way it looks and just what I had done to get it built very well, and I think that It would be very suitable for mass production. 31. NameStyleFunctionImprovementsMichael GraceIts very unique. All the feature work well.Add a nut feeder.Lee O'NeilIts a very interesting design choice.It work with ease.Work faster to add a nut feeder.Michael KellyIt a very interesting and I like the finishIt works well.Must add a nut feeder, if you had more time.After gathering the views of my peers they think that I should have added a nut feeder onto the design. I think if my product was to be sold in a garden centre this could be an additional feature that customers could choose to buy if they wanted to as not everyone would want a nut feeder. This would be their choice. 32. The life cycle of any product is very important, because re-using materials instead of throwing them in land fill, helps to look after the environment that we live in, meaning we can recycle instead of using virgin materials all the time.My bird house project is made from plywood and HIPs plastic, and the first step to making the product, is to cut down trees for the wood that is needed. The HIPs plastic comes from its origins of oil, and then it goes to an oil refinery, where plastic is produced as a left over product after petrol and diesel. The hinge, hook and screws are made from stainless steel which is dug up from the ground in quarries. Then the raw metal is taken to a pressing factory, and then that sheet metal is taken to a factory that makes hinges.Almost every electric product can be recycled, although some have to be recycled in different ways. An example of this is an mp3 player or game console.Then the product is assembled in a factory.Then the product is bought buy a consumer and then used until it breaks, after at least 3 to 4 years.