IAP is in the cold month of January - so let’s start with a seasonally relevant engineering problem that we all can relate to. A part-empty box of tissues. The friction to release a tissue is greater than the force of gravity on the weight of the tissue box. To address this and learn a lot of making techniques, design and fabricate a Tissue Box Cover.

This is a 4-session workshop

Dates: 

            Session 1: January 10 - 2pm-4pm

            Session 2: January 12 - 2pm-4pm

            Session 3: January 17 - 2pm-4pm

            Session 4: January 19 - 2pm-4pm

Project Elements:

• Basic Box Structure: 5-sided veneered plywood box with a slot opening on top for the tissues
• Wood as a material: Students will learn the structure and function of wood as a construction material - understanding grain, species, wood movement, as well as using the properties of wood as a design element
• Fabrication Skills covered: Leveraging plywood and mitered edge joinery, students will use both table or band saw with sleds, CNC for the tissue slot, and router table for hardwood edging (optional) 
• Laser Cut Veneer & Vacuum Bag: Each student will make their own design in a variety of wood veneer species. Using laser cutter, blue tape and a Vacuum Bag system, students will customize the look of their tissue box
• Finishing: And overview of finishing will be presented and students will apply a polyurethane finish to their project