FERGUS HICKEY

FERGUS

HICKEY

DT GCSE RESISTANT MATERIALS PROJECT

KING EDWARD VI SCHOOL

CENTRE NUMBER 58625

CANDIDATE NUMBER 2522

A major high street retailer wishes to make a multi-purpose, modern style,

small coffee tale aimed at a first time buyer. The product will require storage

space.

My Table is aimed at young couples, buying a table for their first time. Most

likely, they will not have kids, so it may contain sharper edges or smaller

parts. A modern table will fit in with their potentially new house.

It will probably be situated in the living room, where there is a TV, so the table

will need to provide storage space for TV remotes, games or magazines. It

may also be placed in the bedroom and therefore will need to give room for a

bedside lamp, books and phones. It mustn’t be too large as it may need to be

moved. As there is the possibility of it being a centrepiece, it must be quite

stylish.

It will create my coffee table to comply with the aims of my buyer. It shall be

medium sized, be able to store DVD’s, magazines, and be modern and

stylish. It should also contain drawers or shelves.

DESIGN TASK 11

DESIGN TASK 11

EXISTING PRODUCTS

Mortis and tenon joint, giving the underside

of the table more support.

Finger joint, difficult to make, but will

make this frame much stronger.

On my design, I

will tidy up the

bottom of the

table so when it

is stored or

moved it looks

good

aesthetically.

This could be replaced with

a housing joint.

Silicon pad to protect the

glass from damage.

Plenty of space

to store

common items

like magazines.

Big housing joint, creates a

fine finish.

Possibility to inlay glass

onto this surface.

PRIMARY RESEARCH

QUESTIONNAIRE

Material

Wood

Metal

Plastic

Other

Storage

Draws

Shelves

Glass?

Glass

NoGlass

What is to be stored

DVD's

Magazines

Electronics

Shape

Round

Square

Rectangular

Mix

Finish

Stain

Wax

Varnish

As three quarters

of people said they

preferred wood,

this will be the

material for my

coffee table.

I will try to

implement both

draws and shelves

to cover both

groups

I will place glass

onto my table,

resting on a lip, to

make sure it is

supported.

With both shelves

and draws all of

these items will be

accounted for and

stored easily.

I will make a

rectangular table

with rounded

edges for a good

look.

I will use a wax

finish as this was

popular, it will give

a great finish.

I went around my village asking people if they were a first time buyer, the type

of coffee table they would prefer, these are the results. The typical table that

will please the most people aesthetically is shown by these answers. A Wood

table with draws and shelves, with glass on the top, that has space to store

electronics, shaped with a mix of round and square shapes, with a wax finish

will be perfect for the target audience.

MOOD BOARD

Many first time buyers will have

magazines, DVD’s or books as my

survey shows, and will want a shelf

or draw to store these. They will also

own electronic appliances such as

laptops or iPads to check emails, so

a draw must be big enough to

support these. The buyer will most

likely own a small car and have

keys, which could be stored in a

small draw, above a shelf. Eating

and drinking will also take place on

a coffee table, therefore, I must

make the table with a protective

layer. A small draw or shelf would

also be useful for things like

headphones to a TV remote. A big

space could be used for storing a

stack of DVD’s or plates.

Function

• My design is aimed at first time coffee table buyers, or for couples moving into a new house. The age range is 25-35.

• It will function as a regular coffee table, and should provide sufficient space for plates and cups to stand on top of.

• It will have space to comfortably store magazines, remotes or games.

Aesthetics

• My table will be in the modernistic design style.

• I would like to make the table all one shade of wood, with dark or light.

• As my questionnaire shows, a mix of curved and straight lines is the most popular design for the outside of the table; I will use this.

• The storage space will be in the form of draws and shelves.

Materials

• Durable wood is required as to avoid scratches and so it may last a long time, to get money’s worth.

• Silicon or cloth should be put under each leg to stop scratching against the floor and for support.

Customer

• My table is aimed at first time buyers, who will want a modern to design to fit in to a new house or flat.

Size

• This will most likely be used as a centre piece; the sizes should roughly be around 1000 long, 600 high and 500 wide. These are the dimensions of lots of modern coffee tables made at the moment.

Health and safety

• The first time buyers may have kids or will get kids, so there must be no sharp edges and it should be stable so it does nottopple.

SPECIFICATION

INITIAL IDEAS 1

INITIAL IDEAS 2

INITIAL IDEAS 3

INITIAL IDEAS 4

DEVELOPED IDEA 1

The table could have either draws or shelves. The draws will

have holes so they can be opened by hand. On the shelf

design, the shelf could follow through to the other side and

wood could be placed in the centre, creating two draws; one

on each side. The table could also contain two different

woods in contrast to give a modern look. Draws and shelves

are both available as these were equally popular in my

survey.

The legs on either side must be thick enough to support

weight of any objects that might be placed on the top

surface, such as a laptop or lots of books. The construction

of this will be complex as a good finish will be required to

look as if the top surface is connected to the legs. The

rounded effect can be created by sanding. To increase the

height of the plane, the angle of the legs could be enlarged.

This means it will be higher off the ground and more ideal for

people who don’t want to use it to sit around. A glass pane

could even be inlayed into the top plane of wood. This

means that items in the draws could be seen, and a cover

may be required. In the design with the shelves, the shelf

could go through the other side of the wood so it is easier to

access from either side. This could be taken even further

and could lead to the removal of the central piece of wood

separating the two shelves to make one large one.

DEVELOPED IDEA 1 CONTINUED

Sustainability results show that carbon

is extremely ineffective to be

sustainable, whereas cherry or acrylic

are easy to sustain. Acrylic is not a

likely contender for the material of the

table as it comes in small sizes and will

not cover the whole top with a 1m

sheet, and it is not stable enough. The

table will be roughly 1.6m x 0.5m x

0.4m, or possibly more if it seems quite

low in height and the leg height is

increased.

This design has rounded edges so it will be ideal for first

time buyers with small children who will not be in

danger. One shade of wood is preferred as it will look

aesthetically pleasing, as it can matches with

modernistic styles and will compliment a room well. It

also contains curved and straight lines which was

favoured from results in the questionnaire.

The curve on the table

top can be constructed

using bendy ply, which is

easy to get hold of and is

cheap; and therefore is

sustainable. The draws

look good on the design,

but shelves could be

used as a replacement

as the questionnaire says

either is popular. It is also

square so this also helps

as first time buyers may

have limited space and

want to put it alongside a

wall. Overall this is a

good design to take

forward as it meets the

spec well, but I may have

trouble getting the correct

angles on the draws.

DEVELOPED IDEA 2

The wood could even be curved to

give a more modern feel. Pads

should also be put under the legs to

stop scraping with floor.

The central shelf could be

replaced with a draw, but this

might be quite difficult as the

dimensions must be exact.

The original design hasn’t

changed much but instead of

two shades of wood, I have

decided one will look much

better as it is more suited to

the modernistic style.

The glass pane will be rested

on silicon pads to stop it from

falling off. Glass is also

favoured to wood as it adds

another characteristic to the

design. The edges of the glass

would be rounded to be safe.

First time buyers will have

small children and safety is

key.

In this wood touching the floor,

measurements must be

extremely precise so that it is

symmetrical and so that each

shelf has the same amount of

space for items.

The design could be made with draws

or shelves. The amount of shelves will

give enough space for magazines or a

laptop.

DEVELOPED IDEA 2 CONTINUED

The shelf sizes are big enough so that they will provide sufficient space for

books or remotes, but not too big as to make the table to big that it crowds the

room. Measurements on this design are key as if one side is wrong then the

whole table is lopsided and unsymmetrical. The angles of the two wood

planes for legs are also important as if these are off then the shelf going along

the centre won’t be horizontal and cannot lay flat against the side of one of

the legs. This central plane will be cut into three and then sanded at the end

to match the angle of the legs, so they can simply rest using gravity. If I leave

them unglued they could even be taken out so more leg room can be

achieved. However the middle piece must be glued as it would fall down if it

wasn’t.

To achieve the most profitable and

sustainable manufacture, injection moulding

should be done in Asia and should be

transported and used in Europe.

Ideally carbon fibre is the

best material to use for

the design. It is very light

and strong and would be

ideal against wear and

tear. But unfortunately it

is expensive to maintain

and will give a negative

profit.

Acrylic is very cheap and

can be mass consumed

extremely easily.

However, it lacks strength

and might suffer from

ravages of time. To add

to this, it is not a

popular material to use

predominantly as it

looks quite “cheap.”

Clearly cherry wood is a

good halfway point

between these two other

materials. Cherry is

inexpensive yet still looks

good and matches the

modernistic. Also a good

finish can be applied to

the wood to make it look

even better.

DEVELOPED IDEA 3

This is a very simple design providing a shelf

for items such as magazines and remotes. The

legs would go deep into the wood so that it is

stable. The wood can also be replaced with

metal, but will then be hollow to save money. It

provides storage with a simplistic style and

each part of the build can be separated. These

parts can be built individually. This makes it

easier to be mass produced as it makes

shipping and construction easier, reducing the

price. The piece of wood at the top would be

hollow so you can see through it to the shelf

below. This shelf could also be made of glass

but as it is not seen much it could just do with a

different shade of wood. A lighter shade at the

top and a darker one at the bottom.

This design should be smaller than the other

designs as it is circular and will take up more

room as it cannot be placed well alongside a

wall. This means it will not cramp the room.

The questionnaire suggests curved and

straight shapes are preferred so the table

could be turned oval shape with flat sides.

This means there would be up to six legs

in the centre.

I have taken the original design and

changed the shape of the glass and

added storage underneath while

keeping the shape and base of my first

sketch.

These legs will be made of chrome and

will be symmetrically placed to look

better. To add a more modernistic feel i

could add another few legs and shape

them like the points in a pentagon.

This curved wood piece

would be built using

many strips of bendy ply

and gluing them side by

side while they wrap

around. However this

means the grain lines in

the picture would not be

there.

DEVELOPED IDEA 3 CONTINUED

Clearly the wood option is

very sustainable compared

to aluminium or carbon.

Wood is also much more

accessible and cheap. As

aluminium is much cheaper

than glass, the top can be

replaced with a sheet of

aluminium in the same

dimension as the glass

pane. However glass is

usually a better looking

option which will look good

against the wood top.

This design is more

complex than others as

working with two different

curves in the shape such

as a sphere make it more

difficult and sizes and

angles must be very exact.

Where the shelf is placed,

the wood is not and the

two halves must look like

they are of the same

shape. The tubes will be

placed inside the wood

which will be dug out using

a drill.

These sustainability results once again that cherry wood is a good material to choose as it can be

sustained easily and is also very nice looking. The manufacture should take place in Asia and be

used in Europe or America to maximise profits by being sustainable. This table is not as simple as

the previous one because it contains chrome tubes which will be more complex to sustain as it is

one more material to make and incorporate.

JUSTIFICATION

This design is very simple and provides a good amount of storage

underneath. However first time buyers may be looking for a

square design as it takes up less space and can be placed near

the wall. Also the wood cannot be easily bent twice to create a

spherical shape.

This is a good table for first time buyers because it is made of

mainly wood, making it easy to manufacture and sell to people

with tight budgets. It also contains a large amount of space for

placing books or remotes. I could even replace the shelves with

more draws. The top is a pane of glass and could have rounded

edges to be safe for small children.

This design is excellent to be placed next to a sofa as it is low

down and can be reached easily. This may not be ideal for first

time buyers as they may not have a sofa as money is short. On

the contrary this design contains both curved and straight lines,

which was the most popular on my questionnaire. It will also have

a fine finish to keep the wood from being scratched.

This is my chosen design. This is because it is suitable for first

time buyers as it contains sufficient space for magazines etc., is

modernistic and simple and therefore easy to manufacture, and is

within the set dimensions.

MODELLING

I made this model by cutting card and acetate using a scalpel. This has been helpful as it

has shown me how the table balances and where it should be supported. All the weight is

on the two bottom pieces of wood, so these must be thick to stay strong. The scalpel used

to cut these it difficult to use precisely and that is why it is slightly askew. This proves how

important it is to get angles and lengths correct in the manufacturing process.

This is another angle of the design and you can see how the shelf running through the

middle relies on the legs being precise and at the correct length. I realize now that the wood

legs must be angled at the bottom so they can create the “v” shape on both sides. They

must also be the same so it horizontal. I think the middle shelf should be made out of glass

to match the top.

Here you can see a close-up of the legs. They are bending here as there is a lot of force on

them. If they are not made precisely this table could be unsafe and especially with young

children, this would not be good. Once all this has been achieved can the glass be placed

on top, with silicon pads to protect it and to stop it from slipping which would be bad as first

time buyers obviously do not want a table that will break.

QUALITY CONTROL

An array of features has been inlayed into the

design of my table, to ensure that it is easily

mass produced.

To join wood at a certain angle I have used a

jig for the 11 degree angle at the base of the

table.

To ensure that the draw is as

precise as possible, I have

created a template that can be

copied to possibly replicate

another table. However the

gluing process may affect the

size of the draw, and so a

sander is needed to cut the

draw down to size.

PRODUCTION PLAN 1

Process Tools and

Materials

Method Time Health

and

Safety

Picture of

Result

Cut wood for

frame

Done by teacher Fill in sheet for desired sizes and

hand to teacher

20 minutes This is done by

a teacher and

therefore my

safety is not at

risk.

Angle wood for

frame

Adjustable square and

circular saw

Mark off which end of the wood

will be angled and set the circular

saw to the desired angle, and run

the wood through.

20 minutes This is done by

a teacher and

therefore my

safety is not at

risk.

Brush Polish all

pieces

Brush polish and cones

for the wood to rest on

and paintbrush

Brush polish evenly across the

wood until it no longer glazes.

30 minutes

and 10 to dry

Wash hands

after using

brush polish

Wax all pieces Wax polish and cloth Using a cloth rub wax polish

evenly across the wood.

30 minutes

and 10 to dry

Wash hands

after using wax

polish

Strip wood

where glue will

be placed

Chisel Run the chisel across the area to

be glued stripping the polish and

wax off.

10 minutes Chisel

downwards to

avoid cutting

something else

Glue wood

bases

PVA glue and clamps Add glue to wood edges and line

up on a bench, using clamps to

keep them in place.

20 minutes

and 24 hours

to dry

Don’t get glue

on fingers

PRODUCTION PLAN 2

Process Tools and

Materials

Method Time Health

and

Safety

Picture of

Result

Glue wood

shelves

PVA glue and clamps Add glue to shelf pieces and then

let them rest on base.

1 minute and

24 to dry

Don’t get glue

on fingers

Sand table

edges to align it

Orbital sander Use sander to flatten any pieces

sticking out.

20 minutes Don’t touch

sander and

wear goggles

Route draw Router Use router to make grooves for

draw sides.

30 minutes Wear goggles

Cut draw sides Band saw Run sides through for desired

length.

20 minutes Keep fingers

away from saw

and wear

goggles

Glue draw

together

PVA glue Put PVA in routed edges and put

sides in and leave.

10 minutes

and 24 hours

to dry

Don’t get glue

on fingers

Cut hole for

draw

Pillar drill and drill bit Attach drill bit to drill and then drill

down into the middle of the draw.

5 minutes Keep hands

away from drill

and wear

goggles

Rest glass on

silicon pads

and assemble

Silicon Pads, draw,

glass and frame.

Stick silicon pads on wood, then

rest glass on top.

1 minute Don’t drop

glass as its

heavy.

ORTHOGRAPHIC

CHOSEN DESIGN

EVALUATION 1

Function

• My design is aimed at first time coffee table buyers, or for couples moving into a new house. It will function as a regular coffee table, and should provide sufficient space for plates and cups to stand on top of.

• It will have space to comfortably store magazines, remotes or games.

• There are 2 shelves and draw to store big things like magazines and plates, and significant space on top of the table.

Aesthetics

• My table will be in the modernistic design style.

• I would like to make the table all one shade of wood, with dark or light.

• As my questionnaire shows, a mix of curved and straight lines is the most popular design for the outside of the table; I will use this.

• The storage space will be in the form of draws and shelves.

• The table I've created is modern, with a light shade of wood, however I did not include any curves in the design.

Materials

• Durable wood is required as to avoid scratches and so it may last a long time, to get money’s worth.

• Silicon or cloth should be put under each leg to stop scratching against the floor and for support.

• I have waxed and polished my wood in order to protect it. The wood can therefore be placed against a hard floor without damage.

Customer

• My table is aimed at first time buyers, who will want a modern to design to fit in to a new house or flat. The age range is 25-35.

• This table is cheap enough for first time buyers and can be placed against a wall comfortably.

Size

• This will most likely be used as a centre piece; the sizes should roughly be around 1000 long, 600 high and 500 wide. These are the dimensions of lots of modern coffee tables made at the moment.

• The table is a little over these dimensions as the glass has a small overlap, yet the width was changed to 300.

Health and safety

• The first time buyers may have kids or will get kids, so there must be no sharp edges and it should be stable so it does not topple.

• The glass has curved edges for safety and will not topple due to silicon pads. The table is secure.

EVALUATION 2

My table fits the brief on the majority, containing ample shortage space for many things like

DVD’s, magazines and remotes.

A modernistic style has been incorporated using glass on top to act as extra space for plates

or mugs.

The design also contains a draw for smaller things that can be put away. There is spare

space for books in the lengths at the bottom.

The table can be placed against the wall as it is squared. This makes it easier to put in a flat

that a first time buyer might have. However it retains its small size so can be placed almost

anywhere.

The production plan was a good start for my

table yet it was hard to follow as there were

many hiccups in the production of the table.

Gluing times made it difficult to keep the flow

of manufacture. One shelf had to be

hammered it using nails as it would not glue

without falling. Also the draw sides were made

of ply and not cherry as it was easier to

construct this way because they could be

routed easily. The draw was glued a little

wonky and therefore it had to be sanded to fit

in the frame. The glass also took a lot of time

to arrive and so I had to wait to take final

pictures of my designs. Some sided has to be

sanded so that they didn’t protrude from the

design.

EVALUATION 3

Quality control was a success. If I was

manufacturing on a large scale the jig for the angle

in the wood, and the draw can be used to replicate

the sizes for each.

If I were to do this project again I would add another

dimension to my design, possibly by adding more

draws so that there was one in each shelf. Also it

could be made with more accuracy, so that no

planning or sanding would b necessary. Finally

sketches would be made more precise.