Keychain Reflection

Designing and crafting a small aluminum keychain in class was a great way to learn the safety and procedures of using machines as well as learn how different the desired outcome can be from the actual outcome. To start, I'll go over the safety rules of working in the engineering lab and with the machines.

General
1. Appropriate gear
-Always be wearing supportive, closed toed shoes in the lab. Additionally, keep your hair neatly tied back and don't wear loose clothing. You'll also need safety glasses in the lab at all times.
2. Always be with someone
-Though we are privileged to access the room at all hours--even after class, it is vital observe the same safety procedures as you would during class hours. This means no working on projects without another person in the room who is willing and able to call for help and assist you in the case of an emergency.
3. Always ask if you are unsure!
-Better safe than sorry. Never use a piece of equipment unless you are entirely comfortable with it. Ask Professor Banzaert or Larry Knowles the machinist about any questions or concerns you have in the lab.

Drill Press
When using the drill press, remember to have hair tied back and no loose clothing. The spinning motion of the drill bit can suck in any extraneous articles. Firstly, you need to make sure you are using the correct drill bit for the project you are working on. Choose based on size of hole and material you are drilling through. Also, when tightening the bit into the chuck, make sure the channel for waste material is clear on the bit so that material doesn't jam the equipment as it escapes. Now you will place your material on the press and center it where you want the hole to be. There is a handy laser that will help you aline the drill with the desired area. Additionally you can gently rotate the handle and press the bit to the material to see if it matches up. When drilling you should never use your hands to secure your material. Always use a clamp or vise to fasten your material to the table. When aligning the drill with your hole, make sure to have the drill centered over the hole in the table so that you do not damage the bit or the table when drilling. Now you are ready to drill. Turn the machine on, lower the drill and make subtle up and down motions as you push the drill through the material. Once you have made it all the way through, gently pull the drill up and turn the machine off. Wait until the bit stops spinning completely before retrieving your object from the table.

Bandsaw
Again, when using the bandsaw, adhere to all general safety rules and be sure to wear safety goggles. When adjusting the height of the blade make sure there are always at least three notches from the blade above the table. You should avoid making the height of the saw too tall because it makes the blade less stable and can be more dangerous to operate because there is more potential area of exposed blade to injure yourself on. Once you have adjusted the height of your blade using the knobs in the back of the machine you should examine your material and what kind of cut you need to make. If you have a long piece of material you should have a friend help out by holding the part of it that extends off the table to stabilize it. When using the bandsaw it is important that your fingers are never within a dangerous distance from the blade. Always use either a push stick or a vise or a combination to guide the material through the blades. Once you turn the machine on do not force through the blades with a ton of pressure, simply ease it though and be careful at the end so that you do not fall into the machine because of your momentum. Remove the material completely from the blades and turn the machine off. Wait for the blade to come to a full stop and remember that the material will be hot (because of the friction) so use a push stick to drop it into some water to cool it down if it's metal. If it's wood simply let it cool for a moment before picking it up.

There are limitations and benefits to each machine. For example, the drill press is great because it works with almost every material and thickness. However, there is a limit to the size and shape you can drill into your material. You can't drill a square for example. The drill press is also very precise when used properly. The bandsaw on the other hand is very challenging to get precise cuts unless you have significant experience with the machine. The bandsaw is good for removing larger amounts of material but is generally constricted to straight or only slightly curved lines. Curvy, intricate designs are not possible using this machine.

My experience with the machines during the project was enlightening. I had envisioned a lightening bolt shape and my keychain ended up taking a similar form (though not exact) of what I had imagined. When using the bandsaw I found it hard to control the direction of the cut--it was as if the blade steered itself and in order to get the desired cut I really had to focus on guiding it properly. The drill press was a little easier for me. With the right set up the hole was fairly straight forward to make and went right in the spot I wanted it to. The exact shape of the lightening bolt came out a little skewed from the original lines but it still very much resembled what I was envisioning. Because I had to make some detailed cuts, I ended up with a few odd and jagged inner and outer edges. Using a both the sanding belt and a hand-operated triangular file, I was able to sand away any imperfections remaining.