Flexible Seating
Flexible seating in schools is aimed at creating 21st century learning spaces for students to be able to work collaboratively and creatively whilst promoting social interaction and independence. Flexible seating allows students to select from a variety of different seating choices throughout the classroom.
Seating can be varied from conventional options like chairs and stools to unconventional options like cushions, benches and exercise balls. Giving students the choice of where to sit and what type of seat they would like use for that lesson/day, promotes collaboration and helps engagement by giving students agency over selecting their workspace.
Seating can be varied from conventional options like chairs and stools to unconventional options like cushions, benches and exercise balls. Giving students the choice of where to sit and what type of seat they would like use for that lesson/day, promotes collaboration and helps engagement by giving students agency over selecting their workspace.
Traditional classrooms usually consist of rows and rows of tables and chairs. These classroom spaces provide a very static learning environment and promote a 'sit and listen' mindset. Collaboration and social interaction are made difficult with this static classroom layout.
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| https://www.teachermagazine.com.au/articles/classroom-layout-what-does-the-research-say |
Materials research and sustainability
The materials that i am considering using are Plywood, Radiata pine, Jarrah mild steel and aluminium.
Plywood:
Plywood is constructed from layers of timber veneers that are glued together to create the thickness of material desired. Each veneer is rotated 90 degrees opposite to the pieces that it will be glued to. Plywood has a large range of applications ranging from furniture and architectural applications to marine and structural form work applications. Plywood will be used in the stool top and perhaps as a detail material.
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| http://www.interglobalforest.com/russian-birch.html |
Radiata Pine:
Radiata pine is a softwood that is easy to work with and has a range of applications such as framing furniture making and novice joinery. It is also used for veneers and in plywood. Radiata pine is easy to work with a variety of hand tools and power tools. I intend to use radiata pine in the main construction of the frame of the stool.
Jarrah:
Radiata pine is a softwood that is easy to work with and has a range of applications such as framing furniture making and novice joinery. It is also used for veneers and in plywood. Radiata pine is easy to work with a variety of hand tools and power tools. I intend to use radiata pine in the main construction of the frame of the stool.
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| https://www.homehardware.com.au/trade-centre/timber-guide/internal-timber/radiata-pine-boards-furniture-grade/ |
Jarrah:
Jarrah is a hardwood native to Australia. It is know for being strong and durable and it is commonly use in outdoor furniture applications. Jarrah can be red or dark brown in appearance. Jarrah has a high grain density and can sometimes be difficult to machine because of this. Jarrah can also be quite hard on blades and cutting tools. My intention is to use jarrah as a detail or trim material.
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| http://thetimberbloke.com.au/product/jarrah-100-x-100mm-posts/ |
Mild steel:
Mild steel is a malleable and low tensile steel making ideal for bending and cold forming. It is cheap and easy to work with. Mild steel is prone to oxidization (rusting). Mild steel is a reasonable easy material to weld. It is used and many applications such as: Structural work, furniture, decoration and fencing. I intend to make at least two of my footrests out of mild steel.
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| https://www.metalsupermarkets.com/what-is-mild-steel/ |
Aluminium:
Aluminium is a soft metal that is often used for signage, fencing, cladding and furniture. Aluminium is lightweight. Aluminium can be polished to an almost mirror finish. I intend to use aluminum as an inlayed detail material.
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| http://hard-softalloys.constellium.com/hard-softalloys-czechrepublic/products-and-services/aluminium-bars-profiles |
Stool Research
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| http://studiohip.com.au/bar-stool/ |
I like the traditional structure of this stool as well as the angled legs.
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| https://www.behance.net/gallery/29897497/HEDGEHOG-dismountable-plywood-stool |
I find good quality plywood very aesthetically appealing. I really like the detail and finish of the above stool.
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| http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-knock-down-stool-made-from-plywood-flat-pa/ |
A design sketch of a stool that uses mortise and tennons to join the top to the legs.
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| http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-knock-down-stool-made-from-plywood-flat-pa/ |
Finished stool using a mortise and tennon joining technique to fix the seat to the stool legs.
My Ideation sketches
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| -Shaun Wallace 2018 |
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| -Shaun Wallace 2018 |
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| -Shaun Wallace 2018 |
Perspective and scale sketches (Final Design)
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| Mortise and tenon diagram (Autodesk Inventor) |
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| Mortise and tenon (Autodesk Inventor) |
Prototype Process and Critique
1: Once plywood material is selected, Dimensions are marked up and cut. For this stool top, two pieces of 300 x 300 x 17mm ply are used to create a 34mm thick stool top.
2: Once both pieces of ply are marked up, They both need to be cut to size using the table saw.
3: Now that both pieces of ply are cut to size, they are glued together using PVA glue, clamped and left to dry.
4: While the ply top is drying, work on the legs can begin. Four pieces of 42 x 42mm radiata pine is used for the legs. The legs are then machined down to 35 x 35mm square using multiple passes through the thicknesser.
5. All four legs are cut to a length of 560mm using the compound mitre saw. To add a tapered look to the legs, a 4 degree angle cut is added to two axis of the saw.
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| Test Fit |
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| Test fit |
6. A mortise and tenon joining method is used to attach the legs to the stool top. The mortise hole is needed to be in the stool top and the tenon is needed on the mating end of each leg. Firstly the legs are marked up to have a tenon that is 20 x 20mm square and 25mm long. Once they are all marked they are cut using a combination of the bandsaw and a tenon saw.
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| Originally the legs were going to be domino joined to the top |
7. After the tenons are cut for the legs, the mortise holes need to be cut into the stool top. A 20 x 20mm tenon is measured and marked onto the bottom of the stool top for each leg. The mortise hole is then cut out using a chisel. A 19mm chisel is used for this process. The mortise should be checked regularly for tightness and depth.
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| Hand chiselling the mortise holes |
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| Legs fitted to stool top and temporary framing |
8. Once the legs sit snugly into the stool top, the foot rests need to be added. The foot rests are made from 16mm Tasmanian oak dowel. The legs need to be marked up so that all holes align correctly. A 15mm forstner bit is used to drill the hole for the foot rests in each leg. Once drilled, A wooden mallet is used to tap all footrests and legs together and the legs into the stool top.
9. A frame to surround the tops of the legs is the next step. Four pieces of 200 x 42 x 19mm pine are used for the frame. A 45 degree mitre joint is marked out on both ends of each piece. The compound mitre saw is set to cut at 45 degrees in order to make these cuts. Once a good fit is achieved, A 3mm hole is pre-drilled to allow for screw fixing of the frame to the legs. Once all holes are pre-drilled, 30mm timber screws are used to fix the frame to the legs.
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| Frame test on Cardboard stool top template |
10. Two strips of 300 x 10mm aluminium strips are marked up and cut using the hydraulic guillotine. Once cut, they are attached to the stool top on either side, 50mm away from the edge using double sided tape. These are added to represent the aluminium inlay that will be added to the final stool.
Overall i am happy with how the prototype has turned out. I really like the plywood top that was used and i wish to use it in my final stool. The biggest change that i need to make is to the fit and finish of all aspects of my stool. I will use the CNC router to add the mortise holes to my Stool top so that should ensure a tight fit for my legs. The final stool top will have square aluminium bar inlayed into it, I was unable to do this for my prototype so i used aluminium sheet stripped to 10mm to give a visual representation of the desired finish. For the final stool, I need to ensure that i am more accurate with my measuring and cutting to guarantee a better fit and finish.
Completed Stool Prototype
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| Aluminium strip added for visual representation of aluminium that will be added to final stool |
Final Stool Step by Step Making Process
Step 1: The first step is to make the stool top. A stool top of 400mm x 400mm is required. A sheet of 15mm thick ply wood is put on the panel saw and two pieces of 400mm x 400mm ply is cut for the top. Approximate time: 15 mins
Step 2: Once the two pieces are cut, they must be glued together to make one 30mm thick stool top. PVA glue is spread evenly across the surface and both pieces are joined. After joining the two pieces, two screws are put into opposite corners with an impact driver. This will keep both pieces aligned for the next step. Approximate time: 10 mins
Step 3: Once glued and screwed, the stool top is completely wrapped in newspaper to avoid glue spilling. Once wrapped, the stool top is put into a manual press. The manual press is tightened firmly and aids in even gluing. Approximate time: 5 mins
Step 4: The stool top is left in the press overnight to dry. Once unwrapped, the shape of the stool top can be designed in CAD ready for CNC cutting.
Step 5: The stool top is drawn up in Solidworks and a .dxf file is generated for the CNC router. Approximate time: 20 mins
Step 6: The .dxf file is uploaded to the CNC router's computer and the tool paths are programmed. Once the tool paths are finalised, the stool top can be fixed to the bed of the CNC router. Approximate time: 5 mins
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| Stool top on CNC router cutting bed |
Step 8: Next, the stool legs need to be made. Four legs are cut to 600mm length out of 42mm x 42mm Radiata pine. Approximate time: 5 mins
Step 9: Once cut to length, all four legs are thicknessed down to 35mm x 35mm. Each leg is fed through the thicknesser and rotated each pass to ensre all legs are square. Approximate time: 25 mins
Step 10: The four legs have an angle of 5 degrees cut on each on on two axis. This cut will cause each leg to angle out to each corner of the stool. This angle cut is done on the compound mitre saw. Approximate time: 10 mins
Step 11: following the preparation of the legs, the frame that sits under the stool top is the next part to be made. A piece of 19mm Radiata pine is run through the thicknesser until it reaches a thickness of 12mm. This will allow the frame to sit inside the the square channel in the bottom of the stool top that was cut by the CNC router. Approximate time: 10 mins
Step 12. Four pieces of radiata pine are cut to 35mm x 220mm using the bandsaw. Approximate time: 10 mins
Step 13: Once all four pieces are cut to length, the first piece can have a 45 degree miter cut on one end. This is also done on the compound miter saw. Once the first miter is cut, all other 45 degree miters can be measured and cut to optimise fit. Approximate time: 25 mins
Step 14: Once all miters are snug, the frame can be gently sanded to ensure a snug fit in the channel in the underside of the stool top. Approximate time: 5 mins
Step 15: With the frame cut to size, the mortise holes can be marked and cut into the stool top. A mortise hole of 20mm x 20mm is marked on the underside for each leg. Approximate time: 20 mins
Step 16: A 19mm chisel is used to chisel out the mortise holes, going a small depth each time. Approximate time: 20 mins
Step 17: Once the mortise holes done, tenons are measured, marked and cut on each leg. The angle at the base of the tenon can be matched using a sliding bevel, the width of the tenon is marked using a marking gauge. Approximate time: 15 mins
Step 18: The top of each leg is marked out with a steel rule. The tenon is now ready to cut. Approximate time: 5 mins
Step 19: The tenon is carefully cut using a tenon saw. A shallow tenon is cut at 7.5mm on the top of each leg. Approximate time: 15 mins
Step 20: All four legs are checked for fit and sanded if needed.
Step 21: Now the the legs fit into the stool top, the foot rests are made. Two pieces of 16mm Tasmanian oak dowel is cut down to 200mm using a tenon saw. The other two footrests are cut to 200mm length out of 16mm aluminium tube using a hacksaw. Approximate time: 10 mins
Step 22: The holes for the footrests are measured and marked out on the legs. The foot rests are staggered and maked at 60mm high from the floor and 120mm high from the floor. once marked out, the holes are drilled 10mm deep using a 15mm forstner bit. Approximate time: 20 mins
Step 23: Once the holes are drilled, the fit of each footrest is checked and sanded if needed.
Step 24: Two lengths of 12mm aluminium bar are needed for the stool top. These are milled on the top surface. For this to work, a jig is required to stop the bar from vibrating during milling. A channel is milled into a length of timber for the aluminum bar to be fixed to. Approximate time: 20 mins
Step 25: Two pieces of bar are cut down to 305mm using the cold saw. Once cut, each piece is fixed into the jig at each end using screws and milled down 1mm across one side. Approximate time: 30 mins
Step 26: Once milling is complete, fit into the stool top is checked. Two 12.5mm wide channels are cut into the top using the CNC router. Approximate time: 5 mins
Step 27: With a snug fit in each channel, The aluminium bars can be sanded down close to 300mm length using a disk sander. The small remainder can be sanded by hand with emery cloth to remove the scratches. Whilst sanding, fit into the top should be checked. Approximate time: 20 mins
Step 28: With each component complete, The stool is ready to be glued and clamped together. Great care is needed when gluing the legs, footrests and frame to the stool top. Clamping the frame and legs will aid with gluing and ensure a snug fit. PVA glue is used on all timber components and polyurethane glue is used when gluing the aluminium to the timber. Once the stool is glued together, it should be left to dry. Approximate time: 30 mins
Step 29: After the glue has dried, the clamps can be removed and the frame is ready to be doweled through. The frame is marked 30mm from each end of the frame and 15mm from the stool top for drilling. A hole is drilled 25mm through the frame into the legs. A 9mm dowel is glued using PVA and tapped into each hole using a hammer. Approximate time: 15 mins
Step 30: All dowels are left proud to dry. After drying, each dowel is cut flush using a Japanese flush cut saw. Approximate time: 10 mins
Step 31: Now that the stool construction is complete, it is ready to be sanded and finished. 100 grit sandpaper is used for the first surface sand. Following the 100 grit, 180 grit sandpaper is used on all timber surfaces to provide a smooth finish. All edges are then arrassed to remove any sharp edges. Autosol metal polish is used to clean and polish the aluminium. Approximate time: 30 mins
Step 32: The final step is to oil the stool. Vegetable oil is applied to the stool and left to dry. A final coat is added and left to dry. The stool is now complete. Approximate time: 20 mins
Approximate completion time required: 7 hours and 30 minutes
Complete Stool
Reflection
For my stool, I decided to use primarily Radiata pine. I found it easy to work with during the construction of my prototype. Radiata pine is the most commonly used timber in high schools as it is cheap and sustainable. Using the CNC router for my ply stool top allowed me to inlay two strips of aluminium bar into the top surface as i had originally envisioned but was unable to do in my prototype. I added two aluminium footrests to the final stool to compliment the aluminium in the stool top. The aluminium bar was purchased as an off cut adding to the sustainability of the stool
The height of the final stool is quite comfortable and i believe that it is a comfortable size for people of varying heights. I also believe the staggered heights of the footrests add to the comfort by allowing the user to option to find a more comfortable footrest level.
Overall the footprint of the stool is narrow but still adequate for stability. The stool doesn't feel like it may topple over when you are sitting on it and the stool doesn't feel like it will fall over when you wiggle around or re-adjust your seating position. One side of the stool has a few degrees extra angle one two of the legs. It is only visible when viewing from the side. If i built the stool again perhaps i would but the legs in a jig to ensure that they are completely square. I don't believe the added angle on on side of the legs looks all that bad and could possibly be pulled off as an intentional design feature.
I did not originally envision the aluminium inlay sitting proud from my stool top. I wanted the inlay to sit flush with the surface of the top. Once I test fitted the bar into the channels, I realised that the channels were not cut deep enough. Initially I was disappointed by this, but after sitting on the stool and realising that i cant really feel that the bars are sitting proud, I considered leaving them like this. The look of the bars sitting above the surface has actually grown on me. If i were to make this stool again, I would cut the channels deeper as i am still curious as to how the stool top would look with the inlay sitting flush.
For the final build, I decided that i would like to strengthen the construction and remove any rake from the final stool that existed in my prototype. I decided to drill through the frame that encloses the legs and dowel through the legs themselves. I wasn't sure hoe this would turn out as I hadn't tried a process like it before. I am really happy with how this turned out. I believe this will have added to the overall rigidity of the stool and the darker color of the dowel looks great against the lighter color pine.
The build of the stool was somewhat complex. I managed to build the final stool much faster than the prototype as i had a really good idea of the process and also areas that i could improve. If i were to do this project with students, I would make jigs to assist students with the accuracy of building their stools and streamline the build time.
References
http://australianteachers.blogspot.com.au/2017/05/flexible-seating-options.html
https://www.teachermagazine.com.au/articles/classroom-layout-what-does-the-research-say
http://studiohip.com.au/bar-stool/
https://www.behance.net/gallery/29897497/HEDGEHOG-dismountable-plywood-stool
http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-knock-down-stool-made-from-plywood-flat-pa/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-knock-down-stool-made-from-plywood-flat-pa/
http://www.interglobalforest.com/russian-birch.html
https://www.woodsolutions.com.au/wood-species/pine-radiata
https://www.homehardware.com.au/trade-centre/timber-guide/internal-timber/radiata-pine-boards-furniture-grade/
http://www.wood-database.com/jarrah/
https://www.woodsolutions.com.au/wood-species/jarrah
https://www.metalsupermarkets.com/what-is-mild-steel/
http://thetimberbloke.com.au/product/jarrah-100-x-100mm-posts/
http://hard-softalloys.constellium.com/hard-softalloys-czechrepublic/products-and-services/aluminium-bars-profiles
