MakeaMiniShieldandLetterOpener
Description
Metalfabrication involvestheuse of a basic setof skills—cutting, bending, and assemblingprocesses—tocreatesomething from raw material.Inthis activity plan,students will put allthevarious stagesof fabrication towork as theyfabricatetheirownmini shield and letter opener.Teachers will demonstrate equipmentandprocess andthe studentswillfollow upbybuildingtheir own minishieldandletteropener.
LessonObjectives
The student willbeableto:
•Identifycommonmetals
•Demonstrateappropriateshop behaviour
•Demonstratesafe andappropriate useofhandtoolsand equipment
•Useappropriate layouttools
•Placeand rivetcomponents inthe correctlocation
•Demonstrateproficientriveting
Assumptions
Thestudent:
•Has demonstrated previous metallurgical knowledge
•Understands basic layouttechniques
•Canperformbasic measurement
•Demonstrates safetool and equipment use
Terminology
Hilt:handleofatoolor sword.
Hilttopper: topsectionof thehandle that separates your handfrom the blade.
EstimatedTime
5–10 hours
Thetimeforthis activity will dependonthe familiarity of studentswithtools and the amount ofequipment available.
RecommendedNumberofStudents
20, basedonBCTechnologyEducators’Best PracticeGuide
Facilities
Secondaryschool metal shop orequivalentlyequipped technology educationshop
Equipment/Machinery
•Benchgrinder
•Drill press
•Foot shear
•Sliproller
Tools
•Aviationsnips
•Ballpeenhammer
•Beverly shear
•Whitneypunch
•Centre punch
•Scribe
•Permanentmarker
•Square
•Steelscale
•File
•Emerycloth
Materials
Item / #ofpieces / Material / Thickness / Width / LengthShield body / 1 / 22ga sheet metal / 22ga / 6" / 6"
Shield dome / 1 / 22ga sheet metal / 22ga / 3" / 3"
Shieldback plate / 1 / 22ga sheet metal / 22ga / ½" / 3"
Letteropener / 1 / ½"bandiron / 1⁄8" / ½" / 9"
Hilttopper / 1 / ½"bandiron / 1⁄8" / ½" / 3"
5–1⁄8" aluminumpop rivets
Resources
Howto use abeverlyshear
Howto usea footshear
Howto rivet
Howto use a slip roller
Teacher-ledActivity
Leadthe class through thefollowing steps to fabricatea minishieldandletteropener.
Shieldbody
1.Obtainapiece of 22 ga aluminumsheetmetal.
2.Teacher demonstrateslayout andfootshear safety.Useaviation snips if afootshear isunavailable.
3.Lay out and cut a6"×6"squareofsheetmetal.
4.Trace template and cut along layout lineswithaviation snips.
5.File shield touniformshape and remove sharpedges.
6.Teacherdemonstratessliprollertostudents.You can leavetheshieldflat if a sliprollerisunavailable.
7.Rollshieldthrough slip roller to give shield a slightly convexshape.
8.Usingemery cloth,sandentire surfaceofshield.
9.Using yourthumbovertheemerycloth, twist emerycloth to createswirlsover the entiresurfaceof theshield.
Shieldbackplate
1.Obtainapieceof½"sheet metalstrip.Measure3" and cut.
2.Useemery cloth tosmooth any burrs around edges.
Shielddome
1.Cutapiece of aluminumsheet metal3" ×3"square.
2.Clampa2"diameterpipe verticallyintoa vise.
3.Centre sheet metal overpipe. Beginpeening thecentreofsheet metalstartingfrom thecentreand movingouttowards the edges in circularpatterns, to createa dome shape.
4.Traceand cut a3"diameter circlearound the dometo leavea½"lip aroundthe dome.
5.File edges ofthecircleuniformandsmooth.
6.Mark out 4evenlyspaced holes around dome.
7.TeacherdemonstratesWhitneypunch.Use⅛"drillbitinhanddrill or drillpress, if Whitneypunch isunavailable.
8.UsingtheWhitneypunchwith a ⅛"die,punchout 4 marks.
9.Placethedome onthe shieldandtransfer 4Whitneypunchmarks with scribe.
Assemblyofshield
1.UsetheWhitneypunchto punchholesinshield.
2.Lay outshieldback plate behind twohorizontal holes onshield and transfermarks withscribe.
3.UsetheWhitneypunchto punchholes in thebacking plate.
4.Placea rivetthroughthedome,shield, andbacking plate.
5.Placetherivetin a suitable recess oftherivetsetandflattentherivetwith a ballpeenhammer.
6.Rivet theothersideof the backing plate.
Smallswordletteropener
1.Obtain a piece of⅛" × ½"flatbarandcutto9".
2.Fileoneendofflatbarto½"diameterandtheotherendto a ⅛"diametertaper,asperplans.
3.File90°notchesthatare⅛"deepintoflatbar,asperplans,tocreatethehilt.
4.File edges ofletter openerbladeto amild chamfer.
5.Obtain a piece of½"flatbarandcutto3"longtocreatehilttopper.
6.Lay outradiuslines on hilttopperas perplans.
7.File tolinestocreateshape onhilttopper.
8.Centrepunchmiddleofhilttopperanddrillwith⅛"drillbit.
9.Layoutcentrepunch mark on swordhandleasperplansanddrillwith⅛"drillbit.
10.Countersink hole with⅜"drillbit on oneside.
11.File bothpieces to removeanyburrs after drilling.
Assemblyofletteropener
1.Placea rivetset inthe vise.
2.Place a ⅛"rivetthroughthehilttopperandletteropener.
3.Positionthe rivethead into thecorrespondinghole onthe rivetsetanvil.
4.Usea ball peenhammerto mushroom the rivet.
5.Hammertherivetflatagainsttheletteropenerback.
6.Fileanyexcessmaterialfrom the rivet to make it smooth against thehilt.
Finishing
1.Clean anygrease,dirt, or scratchesinthe metal usingemerycloth.
2.Chooseanappropriatemethodoffinishing(painting,powdercoating,etc.).
Assessment
Consider co-creatingthe assessment criteriawith yourstudents atthebeginningoftheactivity/project. You maywanttoincludethe following:
•Shield size iswithin1⁄16" to⅛"ofthetemplatesizeoverall
•Domeisevenlyhammered out
•Outsideedgeofdomeiswithin1⁄16" of a3" circle
•Shieldrivetingisflatandsmooth
•Letter opener length is within 1⁄16"
•Handlerivetingisflatandsmoothtohandle
•Hilt is within 1⁄16" of length
•Finishing: all edgesare smooth
ShieldTemplate–fullsize
Shieldtemplate
Dome Specifications
Domespecifications
Letter Opener / HiltTopper Specifications
Letter opener/Hilt topper specifications
CompletedProjects