Emily Holt
Plan of Procedure
SHAPING
1) Safety: wear dust mask and goggles at all times
2) Set up stands
3) Create template
- Trace onto cardboard
- take nose, center and tail measurements and connect them with a curve
- cut out template
4) Check blank to make sure the foam isn’t twisted
5) check to make sure stringer is strait
6) trace template onto blank
7) Cut out blank rough template with hand saw
8) set block planer on ¼ of an inch and plane bottom of board
Rocker:
1) Entry rocker, use surfoam to take down the nose of th board to desired thickness
2) make sure this is a continuous smooth curve over the nose of the board.
3) Tail Rocker, Use surfoam to take down the tail of the board to desired thickness
Rail Bands:
1) make dots on thickness of the board ¼” and ½” and 2 inches and 4 inches in from rails.
2) connect the first dots, 2” and ¼” using surfoam
3) connect the second dots, 4” and ½”, using surfoam
Top:
1) Use surfoam to take off top layer of foam on deck
2) be sure not to protrude too far into the deck because the foam gets softer and this isn’t good for the deck of the board because this is where your feet are going to be, (will cause the most damage)
3) make the deck flow, take down nose to desired thickness
Rails:
1) do 20 swipes with sand paper, from nose to tail to round the rails
2) repeat 3 times (both rails of board)
Fine Sanding:
1) sand entire board using 60 grit
2) sand entire board using 80 grit
3) sand entire board using 100 or 120 grit
(( during the entire shaping process take down stringer using mini hand block planer.. the foam surrounding will only go down as far as the stringer is))
*Shape like water*
GLASSING
Bottom
1) unroll cloth and lay across bottom of board
2) cut cloth to 6’
3) cut cloth all around surfboard at 2” from rails
4) mix fiberglass according to directions
5) pour 1/3 of glass onto board and squeegie out across surface (the board will absorb a lot of the liquid)
6) Repeat step 5 until all the mixture is used
7) tuck laps under board (the excess cloth on the rails)
8) stay with board for 20 minutes and catch drips, this will help to decrease the amount of sanding necessary later
9) wait overnight for glass to dry
10) sand any rough edges of the board
Top
((glassing the top or deck of the board is the same as the bottom but instead of one layer of cloth you use 2))
Repeat steps 1-10 on bottom glassing.
SANDING
1) Sand the entire board until smooth
2) to sand rails swipe sand paper across from nose to tail as you did shaping the board
3) sand board until smooth
FINS
1) Refer to fin drawing for measurements and information
2) Measure 1’ from nose of board and 1’ from tail
3) connect these points with a strait eddge ( this line is now at the proper angle for the fin)
4) draw line for center fin 2” up from tail
5) use fin box router to cut holes for fin boxes
6) mix 2 ounces of fiberglass
7) pour ½ ounce of fiber glass into fin box hole and place fin box in the hole, wipe away excess glass from board
8) repeat step 7 for all three fin boxes
9) let dry over night
10) put fins into boxes
DONEEE !!!! =)
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Press Release
Surfboard Being Shaped for Small NJ Conditions
Plans for Testing and Construction Progress
Sandy Hook, New Jersey, February 25, 2009- Emily Holt, an 18 year old high school senior from Rumson NJ, is designing a surfboard for small surf conditions in New Jersey.
Contact: Emily Holt, Period 5/6
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 5, 2009
Systems Engineering II: NJ Short Board Design
Background
After a recent visit to The Marine Academy of Science and Technology, a vocational school in Sandy Hook I was enlightened to see amazing projects the students are doing there. Each senior Systems Engineering student has a design project they complete over the course of the year, one that really struck my eye was 18 year old, Emily Holt’s idea for a surfboard design specific to New Jersey conditions. During the interview Ms. Holt told me “I was having trouble competing on small days in the summer and I wanted to see if I could design a board to overcome those problems”. Emily took the problems she was having and designed a board to fix each aspect of the board. She started construction this quarter and is going to be complete by March 18th. In this article I am going to update you on the progress of Emily’s project and her aspirations for testing.
Mentor
In order to help her with her design Emily looked for a mentor. She is working with a retired surfboard shaper in the local area. Her mentor has been surfing for over 20 years in New Jersey and has a lot of background information on the conditions as well as surfboard construction. They meet every few weeks to discuss the progression of the project and to answer any questions Emily has encountered along the way.
Board Design
The new board Emily is creating solves many of the problems she was having surfing during the summer when the waves are small and weak. She came up with specifications the design must meet to be a viable solution. The board must do the following things; perform in 1-2ft mushy New Jersey conditions, be acceptable for competitive events, allow you to catch more waves than the typical short board so it won’t dump speed, move faster to keep you on the wave and maintain speed to move around flat sections on a wave. Her final design can be seen in her AutoCAD drawing below. Her design is a 6 feet tall, 2 ½ inches thick and 22 inches wide. This is thicker and wider than her current short board, which she was having trouble riding in small conditions. The new design increases surface area to help catch waves more easily. The board is going to have a swallow tail (which looks like a fish’s tail). “It has two separate pivot points to allow for rail control to keep you on the wave.” Emily told me. The bottom contour is going to be single to double concave. This will jet water to both pivot points on the tail to allow for maneuverability and rail stability. The explanation for each design item is how Ms. Holt aspires for her board to perform when tested. Below are a few pictures of the board being constructed.
Testing
In order to test the design Emily is going to actually ride the board. She is going to plan testing around the surf conditions. She is looking to test on a 1-2ft day in late April or early May (an example of this can be seen in figure 4 on the following page). The testing location is going to be in Long Branch, New Jersey. In order to test the design she is going to ride her current short board as well as the new designed board on the same day. She is going to catch 5 waves on each board and compare the different rides through a video of the session. She will describe each maneuver, show the old board in action and then the new board (through this you will be able to see both problem and solution). The session is going to be video taped and edited in windows movie maker, text is going to be supplementary to describe the differences on either board. The movie is going to be a great visual aid to see what Emily has been working on for the year and how her ideas actually transfer to a real life situation. Hopefully the board is going to perform as planned.
Project Based Education
There are many benefits of project based learning, which is what the senior students at the Marine Academy are taking part in today. It allows for a variety of learning styles and is “real world” oriented. It gives students a purpose to their work because they are creating a tangible product. Project based learning often cuts across multiple curricular areas, Emily’s project does. Emily’s project involves math, science, technology, writing, public speaking, AutoCAD and even art involved in airbrushing the board. Emily benefits in many different subjects, all from doing a project she is very interested in. This is a great way to learn. Learning from experience is one of the best ways to learn because your experience is engrained in your memory much more than reading a text book or doing a math problem. In Emily’s case the knowledge she is gaining throughout the process of her project is used as application to something she loves, surfing.
Summary
Emily is designing and constructing a surfboard for small New Jersey waves. As of February 25th 2009, Emily is in the process of construction. She should be finished by March 18th. She is working with a retired surfboard shaper. He is her mentor in case she runs into any big problems along the way. The new board is going to solve many of the problems people face surfing in small waves in the summer. In order to test her design Emily is going to ride her current short board as well as her new design on the same day. She is hoping for the favorable conditions of a 1-2ft weak day surfing. She is going to test her design in April. In doing this project Emily is crossing many curricular topics and is gaining knowledge she never could from a textbook because of the hands on aspect to the project. If you would like more information about the project, or too see what she is currently doing you can use the contact information below. Be sure to check out her blog (the link is also below). Hopefully Emily’s construction and testing will go as planned.
For more details about NJ Surfboard Design in Monmouth County NJ, contact Emily Holt at emily_holt@mast.mcvsd.org or visit the weblog at SE2shortboard.blogger.com.
Plans for Testing and Construction Progress
Sandy Hook, New Jersey, February 25, 2009- Emily Holt, an 18 year old high school senior from Rumson NJ, is designing a surfboard for small surf conditions in New Jersey.
Contact: Emily Holt, Period 5/6
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 5, 2009
Systems Engineering II: NJ Short Board Design
Background
After a recent visit to The Marine Academy of Science and Technology, a vocational school in Sandy Hook I was enlightened to see amazing projects the students are doing there. Each senior Systems Engineering student has a design project they complete over the course of the year, one that really struck my eye was 18 year old, Emily Holt’s idea for a surfboard design specific to New Jersey conditions. During the interview Ms. Holt told me “I was having trouble competing on small days in the summer and I wanted to see if I could design a board to overcome those problems”. Emily took the problems she was having and designed a board to fix each aspect of the board. She started construction this quarter and is going to be complete by March 18th. In this article I am going to update you on the progress of Emily’s project and her aspirations for testing.
Mentor
In order to help her with her design Emily looked for a mentor. She is working with a retired surfboard shaper in the local area. Her mentor has been surfing for over 20 years in New Jersey and has a lot of background information on the conditions as well as surfboard construction. They meet every few weeks to discuss the progression of the project and to answer any questions Emily has encountered along the way.
Board Design
The new board Emily is creating solves many of the problems she was having surfing during the summer when the waves are small and weak. She came up with specifications the design must meet to be a viable solution. The board must do the following things; perform in 1-2ft mushy New Jersey conditions, be acceptable for competitive events, allow you to catch more waves than the typical short board so it won’t dump speed, move faster to keep you on the wave and maintain speed to move around flat sections on a wave. Her final design can be seen in her AutoCAD drawing below. Her design is a 6 feet tall, 2 ½ inches thick and 22 inches wide. This is thicker and wider than her current short board, which she was having trouble riding in small conditions. The new design increases surface area to help catch waves more easily. The board is going to have a swallow tail (which looks like a fish’s tail). “It has two separate pivot points to allow for rail control to keep you on the wave.” Emily told me. The bottom contour is going to be single to double concave. This will jet water to both pivot points on the tail to allow for maneuverability and rail stability. The explanation for each design item is how Ms. Holt aspires for her board to perform when tested. Below are a few pictures of the board being constructed.
Testing
In order to test the design Emily is going to actually ride the board. She is going to plan testing around the surf conditions. She is looking to test on a 1-2ft day in late April or early May (an example of this can be seen in figure 4 on the following page). The testing location is going to be in Long Branch, New Jersey. In order to test the design she is going to ride her current short board as well as the new designed board on the same day. She is going to catch 5 waves on each board and compare the different rides through a video of the session. She will describe each maneuver, show the old board in action and then the new board (through this you will be able to see both problem and solution). The session is going to be video taped and edited in windows movie maker, text is going to be supplementary to describe the differences on either board. The movie is going to be a great visual aid to see what Emily has been working on for the year and how her ideas actually transfer to a real life situation. Hopefully the board is going to perform as planned.
Project Based Education
There are many benefits of project based learning, which is what the senior students at the Marine Academy are taking part in today. It allows for a variety of learning styles and is “real world” oriented. It gives students a purpose to their work because they are creating a tangible product. Project based learning often cuts across multiple curricular areas, Emily’s project does. Emily’s project involves math, science, technology, writing, public speaking, AutoCAD and even art involved in airbrushing the board. Emily benefits in many different subjects, all from doing a project she is very interested in. This is a great way to learn. Learning from experience is one of the best ways to learn because your experience is engrained in your memory much more than reading a text book or doing a math problem. In Emily’s case the knowledge she is gaining throughout the process of her project is used as application to something she loves, surfing.
Summary
Emily is designing and constructing a surfboard for small New Jersey waves. As of February 25th 2009, Emily is in the process of construction. She should be finished by March 18th. She is working with a retired surfboard shaper. He is her mentor in case she runs into any big problems along the way. The new board is going to solve many of the problems people face surfing in small waves in the summer. In order to test her design Emily is going to ride her current short board as well as her new design on the same day. She is hoping for the favorable conditions of a 1-2ft weak day surfing. She is going to test her design in April. In doing this project Emily is crossing many curricular topics and is gaining knowledge she never could from a textbook because of the hands on aspect to the project. If you would like more information about the project, or too see what she is currently doing you can use the contact information below. Be sure to check out her blog (the link is also below). Hopefully Emily’s construction and testing will go as planned.
For more details about NJ Surfboard Design in Monmouth County NJ, contact Emily Holt at emily_holt@mast.mcvsd.org or visit the weblog at SE2shortboard.blogger.com.
Self and Design Evaluation
Self and Design Evaluation
I. Scope of project
My project is to design and shape a surfboard for mushy one to two foot New Jersey wave conditions. To execute this project I needed to research wave types and conditions, specific to New Jersey. From here I researched surfboard shapes and features and how they affect board performance. From here I reached a final solution which I constructed out of a surfboard blank. I shaped the board over 2 weeks and glassed and installed the fin boxes the next week. From here I painted the board using painters tape and spray paint. Once the paint job was done I clear coated the board in order to make sure the paint would hold up in salt water, and just the average ware a surfboard gets over time. Once the board was complete I tested the board, on a one to two foot day in Long Branch, New Jersey.
II. Description
My final chosen solution is 6 feet tall, 2 ½ inches thick and 22 inches wide. It is thicker and wider than my current short board in order to increase surface area to help catch waves more easily. It is a short board, less than 7ft so it will be usable in a competitive event. The board has a swallow tail which has two separate pivot points to allow for rail control to keep you on the wave. The bottom contour is a single to double concave. It is a very shallow concave with two exiting concaves. This tail will jet water to both pivot points on the tail and allow for maneuverability and rail stability. The nose rocker is 6” with a 3” tail rocker will keep the board relatively flat to increasing speed, while still allowing for the contours of a more modern board.
III. Discrepancies
There are a few discrepancies between my design and my final product. The major one is the tail. The tail had a chunk taken out of it while shaping, this was not intentional. The chunk was so big it wasn’t really fixable. I blame this mistake on my inexperience using an electric planer. I probably should have practiced on a few different materials before going strait to foam. I contacted my mentor and asked what to do about this, we both ruled out starting over because the blank is $150 and it would have been a waste of money to start over completely. After describing to him the location of the “chunk” he suggested making the mistake a part of my design, he said to look up tails with wings online and to try and make the chunk into something more visually pleasing. He said that the wings wouldn’t make much of a difference in the design and that I could still keep the base of the tail as wide as I needed it. I decided the wings were the best option for the board and followed through with the wings on both sides of the board.
The other discrepancies are with the measurements of the board, because it was my second board ever shaped I was still a beginner. It takes years and hundreds of boards to be a good surfboard shaper. The measurements of the board are off by ½ an inch at most in some places. I was pretty pleased with the outcome of the board.
IV. Successes and Failures
I would say I experienced more successes then failures during the project. I think this is because I chose an area I am very comfortable with. One of the problems I encountered along the way was time. When I tried to work on the board in class I would never have enough time to get anything significant done. I needed a solid few hours to really get into what I was doing and put solid work into the board. I accomplished this by taking the board home. My dad was very helpful during my project. He set up one of the bays in my garage as a shaping area with lights on the sides, shingles on the floor for glassing and he built shaping stands as well. All the tools I needed were easily accessible and it was very comfortable to shape.
Another problem I encountered was with shaping strokes, it is very important to start from one end of the board and move to the other. If you do short or abrupt strokes while shaping the contours of the board will come out poorly, the board will have a choppy look to it. The last major problem I had was with glassing, I didn’t put enough hardener in for the cold temperature that it was. It took almost three days for my board to dry completely, much longer than it should have originally. As I said before I think my successes with the board were much greater than my failures, I really had a lot of fun with this project. I enjoyed shaping the board, and for my second board ever shaped I think it came out very well.
V. What I Learned from Failures
From my failures I learned that preparation is very important in any situation. When I tried to shape the board at school there wasn’t enough time to prepare what I needed to be successful in the shaping process. I needed a place where I could make a huge mess, have shaping lights on either side of the board and have all my tools around. If I were to shape at school I would really need like a shed or something to shape in. I think this applies to any situation, in order to do a good job at anything you really need to put thought into the task and be prepared before you start. I think this project went as well as it did because I planned it out the first two marking periods and was really prepared and knew what I was doing. I also learned that resin doesn’t dry if it’s too cold out, it will eventually dry but if it is 65 degrees of below you need to put more hardener into the mix or wait for a warmer day. I am very thankful my board eventually dried. Another thing I learned is that when shaping you need to move from one end of the board to the other, and as John Carper says in his movie Shaping 101 “shape like water”.
VI. Additional Learning
I learned a lot about surfboard shaping from this project. I learned how to shape a surfboard which I can say not too many people know how to do. It is a lot of work but a lot of fun as well. I could see this developing into a hobby of mine when I get older, as for now I don’t have that kind of money. I learned how to use auto cad again, and I learned that it is almost impossible to draw a surfboard in 3D. I think this project has given me new eyes to surfing; I am more knowledgeable than I was about surfboards and I think I will be more skeptical when I go to buy my next board.
VII. Design Flaws
I recently saw a board that Kelly Slater (the record holding 9 time ASP world champion of surfing) is transitioning into riding. He is getting a lot of negative feedback from the surf community about this board and there are rumors that this board may cost him the 10th world title. I disagree. The board he is currently riding is much smaller than what he has historically ridden. It is an egg shape, with basically no nose. I think that when Slater gets used to riding this board, or is as good on it as he is on other boards he will be unstoppable. I think that his new surfboard design is really interesting and I would have liked to take some of the elements of his boards and add them to my design. The element that the board has a wide rounded nose is the element I think would work best on my design. I think that this nose would keep the board flatter than mine currently is, by not pointing the nose and making so much nose rocker you increase the surface area of the board in the water. I think this would make the board faster but it may be harder to ride. This is an element I may have changed now that I have seen Slater’s new design. When I was designing the board I didn’t put much thought into the nose because it is a short board and all short board noses are typically pointed with a lot of nose rocker, but after seeing Kelly Slater’s new design I think that a rounded nose may just be the next thing in surfboard technology.
VIII. Self Improvements
This project has helped me improve my problem solving skills greatly. It has challenged me to think outside the box to fix problems. During this project problems occurred instantly and I would need to come up with a new way of doing things, or alter my original thinking to solve the issue. The one problem that comes to mind was when the planer took a chunk out of my board; I had to think of a way to alter my design to fit this new problem. I think that most of all I learned to use my resources (my mentor) to help me with problems.
This project also helped my with my communication skills, not only through speaking but also drawing and writing. I have had to express my ideas in drawings on auto cad, overall this went well. The drawings I did really helped me when I went to construct the actual product. The drawings helped me stay organized and I always had something to reference if I wasn’t sure what measurements should be. Writing was also a big part of this project. Every step of the way there was related documentation due to help explain what was going on. I definitely became a better writer because of this project; I would say that I did more writing in Systems Engineering than I did in English this year. Overall I think I improved the most on my speaking skills, having to get up in front of the class each marking period and present was really good public speaking practice. I found it almost simple because I was so comfortable with what I was speaking about.
I also improved my organizational skills. The most valuable thing I think I learned was to plan out my work. The calendar assignment helped me to think about everything I needed to do that marking period and stay organized. I think I will carry this concept through in college. I liked having a calendar to reference whenever I didn’t know where to go next.
IX. Conclusion
My project was to design and shape a surfboard for small New Jersey surf conditions because majority of the surfboards used on the East Coast are shaped for West Coast conditions. I made a few shaping mistakes but that was expected since it was only the second surfboard I ever shaped. Because I was comfortable with the material and I love surfing, I was confident that the final product would turn out alright. I learned that the preparation of a project is just as important as actually doing the project.
Throughout the entire project, I have had to write multiple documents. My writing skills have greatly improved and I learned how to better communicate my ideas through public speaking and asking for advice. Overall, this project was much more than just building a surfboard. It takes you through the design process and makes you work on skills that you might not necessarily think were important. All of the improvements and mistakes I have made will stick with me in college and throughout life.
I. Scope of project
My project is to design and shape a surfboard for mushy one to two foot New Jersey wave conditions. To execute this project I needed to research wave types and conditions, specific to New Jersey. From here I researched surfboard shapes and features and how they affect board performance. From here I reached a final solution which I constructed out of a surfboard blank. I shaped the board over 2 weeks and glassed and installed the fin boxes the next week. From here I painted the board using painters tape and spray paint. Once the paint job was done I clear coated the board in order to make sure the paint would hold up in salt water, and just the average ware a surfboard gets over time. Once the board was complete I tested the board, on a one to two foot day in Long Branch, New Jersey.
II. Description
My final chosen solution is 6 feet tall, 2 ½ inches thick and 22 inches wide. It is thicker and wider than my current short board in order to increase surface area to help catch waves more easily. It is a short board, less than 7ft so it will be usable in a competitive event. The board has a swallow tail which has two separate pivot points to allow for rail control to keep you on the wave. The bottom contour is a single to double concave. It is a very shallow concave with two exiting concaves. This tail will jet water to both pivot points on the tail and allow for maneuverability and rail stability. The nose rocker is 6” with a 3” tail rocker will keep the board relatively flat to increasing speed, while still allowing for the contours of a more modern board.
III. Discrepancies
There are a few discrepancies between my design and my final product. The major one is the tail. The tail had a chunk taken out of it while shaping, this was not intentional. The chunk was so big it wasn’t really fixable. I blame this mistake on my inexperience using an electric planer. I probably should have practiced on a few different materials before going strait to foam. I contacted my mentor and asked what to do about this, we both ruled out starting over because the blank is $150 and it would have been a waste of money to start over completely. After describing to him the location of the “chunk” he suggested making the mistake a part of my design, he said to look up tails with wings online and to try and make the chunk into something more visually pleasing. He said that the wings wouldn’t make much of a difference in the design and that I could still keep the base of the tail as wide as I needed it. I decided the wings were the best option for the board and followed through with the wings on both sides of the board.
The other discrepancies are with the measurements of the board, because it was my second board ever shaped I was still a beginner. It takes years and hundreds of boards to be a good surfboard shaper. The measurements of the board are off by ½ an inch at most in some places. I was pretty pleased with the outcome of the board.
IV. Successes and Failures
I would say I experienced more successes then failures during the project. I think this is because I chose an area I am very comfortable with. One of the problems I encountered along the way was time. When I tried to work on the board in class I would never have enough time to get anything significant done. I needed a solid few hours to really get into what I was doing and put solid work into the board. I accomplished this by taking the board home. My dad was very helpful during my project. He set up one of the bays in my garage as a shaping area with lights on the sides, shingles on the floor for glassing and he built shaping stands as well. All the tools I needed were easily accessible and it was very comfortable to shape.
Another problem I encountered was with shaping strokes, it is very important to start from one end of the board and move to the other. If you do short or abrupt strokes while shaping the contours of the board will come out poorly, the board will have a choppy look to it. The last major problem I had was with glassing, I didn’t put enough hardener in for the cold temperature that it was. It took almost three days for my board to dry completely, much longer than it should have originally. As I said before I think my successes with the board were much greater than my failures, I really had a lot of fun with this project. I enjoyed shaping the board, and for my second board ever shaped I think it came out very well.
V. What I Learned from Failures
From my failures I learned that preparation is very important in any situation. When I tried to shape the board at school there wasn’t enough time to prepare what I needed to be successful in the shaping process. I needed a place where I could make a huge mess, have shaping lights on either side of the board and have all my tools around. If I were to shape at school I would really need like a shed or something to shape in. I think this applies to any situation, in order to do a good job at anything you really need to put thought into the task and be prepared before you start. I think this project went as well as it did because I planned it out the first two marking periods and was really prepared and knew what I was doing. I also learned that resin doesn’t dry if it’s too cold out, it will eventually dry but if it is 65 degrees of below you need to put more hardener into the mix or wait for a warmer day. I am very thankful my board eventually dried. Another thing I learned is that when shaping you need to move from one end of the board to the other, and as John Carper says in his movie Shaping 101 “shape like water”.
VI. Additional Learning
I learned a lot about surfboard shaping from this project. I learned how to shape a surfboard which I can say not too many people know how to do. It is a lot of work but a lot of fun as well. I could see this developing into a hobby of mine when I get older, as for now I don’t have that kind of money. I learned how to use auto cad again, and I learned that it is almost impossible to draw a surfboard in 3D. I think this project has given me new eyes to surfing; I am more knowledgeable than I was about surfboards and I think I will be more skeptical when I go to buy my next board.
VII. Design Flaws
I recently saw a board that Kelly Slater (the record holding 9 time ASP world champion of surfing) is transitioning into riding. He is getting a lot of negative feedback from the surf community about this board and there are rumors that this board may cost him the 10th world title. I disagree. The board he is currently riding is much smaller than what he has historically ridden. It is an egg shape, with basically no nose. I think that when Slater gets used to riding this board, or is as good on it as he is on other boards he will be unstoppable. I think that his new surfboard design is really interesting and I would have liked to take some of the elements of his boards and add them to my design. The element that the board has a wide rounded nose is the element I think would work best on my design. I think that this nose would keep the board flatter than mine currently is, by not pointing the nose and making so much nose rocker you increase the surface area of the board in the water. I think this would make the board faster but it may be harder to ride. This is an element I may have changed now that I have seen Slater’s new design. When I was designing the board I didn’t put much thought into the nose because it is a short board and all short board noses are typically pointed with a lot of nose rocker, but after seeing Kelly Slater’s new design I think that a rounded nose may just be the next thing in surfboard technology.
VIII. Self Improvements
This project has helped me improve my problem solving skills greatly. It has challenged me to think outside the box to fix problems. During this project problems occurred instantly and I would need to come up with a new way of doing things, or alter my original thinking to solve the issue. The one problem that comes to mind was when the planer took a chunk out of my board; I had to think of a way to alter my design to fit this new problem. I think that most of all I learned to use my resources (my mentor) to help me with problems.
This project also helped my with my communication skills, not only through speaking but also drawing and writing. I have had to express my ideas in drawings on auto cad, overall this went well. The drawings I did really helped me when I went to construct the actual product. The drawings helped me stay organized and I always had something to reference if I wasn’t sure what measurements should be. Writing was also a big part of this project. Every step of the way there was related documentation due to help explain what was going on. I definitely became a better writer because of this project; I would say that I did more writing in Systems Engineering than I did in English this year. Overall I think I improved the most on my speaking skills, having to get up in front of the class each marking period and present was really good public speaking practice. I found it almost simple because I was so comfortable with what I was speaking about.
I also improved my organizational skills. The most valuable thing I think I learned was to plan out my work. The calendar assignment helped me to think about everything I needed to do that marking period and stay organized. I think I will carry this concept through in college. I liked having a calendar to reference whenever I didn’t know where to go next.
IX. Conclusion
My project was to design and shape a surfboard for small New Jersey surf conditions because majority of the surfboards used on the East Coast are shaped for West Coast conditions. I made a few shaping mistakes but that was expected since it was only the second surfboard I ever shaped. Because I was comfortable with the material and I love surfing, I was confident that the final product would turn out alright. I learned that the preparation of a project is just as important as actually doing the project.
Throughout the entire project, I have had to write multiple documents. My writing skills have greatly improved and I learned how to better communicate my ideas through public speaking and asking for advice. Overall, this project was much more than just building a surfboard. It takes you through the design process and makes you work on skills that you might not necessarily think were important. All of the improvements and mistakes I have made will stick with me in college and throughout life.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
MP4 Log 9
Today I worked on my self and design evaluation. I didnt test today because its flat. I hope to test thursday or friday, it looks like its going to be flat tomorrow as well. I never thought it would be such a problem to find bad waves.
Friday, May 8, 2009
MP4 Log 8
Today I worked on getting together my mentor contacts. I dont have enough to get the ten points so I am going to email my mentor the next few days.. I also talked to Mr Alfonse about the due dates for my work.. We agreed to test the board Monday or Tuesday and that my related documents could be handed in on Thursday.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
MP4 Log 7
Today I worked on my design evaluation. All the work is due in a week, next Tuesday. I hope I will be able to test by then. Right now the wave forcast is looking kind of big for the rest of the week. I may have to test next Monday.. but that seems to be cutting it close to the due date. I hope my teachers will be understanding and give me more time to write everything up.
Friday, May 1, 2009
MP4 Log 6
Today I set up my document for testing results, although the test hasnt happened yet, I am preparing the document so that I can just fill in the parts I need when I do the test. I plan to do the same thing for design evaluation.
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