I have had an interest in woodworking ever since my first class in my senior year of high school. Each project that I have done has challenged me in a unique way and has allowed me to express my creativity and improve my skills with the saws and tools in the wood shop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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My most recent project (pictured on the bottom right) is a wooden hand model. I chose this project because I wanted to challenge myself and create something that I am passionate about. Currently, the project is still in the sanding stage, but I plan on making it a mechanical model by attaching a thick string or fishing line over the fingers. These strings will represent tendons and allow you to flex and extend the fingers.

Through this experience, I gained a much greater appreciation for this complex anatomical structure. When I did my initial research, I realized why there is a trade off in the design process between accuracy and functionality. Ultimately, I chose to focus on the functionality since the movement of the fingers is the main goal of this model. When I started cutting the wood, I had to be strategic with my approach because I didn't want to cut my fingers off given the pieces were so tiny. By cutting out a small hole first and cutting out the pieces from the inside of the wood, I was able to hold the wood firmly from a safe distance. I also learned that the internal shape and structure of the wood can affect the final project. At first, I just looked for any piece of wood with a one inch thickness (which is why some of the wood pieces are different colors). However, after I made the cut, I realized that a certain type of wood was easier to sand than the other. In my future projects, I will be sure to do more research on the material I choose and be more consistent so that the model turns out uniform.

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