Bookend Project

In this project, students will design and create their own custom bookends by combining digital tools with hands-on workshop skills. Over four sessions, they will use Onshape to model a decorative element that will be laser cut, and then learn to safely use woodworking tools to construct and assemble their finished product.

This project gives students the chance to:

Explore the design process more independently, from initial sketches through to making.
Develop planning skills that help bring creative ideas to life.
Blend digital fabrication and traditional craftsmanship to produce a high-quality, functional outcome they can be proud of.

What You Need to Know!

What are we doing?

Using onshape to create a laser cut design element for decorative bookends
Learning to use woodworking tools to create a high quality product

Why?

So we can follow the design process more independently
To learn how to use the planning process more effectively

Time

You have 3 - 4 sessions for this project

Skills

Digital design/Onshape
Woodworking skills (sanding, clamping, fixing)
Measurement (ruler & set square)

Materials

MDF (3mm)
Plywood (10mm)

Your Process

Teachers Notes

You could put some notes here to help support the teaching

Identify the stakeholder
Create three preliminary sketches that show what your bookends might look like
Create a detailed sketch that shows what your product will look like.
Create a scale plan with measurements and notes about layers or other special features
Use onshape to create the elements of your design that will be created using the laser cutter and share with a teacher for laser cutting
Create the books ends in the workshop