Blog
Tonfa Step 5, Making the Handle
In this activity my father and I used a saw to carve the handle into the proper shape. We had to use a jig to keep the handle from moving around while we cut it. In this step we also had to wax the handle to reduce the friction and let it slide easier. This activity was community because of the teamwork it required.
Skills
Tonfa Step 4, Rounding it Out
In this activity my Father supervised me as I used a power sander to sand the Tonfa. When we rounded out the Tonfa with the table saw it wasn't completely smooth or round in some places. We took the power sander and used increasingly fine grains of sandpaper to get the wood to the texture we wanted it at. This activity was inquiry because of its problem solving skills.
Skills
Tonfa Step 3, Shaping the Wood
This activity was helpful in both teamwork and intuitive skills. Working with the saw can be dangerous because it is very sharp. My Father and I worked together to get this done since he has more experience than me. We used the table saw and a homemade jig to shave layers off the wood as we rotated it so it would be circular. This activity was community because of the teamwork it required.
Skills
Tonfa Step 2, Preparing the Wood
To complete this Tonfa I had to prepare the wood to be able to use the jig we made. Tonfa are traditionally round, so I had to drill holes in the sides of the wood and insert prong t-nuts. With the inserted t-nuts we were able to attach the wood to a jig that lets it spin around next to a table saw to cut it. This activity was inquiry because it used problem solving.
Skills
Tonfa Step 1, Setup
To build the Tonfa we needed to collect the wood for it. My Father and I took apart a wooden pallet to harvest the wood needed to build the Tonfa. This activity required Inquiry because it required innovative problem solving to find the right pallet and figure out how to take it apart.
Skills
Pitch Blog
The PIP Pitch was very helpful. The Pitch helped me define my view of my project, and what I need to achieve to make it possible. During the Pitch I presented in front of the entire class. Presenting was fun because I got to share my ideas with the class and get feedback from the teacher. This is community because I had to work on my effective communication skills.