Finishing up project one

The plans that I presented in class on Thursday changed a little bit over the weekend. I was unable to use the laser cutter to cut and engrave the leaves because the wood I need to use is too thick. Instead, I used my digital plans to make a template and cut the leaves with a jig saw. I used a hole saw to cut a 1.5" hole in the base of each leaf. Unfortunately, the diameter of this hole is larger than what I was going for (1.38") but hole saws don't come in such precise sizes. (What you will notice is that the leaves are not as sturdy nor as straight as they would have been if they were a tight fit around the pole. Oh well.) After this, I sanded the edges smooth, then primed, and painted the leaves.

I brought the outer PVC pipe to Home Depot and a very friendly employee cut it into multiple pieces to act as my spacers. I spray painted them "espresso" brown. Here's an example of the color after I applied it to the base:


















Next, I spent about three hours sanding the base of the inner pole so that it would fit tightly into the base of the Christmas tree stand. Once that was completed, I painted the stand and assembled the shelves. They function exactly as I had hoped for this prototype. It is decently sturdy and supports some weight. There are a few things I would alter in order to make this product stronger and more functional, but the bulk of the original design would remain. It seems to work!



















Here's a view of the underside.




















Here's a closer look at how the cap on top compresses all of the pieces together




















And here's the whole thing!