This week, Benchmark’s resident Fixpert, Maya Alvarado, learns about ordering materials in the workshop, prepares wood in the mill and makes the final Red Cross charity shop fix…
06:00: I wake up in Hungerford and get ready for work.
07:00: I start the day in the workshop with Pete showing me how to order and record the use of materials in the workshop. So far, I have solely worked from off-cuts, but for the slightly larger Red Cross fix I’m going to need whole sheets of material – I am constructing a safer storage system for their donations, which can currently fall down and are not very easy to access on a regular basis. It is good practice to calculate the cost of projects and consider the scale and sustainability of projects in and outside of a residency environment.
07:15: Pete helps me to carry the boards onto the panel saw. The saw cleverly locks off right next to the store, and then you release it when you have the material in place and are ready to start.
07:20: I catch up with Max by the saw. He is collaborating with me on the Red Cross charity shop fix. I have never done a full ‘site-fit’ (fitting a job on location) and he kindly shares his experience. We check over the cutting list and make sure that everything is accounted for. It is, so I begin to cut.
08:00: With all of the parts cut, I line the ‘up stands’ of the shelves with the relevant panels and check that everything is lining up.
08:15: I measure intervals along the edge of each shelf where the screws will sit. I drill 2.5mm pilot holes for 4mm x 60mm screws. These will connect the up stand sides to the edges.
09:00: One set of shelves will wrap around batons fixed to the wall, so I cut out notches in the corners to ensure they will fit snugly in place.
09:15: I check that these are accurate and square. It will be great if this system can last for a long time, so it is important that it is as secure as possible. I will screw the shelves in place in the store, so they can always be taken down temporarily if needed, for example to repaint the walls.
09:20: I make a cutting list for the batons, which the shelves will sit on, and I head over to the mill to cut these.
09:40: I find some softwood lengths that have already been cut and need using up! These are slightly bowed (bending from moisture) and need straightening out. I measure them against a straight edge (flat straight panel to use with a saw for cutting straight) and mark the sides that need the most material removed.
10:00: Teatime and laughs with Pete and the guys.
10:15: I work with Phil in the mill to get the pieces cut to size and start to pass them through the thicknesser (a machine which removes material on a bed to a desired measurement) – we have a chat about good wood for use outdoors. I also am designing a gazebo for the Dingley Centre’s garden, to provide shelter from the sun and rain, so that the children can be outside as much as possible. It is great to hear his ideas and suggestions. I will continue this conversation with as many people at Benchmark as I can. It is so useful to gain insights into what the gazebo could be and how it could be made.
11:15: I drill 6mm clearance holes into all of the softwood batons for the screws that will be secured to the wall.
12:00: I recently received some wonderful feedback from specialist Carol Newby from the Berkshire Sensory Consortium Service that the resonance board I made for Dingley was more successful, in her experience, than the ones on the market. This prompted me to want to make more, so I explore cost options for a small batch production.
12:15: I get a quote for the softwood timber that makes up the frame of the board and a cost for the birch plywood panels that are the vibration source. They are very reasonable, so I take them to Sean to have a conversation about where to go from here.
12:30: Sean is very enthusiastic and agrees that we should make more. I put in an order for enough material to make eleven boards and share this with Carol. She is very happy to assist me in distributing these to the relevant Fix Partners. Some will be for loan from the Sensory Consortium, others will be permanently based within centres and nurseries – children who will benefit the most from them will also have their own boards. This combination of ownership means that these boards will circulate and reach the widest possible number of people over a number of years. Currently there is only one in circulation from this service in Berkshire, so it will be wonderful to widen the access.
13:00: Lunchtime – I chat with Jo the chef about projects and plans for the summer. We eat a delicious chicken, leek and pea pasta bake that she has made.
13:30: After lunch I prepare the sign that will sit above the storage system at the Red Cross shop. The left hand side is used for storing sorted clothes in black bin liners; the right holds unsorted goods as they come in as donations. The signs will read: SORTED and UNSORTED.
13:40: I prepare stencils by backing printed type on 200gsm card. I use a scalpel to cut out each letter. Initially I was going to connect the inner parts of the ‘O’, ‘R’ and ‘D’ with thin connectors, but I decide to cut them out fully and stick the inners on with double-sided tape when spraying.
14:45: Once all letters are cut out, I apply double-sided tape to the underside of the two stencils. I measure up and tape these in position on the board.
15:00: In order to prevent the rest of the board from getting sprayed, I use masking tape to cover the face side and all edges. I use a red spray paint in keeping with the colours of the shop, and to be eye-catching for all members of staff – full-time and part-time volunteers.
15:15: I spray the paint in the first of three thin coats over the stencil in the workshop spray booth.
15:30: I apply a second coat and the colour is building up nicely.
15:45: Finally, I spray the third coat and leave it to dry on the rack.
16:15: Once the paint is fully dry, I peel away the masking tape and the stencils. They are very clear to read even from a distance, which will be very useful in the shop.
16:30: I pack up one of the Benchmark vans with Max, and we decide to bring drills, hand tools, a jigsaw, a hoover, and steps, as well as all of the prepared materials. Max and I will fit the project in the shop this Saturday morning, and I’m really looking forward to seeing it in place.
17:00: I finish up the day by clearing away the materials and tools from the Red Cross preparation, and head home on my bike along the track fromBenchmark. It is exciting to see this project in the stages of completion; Max’s collaboration has made the project far more feasible in terms of fitting as a team, transportation and his site fitting knowledge. I leave feeling really grateful for how involved the Benchmark team are in my projects in so many of ways.
Further reading for the especially geeky:
- A day in the life of the Benchmark Fixperts Resident – Week 27
- A day in the life of the Benchmark Fixperts Resident – Week 26
- A day in the life of the Benchmark Fixperts Resident – Week 25
- A day in the life of the Benchmark Fixperts Resident – Week 24
