Painting and Customizing

I confirmed that my lilypads work, and therefore for my 20Time this week started the painting and designing process. I got a can of white primer paint and, with my dads help, painted the lilypad on both sides. Once the first coat dried, I could still see some of the wood so I put another coat of paint on it to smooth it out. Next, I started the designing process. I decided I wanted to make my lilypad look like a ladybug, so I had to start with the red paint. I only painted the top with the red, which required 3 coats before it looked up to par.

Specifications and testing

For my 20Time this week, I had planned to make the center hole bigger in the lilypad in order to match the measurements given to me. However, I looked online and saw that the diameter of an IV pole is 1 inch, which would allow for 3/8 of an inch of room with my current design to slide it on. The thickness of my lilypad is also half as thick the measurement he sent me, which is 3/4 of an inch thick. Before I went and purchased thicker wood, however,  I first wanted to test my current model, and see if this more cost- effective design will work. I made arrangements to go up to the Wexford house this coming Saturday to slide my lilypad onto one of their IV poles to test it out and see how it will work. After this, I will be able to determine if my current product will work or if I need to make changes to it.

Constructing the lilypad

Since I had not heard a response back from the people I emailed, I decided to experiment with constructing the lilypads. For my 20Time, I looked online at articles and videos and found that the lilypads were 2 feet in diameter. I then used a peice of pine plywood and, with my dads help, used a bandsaw and drill to cut the wood into the shape of a lilypad. I estimated the hole that the IV pole slides onto to have a diameter of 1 and 3/8 inches. The day after I had finished constructing this, I received an email back from James Wickens, the CTE coordinator at Auburn Riverside High School, which took part in this project after his former student Nick passed away. He sent me a PowerPoint with the directions of how to make the lilypads, along with a copy of Nicks story. After looking at this, I realized that the hole in the middle of the lilypad is too small, since it needs to be 1 and 3/4 inches instead of 1 and 3/8.

Design planning

For my 20Time on the 30th, I looked up and drew out designs to paint on the lilypads. This included images like a cat, Olaf, minions, dori, and nemo.
 Along with planning that out, I also emailed Nick Konkler's wood shop teacher, who was in charge of the lilypads project they did in Nicks honor when he passed away from Leukemia. I asked him what the directions and dimensions of the lilypads were, because after finding the materials I needed to make them, I realized that the directions and dimensions of it were nowhere to be found online! Once he emails me back I can begin to construct them.