LSC S1:MAKING PROCESSES

Introduction
MAKING PROCESSES Have you ever observed someone making or personally made an item using a material like metal, wood, clay or plastic? It could have been a metallic window frame, a wooden bed, chair or even a clay pot. You must have observed them using certain tools or simple machines for making the different items. The different stages of measuring, marking out, cutting or drilling, shaping, assembling, joining and finishing the item is what we call
the making process.
The most important thing when making something is choosing the right tools and equipment, suitable material and the necessary skills to execute the task. In this chapter, you will apply the design process when making a product.
Making Items/Products Using Metal
Metal is Q common material used for making a number of domestic tools,
home accessories, furniture and machines. The tools and the type of machinery
used depend on the type of metal and the quality of the intended product.
Cutting Tools
We emphasised earlier that different materials require particular tools. It
is important to have the appropriate tools for each material.

9.4 How to Use Metal Cutting Tools Practising using metal cutting tools
Activity 9.1
What you need: Metal pieces, hacksaw, a chisel, a tin snip and drilling machine/drill
What to do: In groups, carry out this activity.
Follow the procedures shown in Figure 9.3- Figure 9.6.

Bending and Folding Metal
Bending and folding processes are carried out to strengthen the product or article and to make the product functional.

There are quite a number of tools used for folding and bending metal.

How to use folding and bending tools
Folding tools are used when working with sheet metal while bending tools are used when working with thicker metal.
Activity 9.2
Practicing using metal folding and bending tools

What you need: A round former, an anvil, ball peen hammer, a vice and a tinman’s mallet What to do: In groups, carry out this activity.
Follow the steps in the table for each case.

Always remember to observe occupational safety, security and environment precautions when using tools.

Making a coat hook
Activity 9.3
What you need: Cardboard, old plastic pen, nail, a pair of scissors, paper
glue and candle
What to do: Individually, carry out this activity.
1. Interpreted the drawing of the coat hanger.
2.Measure and mark out.
3.Cut out the parts after marking out.
4.Make a hole where necessary.
5.Heat the hook over a candle flame, then bend it when soft enough.
6.Join the parts to come up with the required product.
7.Present you work to the class and compare it with that of others.

Wood Cutting Tools
In your community, you must have observed how carpenters use wood cutting tools while making items like stools, chairs or tables in their work places. Have you ever seen any of the wood cutting tools in the following pictures?

9.7
Making items using wood
Wood is one of the most used materials in our society due to its availability. It is used in making a number of items ranging from furniture, to tools in construction etc. Methods of Joining Timber
There are different methods used to join timber. You can use nails, screws, or glue.
Activity 9.4
Making a wall bracket for a candle
What you need: Tape measure, try square, plane, bench vice, marking gauge, a piece of wood, tenon saw, material wood (200x100x25), plane and nails

What to do: In pairs, carry out this activity.

1. Make a wall bracket for a candle using the tools and materials
   above.
2. Present your work to your class to get feedback.

Clay
Clay is one of the oldest materials used by humans. We have a wide range of clay products that are locally made. Clay is a natural product found in swampy areas. There are two main types of clay:

Identifying clay products and the types of clay used to make them in your communities
What you need: Exercise books, pen, pencils and pictures of products
What to do: In groups, carry out this activity.

1. In your school or home environment, identify five products that are made of clay.
2. Copy the following table in your books and record your findings in it.

Observe the following clay products. Write their names and the type of clay they are made of.

Using Clay to Make Products
Clay is a type of material which is easily shaped by moulding. Clay is also a poor conductor of heat. finding out how clay bricks are made
What you need: Exercise books, pen, pencils and a brick making facility
What to do: In groups, carry out this activity

1. Visit any nearby brick making facility in your school or home environment and observe how bricks are made.
2. Record all the steps you observed in a tabular form such as follows.

5. Record your answers in your books and exchange your books with your colleagues to compare your answers. Get feedback and make corrections if necessary.
6. After carrying out this activity, can you make bricks on your own?
   9.10 Clay Forming
   In order to make products from clay, the clay has to be shaped in the required forms. This process is called clay forming. The making of a pot, for example, can be done using bare hands, simple tools and equipment.
   @ Activity 9.7
   Identifying clay forming methods
   What you need: Exercise books, pens, pencils and a pottery workplace
   What to do: In groups, carry out this activity.
7. Visit a pottery work place and observe the different methods of clay forming.
8. Relate what you saw to the following photographs.
9. Record your findings in your books.

Making a bowl out of clay Activity 9.8
What you need: Clay, water, a knife and flat base
What to do: In pairs, carry out this activity.

1. Use the given dimensions to make a clay bowl shown in Figure 9.15.
2. Prepare the clay, form and trim the shape, finish/smoothen and dry the clay.
   With the skills you have acquired, what other items can you make?

Plastics
Plastics are widely used in many areas to make many products ranging from household items to automobiles and aircrafts. Plastics have become common today because they are relatively cheap, flexible, light and long lasting.
Types of plastics
Plastics are classified into thermoplastics, which soften when heated and can easily be moulded and shaped, and thermosetting which cannot be softened by heat.

Exploring types of plastics
Activity 9.9
What you need Exercise books, pens, pencils and school or home environment
What to do: In pairs, carry out this activity.

1. In your school environment, collect some plastic products.
2. Heat them in an open fire.
3. Separate those which become soft from those which do not.
4. Record the names of the articles which are thermosettings and
   thermo-plastic.
   Uses of plastics
   In Uganda today, plastics are widely used because they are relatively affordable and have good properties.
   You realise that plastics are used in every aspect of life in homes, schools and hospitals. If you look around your environment at home or school, you will definitely see them.
   9.12 Forms of Plastics
   Plastics are supplied in various forms, They include sections, solid sections, sheets, foam, rods, tubes, nets, fibres or rolls etc.

Shaping Plastics
You can shape plastics by cutting using any woodwork or metalwork saw. They can also be cut using a hot wire cutter or bent to any shape after heating in an open fire. They can also be shaped by moulding or pouring molten plastics in a prepared hollow shape or space in a material. Some examples of shaping plastics are shown in Figure 9.17.

Research other types of moulding methods. Note:
@ Be careful when heating plastic materials; Do not inhale its fumes and do not let their fumes enter your eyes.
@ Use gloves and pliers for holding hot plastics.

Making an ear tag for animals
What you need: Plastic material, e.g., old jerry cans, measuring, marking out and cutting tools
What to do: In pairs, carry out this activity.
Measure, mark out, cut, shape and drill where necessary to come up with the ear tag using the dimensions given in Figure 9.18.