IDS 2019 Critical reflection

Hayden Dowling Coulthard

I did not attend the IDS fair due to an injury to my knee. It happened two days before the fair, so I
had a booth almost completed. I have some bronze and silver spray paint that I would have used to
make the board look rusty and metal-like. I also had a brief PowerPoint that I would explain along with
my presentation. It was mostly photos.

My inquiry question went along the lines of “Would I be able to complete this project despite my
parent thinking that it is a terrible idea and that it might kill me?” and to that I can answer, after
completing the project, and still being alive, yes. The building of the forge was something that I was
afraid would be a logistical concern due to how hot I needed to get it, but I must have lucked out
because it worked very well.

My goals in the project were to build a working forge and make a tool. I was either going to make a
small letter opener type knife or a bushwhacking tool for my father to use when he goes up north. In the
end, I created my own design for the forge, which took a while to get the materials for. I scoured
craigslist for a while until I found what I was looking for. The forging went close to as smooth as it could
have gone, and I was happy with the result. My parents were very surprised with the result.

At the start of the project, I needed to make a forge. I got some bricks off craigslist along with a cast
iron grate, and I also got some concrete bricks from a Lowe’s in Richmond. After building the forge, I
tested it out, and then de-assembled it. I re-assembled it about a week later and started work on the
blade. Mr. Keller, and art teacher, suggested that if I wanted to make a machete type tool at a home
forge, I either use a very specialized file that I can't remember the name of, or a lawnmower blade. I
decided to use a lawnmower blade. I first flattened out he edges of the metal, as the bent down at a 45-
degree angle originally. While doing this, I inadvertently warped the metal by only striking one side of
the blade. I then needed to have a few more sessions at the forge and anvil to get it all straight. After I
was happy with the shape of the blade, I put it to a grinder and put a bevel on it. It looks very rough
because of how my grinder was set up, in of which I could not see the blade while working on it. I then
made the handle out of a piece of a 2x4. Then it was done.

Core Competencies

Communication: I've explained my project many times to my family and friends, and I feel like I also
did a good job explaining it when I was practicing my IDS fair presentation in the mirror. I tried to make
sure that I could make it informative and interesting while at the same time simple enough that a 4 th
grader could understand. I tried to pass on some of the knowledge that I had gained during the project. I
met this core competency.
 Creative Thinking: Although the idea of using a lawnmower blade to make a machete had come to
me via Mr. Keller, how I turned the blade into a tool was all my ideas. I also wanted to come up with my
own design for the forge by myself; just to see if I could do it. I also had to come up with creative ways
to deal with setbacks throughout my project. One of many was the cracking of some of my cinderblocks.
I used a crack running down the forge as a slot to fit the blade into, allowing for even heating of the
center of the blade. I had an extra block on standby just in case something like this happened, but I
decided to roll with it. I met this core competency.

Critical Thinking: There weren’t any “opposing views” or “different perspectives”. The only
“evaluating of credible sources” that I did was when I was researching what charcoal to use in the forge.
I wanted to do a source check on the post, so I did some research and found a non-smoky, non-toxic
coal that I could pick up at home depot. There wasn’t much for me to do under this core competency,
but what I could do I feel like I did well.

Personal Awareness and Responsibility: This project wasn’t particularly emotionally draining, since I
feel like I worked on it very responsibly. I set goals for when I would like to have certain things done and
tried to meet those expectations. I also made sure to stay very safe while working on the project, using
safety gear and always keeping a fire extinguisher by my side. I met this core competency.

Social responsibility: Since it is Father's Day coming up, I wanted to make this tool to give to my dad
for that special day. I thought that that would be a nice reward for him helping me out during the
project. I also made sure to understand my mother’s worry about the safety of the project, and I was
careful to perform the task with safety as my number one priority. I met this core competency.

Over the course of this project I learned about airflow, melting points, and how fuel is consumed in
a fire. I also learned how to make a blade, although that one is obvious. Although this was a very hard
task, I was able to pull through and persevere to make a presentable project that I can feel good about.
I’m very pleased with my ability to make something so cool and useful. I learned some skills in
resourcefulness and working with what is available to you at the moment. I also learned that if I set
goals for myself, then I can complete a project early, although I still feel like I work better closer to a
deadline, but still giving myself some extra time just in case something goes wrong.

I think that this project is more than just an academic exercise. I decided to do this because it was
something that I thought would be very hard and that I potentially would not be able to complete. I
wanted to push myself to see if I could complete a task that both myself and my parents had doubts
about. In the end I was very pleased with my success in my project and was able to prove to myself and
my parents that I am capable of doing these things.

Thank you for joining me on this journey.