Sketch Model Challenge
Our team decided to use foam core as the main material for our sled, it was thin, able to support the weight of every team member, and added minimal weight to our project
We added a rubber mat to protect the bottom of the foam base, as the bottom of the foam core got shredded when we tested it on dirt and grass. However, we ran into an issue when Professor Spenko informed us that he had never come across such a heavy project. Changes were brewing. After much debate and a forecast full of snow, we felt comfortable getting rid of the rubber mat and going for a much lighter and sleeker vinyl. We peeled the vinyl from its backing and adhered it onto the bottom of our sled. Little did we know, a mistake was in the making. The areas that we had peeled from the backing had torn off into little pieces in the snow. The entire class had to collect them after the dodgeball had taken place. There was a section that we had not peeled off, we adhered the backing and the vinyl as one, and this section remained in place for the entirety of the battle.
We needed a sled that was not only unassuming, but functional and something that doubled as a shield. After sorting through some ideas such as a hotdog, a flinstone-mobile, and a canon, we settled on a doghouse. More specifically, a snoopy themed doghouse. Because what goes together better than crunchy spicy noodles and snoopy the dog? Nothing. So we created a doghouse out of some cardboard boxes, spray paint, and clipart. Despite rampant doubts among the team about its structural integrity, the doghouse did not let us down. We were well protected against enemy dodgeballs, though in hindsight more doubts should have been raised about our lack of dodgeball skills. We also should have expressed more concern about the integrity of our rope that was threaded through pvc pipes that had been gorilla glued to the foam. By round 5 of the game, our pvc pipes had become unsecured, and our rope had pulled all the way through our foam base. During the final round, the rope was unusable and the sled had to be pushed via the doghouse, which was not ideal. Nonetheless, the spicy crunchy noodles persevered and came in 2nd in the Wednesday lab speed competition.
