| Kid's Planetarium: The Design Phase (9 a.m. - 11 a.m.) |
From "Warehouse Warriors"
episode WHW-209 |
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The Teams: A team of NASA wives versus a team of NASA husbands The Project: A kid's planetarium offering protection and visibility, and that is creative and well-constructed The Timeframe: 8 hours (9 a.m. - 5 p.m.) These teams -- including members with experience in engineering and mathematics at NASA -- are evenly matched. Let's meet the teams! Red Team Dawn Ray
Vicki Smith
Rachel Ray
Blue Team Rob Ray
Darvin Smith
Gregory Rowan
Building Basics: Host Ed Del Grande says the most basic planetarium breaks the wind and offers protection from cool weather. A well-built planetarium, however, is constructed with a solid floor -- which provides stability for the telescope. Red Team Activity Journal (9 a.m. - 1 a.m.) - The Red Team measures the telescope to by housed in the planetarium, then sets out to create a unique structure. The team designs a mobile triangular structure with a bench and telescope stand. The team hopes their design will create maximum visibility of the night sky, while still offering protection.
- With a design in place, the team cuts twenty pressure-treated 2 x 4s to 72". A square is used to mark straight lines before cutting.
- The cut pieces are arranged as a frame. Five 2 x 4 pieces are used for one wall and spaced 16" apart (figure A). The team nails the pieces to two additional 2 x 4s, and repeat the same technique for one more wall.
- To create the third wall frame, only four 2 x 4s are used (this will be the smaller side of the triangle). Two pieces are spaced out 16" on both ends, with a 31" door way in the center.
Ed's Tip: To build an equilateral triangle, remember to keep each corner at 60 degrees -- or 180 degrees for the entire triangle. To do this, set saw at 30 degrees, cut two pieces, then join the cut pieces together to create the 60 degree angle. Blue Team Activity Journal (9 a.m. - 11 a.m.) - After designing a traditional, rectangular structure that includes a removed roof operated by a pulley system, the Blue Team starts constructing a frame. First, the team measures and cuts seven pieces of pressure-treated 2 x 4s to 94" each (figure B).
- Next, the team measures and cuts pressure-treated lumber to 72-1/2".
- The 94" and 72-1/2" pieces are nailed together to created a rectangle.
- Then, on the shorter sides of the rectangle, the team nails 94" pieces about 4 inches from each end, to increase structural strength.
- Spaces are marked about 16" apart on the top of the frame, then the three remaining 94" pieces are added to the inside of the frame (figure C).
- A second rectangular frame is created in the same manner, but slightly larger than the first.
Want to know more about the products used on Warehouse Warriors? Click here for a complete list of tools, materials and supplies available to our teams.
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