Mentor Hours 4

Today I went back and began constructing the race car kit. This kit was a lot more complicated and had a lot more supplies included. It took me a lot longer to figure out a design this time too. Because of the complexity of the kit I was unable to finish the race car in just one sitting. I also had to glue pieces of wood together which needed to dry overnight.

I spent the first half of my visit basically playing around with all the different parts and trying to come up with a design I think would work. Then I spent the second half gluing wood and cutting holes again. In two hours I only managed to create the separate components of the race car.

I put together the basic frame of the race car, each set of wheels and the piece that would hold the balloon. That was all I was able to accomplish today since the glue needs to dry. Tomorrow I'll put together all of the parts and finish the race car. This activity really forces me to think about design and mechanics because the concept of a balloon-powered car seems really simple, but it's just turning it into a reality that gets complicated.

Hours Earned: 2 hours
Total Hours: 9 hours