Today we had our first Advanced Scenery Construction class. At the very beginning everyone took a diagnostic test, which consisted of different types of questions. Some of them were related to student’s background in scenery construction and personal expectations for the class, whereas others were purely field-related, testing the knowledge acquired in previous classes (mostly ENT 1110).
After that, we had a detailed syllabus overview, during which John showed us required and recommended reading materials, talked about personal tools necessary for the class, and did an overview of different types of class assignments. They will be as follows:
- Homework :
– Hardware Store/Lumber Yard;
– Cut Lists;
– Soft Goods;
– Planning for a Crew;
– Construction Drawings; - Quizzes:
Two quizzes are listed in the syllabus, however, additional quizzes might be given at the beginning of any class without notice. - Tests:
There will be two tests: one covering the material from the first half of the semester, another covering the second half. - Labs/Projects (the most important part of the class):
– Tool Report;
– Jig;
– Joinery (half-lap, miter, biscuit, mortise and tenon);
– Rock or Stump;IMPORTANT!!! If two or more people are working together on the same project, we have to notify John about it ahead of time. Otherwise the work might be considered plagiarism. - Final Project: purchase list and budget for a shop;
After the overview, we had a brief conversation about who did what during the summer, and then went to the shop, where John talked to us about shop arrangement and safety. Some of the key points are:
– Never work without supervision;
– Know what you are doing. If you don’t know – ask;
– Always use personal protection equipment;
– Don’t try to fix any malfunction of any power tool while its cable is still plugged in;
– If something is broken, or someone is injured – immediately tell your supervisor about it;
This is pretty much it…
N.B. First homework (Hardware Store/Lumber Yard) has already been assigned. Go find a store!
