Other Interests

Summary: I designed and built an eight-foot tall arbor for my mom's garden.

Description: My mom wanted an arbor for her garden, so I modeled a design (combining features from arbors I saw online) using Onshape. I showed it to Prof Lovett to discuss how to build it and what to buy. I shopped for materials (Pressure Treated Posts, sealant, more wood) that weren't available at school. I used the planer, table saw, and miter box saw to cut planks for the walls of the arbor. I used horizontal beams to stabilize the vertical sticks. I screwed the frame together using deck screws, and glued and nail-gunned the diagonal pieces to the frame. I cut two arches, looking like archery bows, with a jigsaw and routed them. I cut slats for the roof. Some wood was coated with primer, but I switched to sealant when my mom informed me of her concern of primer chemicals harming plants. My parents helped me haul the wooden parts to the garden. I screwed the posts to the walls, settled the posts in holes I dug, connected the walls with arches, and constructed a slatted roof. The arbor was done.