Eighth grade Pennridge students display their customized cutting boards. (Credit: David Thomas)
STEM Teachers Steve Smith and Ryan Ruckle note that a cutting board project was developed by the Pennridge middle school STEM teachers
For the last several years, students across Pennridge’s middle schools have been creating handcrafted keepsakes as holiday gifts.
STEM Teachers Steve Smith and Ryan Ruckle note that a cutting board project was developed by the Pennridge middle school STEM teachers to combine traditional woodworking skills and craftsmanship with current technologies, said a Pennridge School District press release.
“The students start by establishing a purpose for their product,” said Smith. “What is it going to be used for; bread board, charcuterie, board, appetizer tray, cutting board, etc. and they need to determine who they are making it for because that will determine what they design to be lasered on the face.”
The cutting board project combines traditional woodworking skills and craftsmanship with current technologies. (Credit: David Thomas)The students create thumbnail sketches of board design shapes and ways to customize their work with family names. Students then draw their board shapes full size and design a “family crest” in Corel graphic design software. By employing specific features of Corel Draw the student’s board designs will be vector engraved and the “family crest” will be rastered on the wood.
When the piece of wood comes out of the laser the traditional woodworking begins. Students use the bandsaw to follow the vector engraved lines (the laser cannot cut through material that thick) to rough out the cutting board shape. They then use various sanders in a sequence of abrasives to clean up all the edges. Several coats of food grade oil and wax seal and protect the product, said the release.
Pennridge students create handcrafted keepsakes as holiday gifts. (Credit: David Thomas)Eighth grade students took pride in their creations.
“It almost feels magical. It’s so cool to give a gift that you worked hard to make,” said student Zane Rowland. “There’s almost no feeling quite like seeing their face light up after you give them a cutting board. You worked really hard to create and are super proud of.”
“I’d say the best part about the project was creating a finished product that looks and feels professional,” said student Weston Ritter. “Seeing the thing you worked so hard on turn out looking professional feels special.”
“It feels great to give someone a gift and be able to tell them that it was handmade,” said student Olivia Hunt. “I’m so thankful to have a class where I am able to be creative and make things like a cutting board. I’m proud of how the laser engraving turned out and I think it’s the perfect touch to make it look professional.”
The cutting boards are customized with design shapes and family names using a Corel graphic design software. (Credit: David Thomas)“I feel thankful to be able to gift the cutting board I made in STEM class,” said student Mira Stuhltrager. “I’m proud of how the design turned out and how the difference of fixing tiny mistakes makes it look professional.”
This is always one of the student’s favorite projects when we survey them at the end of the school year,” said Smith. “As teachers it is one of our favorite activities because we get so much positive feedback from the students and from the recipients of the gifts.”
