Dart Boards made with a CNC Router at Caroline Career and Tech Center in Ridgley, Maryland
The Advanced Manufacturing Professional class from Caroline Career and Technology Center, in Ridgely, Maryland, was considering a new manufacturing project to tackle. One of the students brought in an old dart board cabinet and asked, “What about this? Could we make dart board cabinets?” Our manufacturing process always begins the same way: research. Students researched the history and rules of the game of English Darts. Each student brainstorms an idea, creates a Mood Board and pitches his or her idea to a gallery of manufacturing professionals, School Board members, community leaders, and classmates. All present vote for the idea they’d like to see manufactured. The idea that earns the most votes is the product we manufacture.
Normally, we’d embellish and decorate with paint. However, Keith Hale, the AMP teacher, had been experimenting with Epoxy pours and suggested the students go that route to push the idea to the next level. They used the Techno CNC to create pockets to receive the colored Epoxy. The Epoxy is a two part chemical process, with colored mylar powder added. Once the parts are mixed, the epoxy begins to harden; after 20 minutes it becomes too thick to use. The results speak for themselves.
The winning design was based upon the “Fat Man and the Little Boy,” the two nuclear bombs that ended World War II. The dart was fashioned like a “new school” tattoo. Although it was our primary design, the class decided to make four “Maryland Flag” cabinets, knowing that would appeal to the local consumers. Those four cabinets sold out even before the students presented their finished products. The students sold every cabinet they manufactured, raising money towards future manufacturing projects.
