PORTFOLIO
PROFILE  
Great Design comes in the form of an attitude that is socially progressive. It is a science, an art and a philosophy created by people for humankind. It must be functional, useful, and simple. It is integral in moulding human conditions.
Raiza B.A
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Design Honors LICA 243
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT  
I would like to express gratitude to my Professors Paul Coulton and Emmanuel Tsekleves for their tremendous support and guidance throughout the workshops. Also, Simon Atwood, Dan and Adrian Gradiner for assisting me through the building process. Lastly, my Uncle Babu Shersad for inspiring me to base my projects among one of the several antiques he has collected.
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CONTENTS
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Introduction
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History of Churns
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Rationale
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Exploration
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Key Skills
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Paper Prototyping
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Digitalisation
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Cardboard Model
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Final Automaton
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Comparison Key Skills
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Overall Reflection
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Bibliography
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INTRODUCTION
 
Butter, in other words agitated whole milk is a relish spread over countries throughout centuries! To make butter, milk or cream must be churned. This automaton project will revolve around the concept of butter churns, and a semi-traditional churn will be developed and created. This portfolio aims to be a walkthrough of the history and development of traditional curd-butter churners, to give insight into the use of mechanisms throughout the years. It will also explain briefly the rationale of this topic. Importantly, it aims intricately record and depict the process that was undertaken to create a butter churner using AutoCad, and the laser cutters provided to us. Woman Churning Butter Diderots L'Encyclopedie
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from
HISTORY
 
Butter churns have evolved over time and have multiple variations based on place. There have been evidences of the usage of churns dating back to the 2000 B.C. However, the most popular churners were from Europe, between the Middle Ages and the Industrial Revolution butter churns were simply a barrel will a plunger in them. The
European Regions A lady churning butter using a dasher and a container made of wood. (Painting by Valentine Cameron Prinsep)
plunger was used to agitate whole milk or cream to create butter. India, the root of my inspiration, also has a rich history, especially in relation to curd churns. In India, a churner was placed inside a pot, tied with ropes and a held by a wooden frame. It was mainly operated using the pulley system. The ropes were pulled from side to side to control
India
the churn while mixing the whole milk. Eventually, these methods were replaced with technology, and electronic churners became more popular in households. However traditional methods are still prevalent in low income households in regions such as India. 5
Traditional curd churning in village in Punjab. (Bioscope, 2011)
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A farmer girl churning butter during the 1890’s. (Photograph by Bayley, W. Braybrooke, 1893)
‘Daughter of Negro tenant churning butter. Randolph County, North Carolina, ca. 1939.’ (In the words of Photographer, Randolph County.) Electronic churner. (Amazon)
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Images created by Raiza
RATIONALE Plunger and Barrel
Rope and Frame
Electronic Churner
Paddle Churner 7
 
This dairying item has an intangible significance representing the manual labour of the migrant families who worked in the dairy industry in northern New South Wales (Boileau, 2008). They demonstrate the domestic work of women in particular, as they were generally responsible for making butter. Paddle churner will be the focus of this portfolio.In regions such as India, traditional churners still prevail in rural areas due to the lack of electricity and appropriate funds.In my opinion, the paddle churner is one of the most effective churners that can be used in low income households, as it requires no electricity. It also uses the cranking mechanism in contrast to the loose dasher and container or pulley system. Thus it is well put together system that I will be creating using softwares and the laser cutters.
A butter churn from Kilner (Amazon) 8
EXPLORATION   Spinning Ballerina
Theatrical Play
Churner
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As I was going through my Uncle’s Antique collection, I found an old butter churner similar to the one displayed in the Tweed River Regional Museum.After recognising its purposefulness, I started prototyping and developing this idea further on. This will be expanded on further.
Second,as I brainstormed ideas, I generated an idea for a theatrical play automata. I decided to create characters that spin across stage as the handle is spun. Finishing it off with creative paint making it an extensively lively piece of work.As I started developing and paper prototyping this idea, I realised it lacked a purpose. I changed my idea to a usable and purposeful product.
(Amazon)
First, I decided to create a box, when cranked, a ballerina spins while music plays in the background. These music boxes were popular since the early 20th century. I decided to change my idea when I faced challenges in sculpting a ballerina from scratch.Another major challenge was creating a music note playing device affixed inside this music box.
(Amazon)
KEY SKILLS
Pre-existing Skills 100
Rationale of each skill: Planning: ideation, the step project.
Includes skills such as prototyping and planning by step process of the
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Visualisation: Digitally designing ideas and plans using softwares such as AutoCAD.
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Communication:Communicating with people that may be uninvolved in the project to gain insight, ideas and advice.
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Organising: Bringing all the mentioned elements together to present a well organised portfolio. 0 Planning
 
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Visualisation
Communication
Organising
Graph 1. This graph includes a self-report of preexisting skills that I have established throughout my years in University before attempting to complete the Automaton project.
I. PAPER PROTOTYPING Prototyping for this assignment was necessary as I have not based this on a tutorial. The initial stages before
 
paper prototyping the churn, was careful and intricate observation. I took pictures of the antique piece from various angles and started sketching down the object on paper. After drawing the churn, I recognised and got a vivid understanding about the mechanisms and internal organisation. I redrew the drawing a few times to mark the measurements of each side. On page two, I drew each individual piece that needed to be drawn on AutoCAD. In total, there were 15 pieces that needed to be designed, and 20 pieces in total including the sticks and the jar. This step played an integral role in the success of this automaton as it gave plausible shape to my ideas, I was able to better understand the automaton as a fragmented whole.
Sketching plans on paper 11
I. CHALLENGES
 
Flawed
Corrected
This step was definitely quite challenging as all parts cannot be easily made just by a laser cutter. Especially since its originally made using metal thats moulded into a working system. Hence I had to create separate strategies in converting this to a complete wood work model. For example, the piece where the sticks go through were designed for print wrong at first, I drew a side view which would not work while affixing the pieces together, Later I
Faulty frame, that would not allow the automaton to work.
Corrected frame, that allows the stick to go through easily.
Faulty handle, tubes cannot be laser cut.
Replaced tubes, with sticks that don't need to be laser cut, which will be joined by a rectangular piece of wood.
created the top-view which would potentially work with the model successfully. Second, the cranking mechanism was slightly difficult to figure out as usually, the stick goes through a tube, which is difficult to create using a laser cutter, Thus I corrected the errors by, correcting the frame and then making minor changes in the handle. Removing the tube completely.
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II. DIGITALISING   The second stage was creating the templates for laser cutting. This stage was crucial as slight variations and errors within the designs could mean a failed model. The previous workshops attended, assisted me to work with AutoCAD smoothly and effortlessly. I faced no difficulties in laying out each piece as I had planned them and drawn each piece previously. I created 19 pieces in total, which was 4 more than initially planned.
Digitalising plan using AutoCAD
For the frame, I copy pasted the design thrice. This is because, I planned to stick them together to create a more sturdy and thick frame. If I had not decided to stick them together, the frame would only be 3mm thick, which is quite flimsy for something that requires a handle to spin. Thus sticking the three frames together, would make the end product sturdy, and very hard to break. Finally, I created spur gears in the teeth ratio 30:13 using the gear generator provided to us. I decided to alter the diameter and hole size using CorelDraw, as I found it difficult to do on Inkscape. 13
Digitalising gear using Inkscape
II. CHALLENGES
 
The difficulty lay in creating the gears for this automaton. The gears used for an ordinary churner are quite different from the normal gears. Upon much research it could be understood that the type of gears that needed to be created are called bevel gears, that are 90 degree gears built with an inclination in the teeth. The gear generator was not complex enough to create such a gear. I gathered appropriate information from the internet and attempted to create a bevel gear,
Bevel Gears (Amazon)
however I failed to do so. Initially, I planned to deeply etch the tooth of the gear, as bevel gears do not go inward fully. But, I failed to create a model of it digitally, thus I generated ordinary spur gears, which I doubted its success. Thus, I failed to overcome this challenge. However I made sure the spur gears were of appropriate ratio and teeth count, in order to make it well functioning. Hence the ratio 30:13. 14
Spur Gears
III. CARDBOARD MODEL This stage of the process uncovered minor problems that may arise when creating the wood model. The AutoCAD and Inkscape files was exported to a DXF file and inserted into Corel Draw. The diameters of the gears and its holes were altered using Corel Draw as it was much easier to use than Inkscape. After laser cutting the pieces in cardboard, wood glue was used to fix them together. This process was interesting as
 
Laser Cut pieces of the churner on cardboard
I saw my model come together in a dimensional method, where I could touch it and experiment with it. This step was not time consuming as I expected it to be, the reason could be that the material was easier to cut through using the laser cutter. However cardboard, is definitely a flimsy material so it was difficult to put tiny pieces together without it falling apart. However finally it all came together and I was satisfied with the first practice automaton that was created. I did not affix this to the wooden jar, I decided to use the jar only for the wood model. Cardboard Automaton 15
III. CHALLENGES
 
I identified various problems that needed change. First, specific holes I had made for the sticks were too big and it led the cardboard to tear. So, I reduced the size of the hole and increased the width of the rectangle piece, which would enable the wood to hold together better. Second, the hole which I created for the bigger spur gear was bigger than intended, thus it did not allow the gear to spin when the handle was turned. I instantly reduced the size of the hole to allow to stick to be affixed more tightly to the hole. The highlight of this method is it made clear that the spur gears that were created were complimenting each other perfectly, and the risk of not using bevel gears were removed. The spur gears spun quite smoothly after i overcame the problems mentioned above. This assured
Broken cardboard due to errors in measurement
me that this model would be a success if made with wood. Thus this step overcame challenges I faced in visualisation.
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Loose gear that did not spin
IV. WOOD MODEL The cutting of this stage was done similar to the cardboard model process, however the vector settings
 
(speed, power, frequency) change to 20, 75, 2000 respectively, due to the change in material. In this stage, after the wood was cut, I assembled it according to plan. To complete this automaton I purchased a glass jar, and with the help of my professors drilled a 8mm hole in the centre of the metal lid. As planned before the three frames were stuck together to create a sturdy and strong build. Doing this proved to be very useful as the lower and right rectangles encompassing the holes were able to be stuck in a clean, perfect manner. Most important aspect, is definitely that the wooden gears spun perfectly, allowing the paddle to spin smoothly and efficiently. Overall, I was highly satisfied with how this automaton turned out and most of the major challenges were tackled in the previous steps of the process, thus, only minor
Final Automaton, churner
issues were faced. Video of the working model: Click! 17
IV. CHALLENGES
 
The gears did not spin at first. This was due to the holes being too loose, and the diameters of the bigger gear was too small. To correct this, I remeasured and corrected the gears on CorelDraw. The tooth count of both the gears were in the ratio 30:13. After the correction of the gears, each piece was assembled together and the gears moved smoothly. Second, I noticed that the bigger gear was tilted due to errors in alignment of the holes, I dismantled the
Imperfect, titled gear due to misalignment of holes.
Corrected and aligned holes.
automaton and redesigned the holes appropriately in alignment. After cutting the corrected pieces, the gear was straight and perfectly complimented the bottom smaller gear. Finally, an issue that I faced was that the turning handle kept moving in and out, and I needed to make it still. This problem was overcome using a circular cog behind the right hand part of the frame which stopped the crank from moving. . Finally it was all put together, and I was successful in creating a working traditional butter churn. 18
A circular cog that was created to stop the spinning handle from moving loosely.
KEY SKILLS Reflection of each skill: Planning: Various previous projects allowed me to have a moderate strength in planning, but this assignment definitely boosted planning skills as it involved more elements than I have worked with before. Visualisation: My experience with visualising was very low in other modules, and LICA 243 and this assignment has boosted my skills in AutoCAD, Inkscape and CorelDraw giving shape and digital form to my ideas. Communication:My communication skills were relatively strong, but definitely boosted as this project enabled me to communicate with professional engineers that gave me insight into gears, and the importance of it. Moreover, communication with my professors and technicians played a crucial role in the success of this project.
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Organising: This experience has brought light to bringing various resources, information and knowledge together in a composed and comprehensive manner.
Pre-existing Skills
Improved Skills
100
75
50
25
0 Planning
Visualisation
Communication
Organising
Graph 2: A self-report of skills that have been improved after undertaking this project. It also depicts a comparison between pre-existing and improved skills.
OVERALL REFLECTION At the beginning of the ideation for this project, I was
If I were to create this automaton project again:
doubtful about the success of the churner, due to the
I would want to find methods to create bevel gears, after I
problem with the type of gear, but this model was
talked to an engineer and one of my professors, Adrian, I
completed successfully,
understood that it is possible to make bevel gears by
Through exploration of various ideas, my perceptions on
hands. By using rough sandpaper to chisel out the edges
what needs to be created shifted from a simply
out of materials like wood and even metal.
aesthetically pleasing creation to functionality, usability
Second, I would want to explore materials by using other
and purpose. At the conception stage, this project gave me
materials than wood. For example, using metal for the
a strong insight into a historical perspective of this
paddles and the frame.
churner.
Third, I want to create a rotating tube for the handle, so
This project also challenged me in terms of creating an
that the churning part of it is smoother, and a material
automaton without using any tutorials or pre-made
that is more soft to the hands will be used, from a
designs. This module has greatly nurtured my interests
consumeristic point of view constant churning while
and inspired me to create and design more products
holding rough wood, would rash the hands.
using the mechanisms of laser-cutting and digital
Finally, I would enable the curved handle to be thicker
designing. It has guided me and instilled a clear-cut
and rounder, so that users can hold it for grip more
process of conception, ideation, visualising, prototyping,
comfortably than a hard edged wood handle.
and finalising and I will indeed apply the same concepts
In conclusion, this project has been a learning journey for
learnt in future projects.
me, and I am overall satisfied with the outcomes of the project.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition. 2009 pg:1 -1. “Butter.” Boileau J. (2008). 1940 – 1945 Tweed Butter Churn | Australia's migration history timeline | NSW Migration Heritage Centre. [online] Available at: http://www.migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au/exhibition/objectsthroughtime/ tweed-butter/index.html [Accessed 23 Dec. 2017]. Spinning a Yarn Of Life. (2011). Indian Bioscope Memories – Memoir. [online] Available at: https:// tikulicious.wordpress.com/2011/07/27/indian-bioscope-memories-memoir/ [Accessed 3 Jan. 2018]. Townsend, J. (2018). Buttermilk and Bread. [online] Savoring the Past. Available at: https://savoringthepast.net/ 2012/06/26/of-buttermilk-and-bread/ [Accessed 25 Dec. 2012].
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