Their story, in their words….
For my MEF challenge, I came up with the idea to create a bespoke desk fish tank that would be fully functioning and professional. Inspired by my GCSE portfolio work in DT, I decided to make new designs and came up with a new, final tropical themed and inspired fish tank that had many features incorporated into it. I had never done a project this big so was eager to take the challenge on and was curious to see how it would turn out.
I ordered all the components off Amazon and larger materials from hardware companies but looking back I wish I had ordered them sooner! I used the school workshop for CAD CAM, cutting and processing materials and laser cutting the acrylic. When the summer holidays came, I then worked at home to join all the materials together with the required cement, glue, and sealant. With the help of YouTube and research, I learnt a lot along the way and was able to successfully finish the fish tank.
The whole process was a massive learning curve that allowed me to learn new methods and processes of manufacturing and above all showed me how much I could do when I persevered and worked hard to complete my project. I had many obstacles and hurdles along the way – more than I had anticipated – and I learned to problem solve and find solutions quickly and creatively.
Working with a budget also allowed me to maximise the materials I had with a positive compromise which allowed me to spread the cost on other areas of the project such as the glass and electrical components. For example, the price for glass and acrylic online was astronomical so I did further research, browsed in shops, and managed to find great prices for them in different hardware/construction firms. During the fabrication processes, there were lots of issues with alignment of joints, joining of materials, water leaks, materials cracking/breaking and much more, but with a lot of sanding, filing, and reconstructing, all my problems were gone!
Overall, the project took me around 2-3 weeks of hard work that paid off! At different points throughout the project, I had to be resilient when things got hard and I’m glad at how well it turned out. Seeing my design evolve from drawings and CAD designs to the final product was phenomenal – I felt proud and amazed at what I had achieved and everything I had learnt along the way.
I couldn’t have done this without the amazing help of the Mark Evison Foundation! Thank you.
