Build Day

Loading the van

Today was the day. After two long weeks of planning and fabricating, we we're finally going to site to build Tube Cubed.
The morning was the earliest start we had had. At studio for 7:15am, the day began by finishing off putting the inserts into the tubes and PVA-ing the insides of the tubes as well as touching up on some of the varnish. We then set about dismantling it and cleaning up. The tubes were once again arranged in their rows to make it easier to construct once we reached Dunham Massey. The van arrived soon after 8:00am so we loaded up and were soon on our way, travelling in convoy of three cars, a van and a group of people on the buses.

It might be a bit on the small side . . .

Once we reached Dunham Massey, we were slightly more awake and as I was travelling with Siobhan and Fran, I arrived before the van so we headed over to site with the model. The van came soon enough so we set about unloading every thing and after three trips in the quad-bike-trailer-vehicle, everything was onsite ready to be built.

First thing first was getting the bases level and in the right place. This involved using the spirit level and one of the frame pieces while we shifted them around and put rubber squares underneath them to stop it from sitting in standing water when it inevitably tipped it down.

The team looking somewhat confused

While this was going on, we had a team bolting the frames together ready to be put in as soon as we were happy with where the pavilion was going to stand. 

The official way of testing structural stability

The frames went in quickly and to secure them, we wedged pieces of rubber between the frame and the base. Before we went any further, we had to make sure it was structurally sound. This involved team members hanging and swinging off it and generally making like monkeys!

Needless to say, it passed.

After that it was Tube Time. As we had practised, we started with row A and were working our way up but some of the tubes had got mixed up in transit so it turned into a bit of a free for all. I escaped around the back to make sure that they were all level with each other and the bases.

It's Tube Time!

I see you!

It didn't take long to get them all in, although we still had a couple of problem holes to sort out. These took the longest to do and to make a long story shorter, we took turns to try and get the holes in the frame wide enough to get the tubes into for most of the day. Our techniques included filing, sanding, chiselling and even drilling and none of them seemed to be having much effect whatsoever. 

Whilst this was happening, or rather, not happening, we were having problems around the back. It looked messy and we were told that it may even pose a health and safety risk due to the nails that hadn't been put in properly. We needed to sort it and sort it is what we did. 

First things first and that was to get the pins nailed in all the way. This called for some serious quality control and any nails that hadn't gone in straight or couldn't go in any further but needed to were pulled out and put in again.

Once this was done, we then got onto tidying up their appearance by sanding down the surface and applying a new coat of varnish.

We secured the tubes in place by placing pieces of rubber between the tubes and the framework. This was to stop them moving or being taken out. 

The frames were still being filed and sanded when we began discussing how we were going to brace it because, despite wedging rubber into the nooks and crannies, it still had a bit of a wobble going on. It was talked about on the previous night and metal rods were considered although we didn't have much of an idea of how to attach them.
A group was sent to B&Q with strict instructions of what to get. They returned with metal rods, nuts and other bits and pieces that were needed, including some new files which were received with open arms to those who were still filing holes. These new files got the job done and there was plenty of celebrating when the last of the tubes went in. 
The guys who were working on the bracing got one rod in before we had to leave and the difference it made was noticeable straight away.

Soon it was time for team photos and to go home due to lack of light but the plan is to come back on Tuesday to finish off the bracing and securing the tubes in place.

The finished article

Some of the original design team

There was obviously something more interesting than
the camera!

The Day Before The Build

Guys . . . I don't think this is right . . .

T minus 24 hours and in that time we had to have our dress rehearsal and smooth out any rough edges (quite literally)
The morning started with with bolting the frames together and sorting the tubes ready for insertion. After the back frame was complete, we tested the tubes and I don't know about the rest of the group but I was pleasantly surprised to see that there weren't too many that didn't fit. We made a note of the ones not playing fair with the intention of sorting them out later.
The original plan was to get it up before lunch but as with even the best laid plans, it was not to be. So after a quick lunch break, we split into the teams for the build. The stop watch was started and it was all systems are GO!
First up was the bases. These were lined up by using one of the frames and once we were happy, they added the other two. The cross bracing between frames came next and then it was time for the human conveyor belt to make another appearance. 

And then it was up! Just like that.

Nearly there!

This. Tube. Will. Fit.

Once we had finished admiring our handy work, we began to sort out the problem holes and work on putting the inserts into the ends of the tubes. This was simply a case of finding an insert that fitted into a tube and nailing a couple of pins to hold it in place.

That afternoon we were on such a high from actually building it, not very much seemed to get done. However there was the issue of the pavilion having a wobble. A big wobble. This is currently under scrutiny and a plan is being thought up to sort it out. Something along the lines of tensioning cable or metal rods diagonally down the sides of the pavilion.

Never give an angry Welshman
a sledgehammer

Big frame, little frame, cardboard
tube

Death by tube

Nearly there . . .

Second to last day before the build and being in the Shed all weekend has completely screwed up our body clocks so now none of us really know what day of the week it is. Time has, to quote the immortal words of Jen, gone out the window!

We planned the day so that we took shifts between working on the pavilion and working on our portfolios.
SamSam headed straight over to the workshop with Joe to finished CNC-ing the frame. This was then bought to the small team of us in the wood-workshop to be chiseled, filed and sanded to within an inch of it's life. This would then be ready to varnish.

The CNC machine in action

Over the weekend, we had also glued six plywood layers together to create a thick beam for the base. The slots for the frame needed to be chiselled out to make sure the frame fitted well. This was also done in the workshop before taken back over to our storage container.
Lunch time came with a shift change so while I spent the afternoon catching up on some blog entries and portfolio, other team members were slaving away to finish the varnishing and the inserts.
As we had finished varnishing the inserts on Sunday, they could then be fitted properly by pinning strips of rubber/scrap lino flooring around the edges. This was so that they wouldn't fall out of the tubes.

By the end of the day we were nearly ready for the test build.

Operation Top Secret Working in the Shed Without Anyone Finding Out

Varnishing the frames

Over the weekend, we were able to get into the Shed to continue work on the pavilion. And did we need it! 


So while Clara and I were sat behind a craft stall in Prestwich, a group of dedicated volunteers offered up their Saturday to the cause. From what I can gather, it was a great day. The weather was good and there was just the right number of people there to help out. 
They were able to finish coating the inside of the tubes with PVA - some of them had been missed in the first round - and make a good start on varnishing the frames. Inserts were also PVA-ed ready to be varnished. 

ooooh . . . magic

I just wish we were having as much luck with our craft fair. We were all set up but unfortunately, there was hardly anyone there (we found out later that it could have been due to a Christmas fair being held further up the road. Grr) We managed to sell a few of our off-cuts and some of my cards but it wasn't nearly as much as we had hoped. 

Sanding, Snacks and Sunshine

I was able to go and help them on Sunday and although the weather wasn't as nice as the previous day, we still got quite a lot done: all the tubes got varnished and we were able to make a good start on varnishing the inserts. We also varnished all but the un-cut frames - which were due to be done when the workshop opened on Monday morning. 

The binbags made a re-appearance as we
coated the inserts

Just chillin' in a bin . . . as you do

Black Friday

Just for the record: Not a lot happened on Thursday. It was, of course, lectures but a very small handful of us volunteered to come to the Shed super early and chop down the forest (continuing with the metaphor from my last entry). This involved us meeting at 8.30am with the plan to be finished in time to get to lectures at 10am. We managed it and the tubes were stacked on shelves in alphabetical order by the time we left ready to be worked on that evening after lectures had finished . . . . . 

That didn't happen.

Third year were using the room and we would have to wait at least an hour before we could get in there, by which time there would hardly be any point in us starting varnishing. So we all got a well needed early night.

Onto Friday!

Nothing seemed to be going right on Friday. Despite planning on a really early start, it was a slow one as we were moved from place to place due to the spaces being used for teaching. 

Once we had finally settled, SamSam were off to the workshop to CNC the frame. The pieced that had been CNC-ed were then bought back for us to chisel out the circles (which seem to be taking over EVERYWHERE now!) and sand the frames down ready for coating. Sheel and Taniya were sent, once again, to B&Q to pick up said wood varnish.

Progress was also made on the inserts and over lunch, I heading over to the workshop with some 120 off-cuts to get them sanded for the craft fair. 

Whilst all this was going on, it had begun to rain so we had to quickly get all the still-slightly-wet tubes in before sending Sheel and Taniya to swap the wood varnish because it wasn't actually waterproof (???) 

Filing and sanding on the frames continued for the duration of the day but Clara (who would be coming with me to the craft fair) and I managed to escape and decorate some of the beautifully sanded off-cuts. 

By the time Sheel and Taniya got back to the Shed, it was closing time. However, Siobhan had managed to get the Shed open over the weekend for us to continue, but Shhhhh, it's a secret!

Icky Sticky Stuff . . .

This week has been all about the tubes

Apologises for the very late entry; we have all been so busy with the pavilion. Wednesday morning started with gluing the remainder of the tubes so that we could start varnishing that afternoon. Work went well and we were done soon after lunch so they could be left to dry.

Long days + solvent = crazy students

Meanwhile, Alex and Jamie were on the hunt for varnish. Jamie was enquiring about sponsorship from one of the suppliers but to no avail - the manager was in China. Darn. However, we managed to find a supplier in Manchester and Siobhan was able to go and collect that mid-afternoon. 

We were told that the CNC machine would be free that afternoon so Joe was working against the clock to finalise the CAD drawings to make them suitable for cutting. He and Oli were up at the CAM suite to get that sorted.

I managed to confirm the craft fair on Saturday and to build up funds, Taniya and I planned to sell cards and decorated off cuts at our hall's bar that evening.

 While we were waiting for the glue to dry, the priority was to get the back room reclaimed and ready to varnish in. This involved people clearing tables away, laying down paper and, probably most importantly, opening the large doors at the back.

Nearly there!

Our Tube Forest

We started getting ready to varnish at 4pm and we were done by 6pm. We actually finished quicker than we thought although the back room turned into an eerie – and smelly – tube forest. Donning latex gloves and some rather fetching bin bags protected our clothes and we kept the massive doors open to aerate the room slightly – thanks to Jen for making us take a 10 minute fresh air break before we got too high on the fumes.

While most went home as soon as we had finished, the few of us who stayed behind to clear up chilled out with Siobhan outside the fume-filled room and ate Subway while the room aerated for a couple of hours before the Shed closed for the night. 

All hands on deck

Some of us became very attached to our tubes. . .

Once again, another early start for the Tube Cubed team. The plan was to meet at 8:45 and start the cutting of the tubes. Joe had made a list of the lengths needed so once we had sorted them into the rows and made individual cutting lists. We had three teams up and sawing and were finished soon after lunch time.
As all the tubes were all different we had to measure each diameter individually. This was recorded on the cutting sheets which were kept and Joe was able to make the appropriate adjustments to the drawing of the frame. 

We weren't going to let the guys have all
the fun!

Teamwork was crucial

Once cut, the tubes were labelled with the grid reference according to our drawing and the ends sanded down to give a clean finish to them.

Organising the tubes into their rows was fun. A lot of them were already pretty much together as they were cut by the same teams but we needed to group them together and separate them before we could start gluing.

Someone order plywood?

Whilst we were busy in the Shed, Taniya and Sheel headed down to B&Q to pick up some glue and brushes. Warren, our white van man stole Sam and Panicos to help him collect the 13 sheets of plywood we need for the frame. I was also able to get into contact with the rubber suppliers and ordered the sheet we needed. It was meant to be ready for today. Yesterday afternoon I got an e-mail saying it was ready so Warren, Alex and I headed up to Cheetham to pick it up, making a stop at B&Q to pick up more PVA and buckets on the way back.
We were then able to FINALLY start coating the tubes with watered down PVA as a waterproof  base coat for the varnish - which should be happening today.

Gluing Tubes

Tubes, tubes, everywhere

Not so Hot

As the title suggests, today hasn't really gone to plan.

The tubes were coated over the weekend and we had a good look at them this morning. We began looking into sourcing varnishes but heard from our head of year that we may be able to get someone to donate them so we are currently waiting to hear back about that before we order anything.


The road trip became behind schedule very quickly. The plan was to leave at 9.30 this morning but there was a mix up with the keys or something so they weren't on the road until about 11.30. They did however let us know how it was going.

The Tube Pirates with the plunder

Things then went from bad to worse. We have had no response from the e-mails we sent out so we have to assume that we won't get anywhere with our sponsorship scheme. We began then to start considering fundraising and looking else where for sponsorship. The biggest idea we had for a fundraiser was a people auction where we would auction group members off to the highest bidder for the day. 

Later on in the day we came up with a plan for the off-cuts from the frames. After using the CNC machines, we would be left with a large amount of 100mm diameter circles of plywood. Just big enough for an image. Out of sheer luck, I heard about a craft fair being held this weekend in Prestwich so the idea is that we decorate the circles with illustrations, paintings, drawings, what ever we feel like and sell them as coasters or just images/decorations at the fair. This of course will all depend on when we get the frames cut, how many we can make and how quickly we can make them.
We also got into contact with family and friends who may know of companies etc that would possibly sponsor us.

After spending the best part of seven hours in the library, we headed over to the Shed to meet our well-travelled team mates and their cargo. When I say the van was full, I mean it was full! Despite it being cold and dark, I think we kind of enjoyed getting all the tubes out of the van and into the Shed where they are now sat in the corner waiting to be cut'n'coated.

Told you it was full!

Human conveyor belts at their finest.

Floating heads.

Backed up on the conveyor belt

Keeping the tubes in the corner was a
challenge - it involved moving lots of tables around.

Finally all in place.

Unfortunately, the Shed closed soon after 6pm so we couldn't make a start on the cut'n'coat tonight but we are all getting in nice an early tomorrow to make a really good start - and hopefully finish. There was nothing else to do except go home and watch the fireworks!

Waterproofing test of tubes

Another early start in the library for Tube Cubed. After hours of hard work the tube team managed to test the waterproofing for the coated tubes. Coating of varnishes will help the cardboard tubes repel water and will stain the pavilion with a nice earthy brown, fitting right in with the beautiful gardens of Dunham Massey. A little experiment has been done with three one-meter cardboard tubes which were treated with different varnishes and different PVA base applications. Three qualities were tested:

1. Type of varnish (outdoor vs. yacht)

2. Number of layers of varnish

3. PVA base quality (diluted or not)

From the results of the experiment, both outdoor and yacht varnish worked well on waterproofing and gave the same result. Water flowed down the tubes and did not soak into the cardboard. Water formed droplets and slid off the tubes. The number of layers of varnish and PVA didn't affect the waterproofing much in this test. It is, however, important to know that more layers of varnish tend to darken the tubes. We may need to coat the ends of the tubes with more layers in order to protect the weakest points. 

Of Road Trips and E-mails

Friday saw the group spending all day in the library. The big event of the day was probably getting the sponsorship pack sent off to about 260 local architects. 
The brochure was nearly ready Friday morning but we made some tweaks to it - aligning the text etc. The brochure was finally ready after lunch so we tried to send it. They bounced. All 260 e-mails. This called for drastic action so three of us took it in turns to send e-mails individually from the account. That didn't work either. In the end, Jamie was able to send the e-mails via his university account, with minimum bounce back. We are now awaiting replies . . .

Trying - and failing - to send the e-mails

Tomorrow, some of the group are going on a road trip to pick up our tubes. We are hoping that they will be back by around 3pm so we can make a start on the waterproofing. Two of the group were going to look at different coatings over the weekend and have a go at testing them. They were researching on Friday. 

With regards to the framework, we had an e-mail confirming that the costs of the workshop would be covered by the school so that is one less cost to worry about.

There have been a couple of minor changes to the structure. This is just to make it more sturdy and involve using off-cuts to create cross-bracing within the pavilion. This is being looked into by Joe with Oli's team also helping to source the plywood and the materials needed to put it all together. They also worked out how many CNC hours we will need to cut out the frame: about 2 hours a sheet and we have 13 sheets. Not only that but it will be a fight to the death to get to it as there are 4 other groups who also need to use it. 

We are meeting at the library again today so I will update you on all the goings on later!

A slightly late up-date

Today is day three of the project, which means the blog is well overdue an update!
So, Wednesday, we meet early once again and the first thing we did was a little re-shuffle of the group. Jennifer, project leader appointed leaders for the individual teams and a communications secretary (Me!). This meant that while she was running around like a headless chicken between the different teams working out exactly what was going on, she could leave the leaders to sort out the teams and report back to her. My job is to run around after her recording everything from minutes to meetings to reports to the blog.

Our 'benevolent dictator' talking structures

Probably one of the biggest achievements of the day was sourcing the tubes. We had our tube team on the phones all day and, despite several wrong answers, we managed to source all of the tubes we needed. We were also left with a decision to make: what size tubes to have. The original design was 150 mm but we couldn't get hold of any so we had to chose between 100 mm and 200 mm. In the end, we opted for 100 mm tubes which means we have to go and pick up 218 cardboard tubes. Fun times!
It was then left to the tube team to find a van to travel to various placed within a two hour radius to pick them up. This is to happen on Monday after a route is planned and our tubes are 110% confirmed. 

The tube team weren't the only ones to be busy. Publicity also had some amazing progress along with a genius of an idea that was the brain-child of James (team leader of publicity). We have come up with a sponsorship scheme where we will offer packages of Gold, Silver and Bronze to local architects and companies. Each package has different perks, with Gold being the most advantageous with regards to advertising their services. A brochure was produced for this last night and will be sent out today. 

It was all busy in the publicity office

We were also able to organise a meeting with Tom Jefferies, head of Manchester School of Architecture, to try and reduce the costs of using CAM in the workshop as we felt that what we wanted to do was seriously disproportionate to the cost. We are hoping to send him a spreadsheet of all the costings so that he can help us further.

Today, we are hoping to plan road trips, contact architects and get this design finalised with the new tube sizes. It's all good on the home front!