Eagle Scout Project
Project Status: 100%
Achieving Eagle has been undoubtedly the greatest single learning experience I have had in my entire life. From making a pinewood derby as a Tiger Cub, to climbing through caves on campouts, to looking over the world from atop the Tooth of Time, Eagle was the beautiful milestone on my incredible journey as a Boy Scout and in life.
My project involved design, fundraising, and construction of 8 industrial grade art displays for my high school art department. The idea was for the prospective arts to have the ability to hang and present a wide variety of art as a culminating finish to their school year. I began the project by considering the needs of the high school and discussing options with the teacher. We settled on a “door hinge” design of two large panels hinged together creating “inlets” for presenters to highlight pieces and capture an audience. Based on this design and the slightly precarious standing nature, I set about utilizing my AutoCAD experience to develop a robust model capable of standing the test of time. Modeling also helped me build an understanding of the materials involved to ensure the project was economically viable. After meeting with school administrators, I got the green light to continue with my design.
I initially planned on creating an 8’ x 4’ wooden frame using studs and reinforced with a cross running from corner to corner. To remain cost effective I opted to use insulation foam as the backing for art pieces to be pinned to, along with a black cloth covering to keep the display professional. The insulation foam by itself couldn’t be attached to the frame so I added a layer of half inch OSB for rigidity and to provide a large adhesive surface for the foam. Upon analyze my models, I realized the crossing studs where rendered overkill with the added support of the OSB, and removed it from my final design to save on wood and weight.
With a better grasp of materials required for the project, I researched the local vendors to get the best prices possible and devised a budget of about 1000 dollars. Of course the money wasn’t hiding under the mattress so the next stage of the project was fundraising for the materials. Thankfully a slot opened up at the local Chic-Fil-A who were generous enough to allow me to stage a car wash, resulting in over the half the funding being raised. After sending letters to family and friends as well as asking for a 20% discount from the local Home Depot, I exceed the finances required.
After sourcing materials at the lowest cost from several vendors, and doing preperation cuts on all of the studs, it was time to recruit volunteers and begin construction. This was definietly the hardest stage of the project as my imagination had somewhat exceeded the efficiency of the scheduled work days, but with the help of over a 120 volunteer hours and some over time, the frames were built, OSB screwed on, foam adhered, hinges mounted, and cloth stretched over the whole thing. As a finishing touch and to prevent floor scratching when moving the now extremely heavy displays, I build a jig and tacked on sliders to the bottom of each of the displays.
With the aid of several trips in the family’s extended bed truck, I delivered the art displays to the enthused art department head with plenty of time to spare for the end of the school year gallery walk. With a few final scoutmaster meetings and an approval from the Atlanta Area council, it wasn’t long before I was sowing the Eagle badge on my uniform.
As any Eagle Scout will tell you, its an honor that comes from hard work and the relentless support of amazing people along the way. I would personally like to recognize the wonderful scoutmasters, my Eagle Scout coach, the selfless volunteers, and above all my father for the lessons taught and guidance given.
Eagle Scout Project Appendicies
