This is it. Near the beginning of SEED, Dr. Hunter warned us that these weeks were going to go by faster and faster. Even so, I can’t believe how much week 7 flashed by. This week was a scramble to finish everything, and everything blurred together to the point where I barely remember what happened anymore.

My team had 3 days to create our final shoulder model. By Monday morning, we had a collection of stained and acrylic-coated wooden pieces, and exactly nothing attached or assembled. We weren’t too worried though. The previous prototypes helped us refine our full design to the point where we were nearly 89% sure that everything worked. All that was left was to assemble and enjoy. But before that, we had more sanding and acrylic spraying ahead of us. I’ve learned that you can never seem to sand down or spray a piece of wood enough. It’s an infinite grind. We only had 3 days though, so we settled with giving our pieces final coats of waterproofing spray.

While we waited for the pieces to dry between coats, we laser cut a whole new set of pieces for a complete model, that would be assembled and used for durability testing. We also began gathering and gluing the components to make the spring mount assembly. We made sure to take dramatic photos of all the setups and pieces for documentation purposes.

On Tuesday,  we finished setting up the springs and began to construct the arms. The arm hinges finally arrived, but none of the screws in the OEDK were short/flat enough to allow the hinge to bend the full range we wanted, without splitting the dowel wood. The solution? JB Weld. JB Weld glued the hinge to the dowel like it was nothing. JB Weld is the glue that can hold the world together. I just wish the setting time was shorter.

With all the pieces prepared and dried, it was finally time to assemble! Wednesday was the day of the big surgery. There was lots to do: build the model, build another model for durability testing, do durability testing, continue documentation, and finish (start making) the final presentation. We decided to split the team into two task forces. Grant and Anna would work on and talk in Thursday’s presentation, while Rebeca and I would begin testing and finish building everything. It certainly took us all day. Rebeca and I wood glued all the trunk pieces together and covered as many surfaces as we could with clamps. In the words of our wise TA Caz, “Take the number of clamps you think you need and double it, then double it again.”

On Wednesday afternoon, Dr. Wettergreen hosted all the SEED people over for dinner. I have to say- being inside that house was like being in an otherworldly art museum. It’s something you have to experience for yourself, not something I can put into words. We had fresh pasta (hand cranked from a real pasta machine!) and dessert featuring brigadeiros made by Rebeca and Julia T. (they were extremely good). After a day of nonstop work at the OEDK, it was great getting to relax with everyone for a while and enjoy some quality food. We watched the sunset together, and didn’t forget the group selfie at the end before we left.

And now it’s time for the grand reveal. The product of 6 weeks of work, the successor to dozens of failed or half-finished prototypes, the source of both happiness and headache…. Team Can’t Brachius’ final model!!

It felt so good to be finished. Our model certainly has its errors and imperfections, but I’m proud of all the work we’ve done and how far we’ve come. On Thursday, Anna and Grant gave the final presentation and did an awesome job. I really enjoyed listening to the other groups present as well. On Friday, we met with James in the morning to formally hand over our model. He seemed very happy with it, and even told us that he might take our model with him to a brachial plexus conference! All that’s left for us to do is finish compiling documentation, sending James the files, and cleaning up OEDK.

I suppose this is the end then. We’ve put the finishing touches on our model, and it’s time for me to put the finish to SEED. I first heard about SEED in the fall of my freshman year, and ever since then, I’ve had my sights set on participating in the program. I’m extremely grateful to have had this opportunity. This summer, I’ve gained not only technical skills (including a fondness for the laser cutter) and a deeper understanding of the design process but also an increased confidence in myself as a team member and communicator. I’ve been exhausted and challenged, but this challenge has allowed me to grow. Even though I’ve put the final coat on the project, this is barely the beginning of my career as an engineer. As for the design kitchen, thanks to SEED, I’ve set a personal 14 day record for consecutive days in the OEDK. Can I break my record? Tune in next semester to find out.

Thanks to all my SEED people for making this an awesome summer. I’ve made friends and shared a lot of great memories and fun times. Thanks for sticking along with this blog. Until next time.