As the semester closes, I will reflect on my progress for iQuest.
I began my year with only the idea of making small road signs to supplement larger signs. I set dimensions of the signs and completed the designs for several different common road signs. I ordered the signs and they currently sit in my garage.
We knew that the most difficult part of the project lay in finding a way to secure the signs to the ground. Because the signs need to be able to withstand most all weather conditions, this would be the most difficult solution. We began looking at epoxy, glue, and other kinds of cement to secure to the ground. The material for the base of the sign was also a big question mark. Initially we had a rubber-plastic compound planned, but it had too much rubber in it to remain a durable piece. The polymer supplier we worked with offered the best solution to this problem: simply add more plastic into the mixture. The result was a very durable material that could both withstand the wear from traffic and the weather conditions.our problem lays in the fact that we cannot find a way to effectively secure the material and sign to the ground with a degree of permanence.
I will not venture into the specifics of some of the solutions we have been considering, as you can find them in my earlier blogs, but we have been experimenting with a new technique involving a base to the rubber-plastic compound that would more easily bond with the ground. Our problem is not finding a solution that will merely bond with the pavement permanently, but rather one that is cost efficient and can be produced on a fairly large scale.
The project has clearly not gone exactly according to plan because of these hindrances, but these have provided me with the greatest lessons. I have seen the persistence required to taste success and now understand the work that must be put in to see an idea to completion. This is a lesson that can only be experienced and, although it is discouraging to me now, I know that I have grown in a way that could never be achieved in a classroom setting. My respect for the class remains very high because of the unique and valuable learning opportunities that have been readily available and truly abundant to me this semester.