The LARK seed box is an organization solution designed for CCAT (Campus Center for Appropriate Technologies) in 2024. The seed box was designed to make it easy for CCAT and the community to trade seeds.
Background[edit | edit source]
We were tasked with building a new Seed Organizer/Exchange for CCAT (Campus Center for Appropriate Technology). The purpose of this Seed Exchange was to allow the community and students to have access to sharing seeds and information relating to growing them. The project timeline was set for 12 weeks, specifically due on May 09, 2024. The total budget for this project was $500, consisting of $200 from CCAT and $75 from each of the members of LARK Incorporated, for a total of $300 from the team members.
CCAT is located on campus at Cal Poly Humboldt. They are a student-run, taught, operated, and funded organization that focuses on sustainability and renewable energy through the field of STEM. In other words, “providing for human needs with the least impact on the Earth’s finite resources.” (CCAT’s Mission Statement). This is why we are motivated to use as many renewable resources as possible in the building of this project, many of which are provided by CCAT themselves.
"LARK Incorporated" is composed of a four-person group of ENGR 205 students: Lucas, Antonio, Rishabh, and Kade. Each member brings their own valuable experiences and skill sets that will be invaluable to the project’s success. Lucas, with his background in woodworking and building. Antonio has a background in gardening and knowledge of seeds. Rishabh with his background in machining and 3d modeling. Finally, Kade has a background in leadership positions and experience in the trades. All of these factors undoubtedly lead to the success of our Seed Organizer/Exchange project.
Problem statement[edit | edit source]
The objective of this project is to build a seed exchange that not only will last but also will be used by community members for years to come.
Criteria[edit | edit source]
| Criterion | Constraint | Weight (0-10) |
| Embedded Energy | As much as feasibly possible | 9 |
| Ease of use | Someone should be able to figure it out in under 20 seconds | 10 |
| Lower Temp/Humidity | Low enough that seeds won’t sprout(either with refrigeration or desiccation) | 10 |
| Safety | It should not be easy to hurt yourself on | 5 |
| Pest resistance | Sealed and difficult for rodents to chew through | 10 |
| Educational Value | People can learn about seeds from the attached signs | 8 |
| Minimize cost | Ideally, below $200 | 7 |
| Aesthetics | Draw people in | 9 |
| Longevity/durability | It should last at least 10 years | 8 |
| Easy to maintain | Should require maintenance less than once a month | 9 |
| Organized | The design must make it easy to find where seeds go and make it easy to change the labeling throughout the seasons and years. | 10 |
| Enough space | Optimize a space that can, at minimum, fit 1.5 times as many seeds as CCAT has in stock right now. | 8 |
| Visibility | As visible and approachable to the local community as possible | 10 |
Prototyping[edit | edit source]
Design drawings[edit | edit source]
- The first prototype was meant to help us decide if this design was a good idea. The prototype told us if drawers would be a good idea. The first prototype was made with cardboard and tape. The size of the prototype was not the final size, we were still figuring that part out. This prototye was only used for function testing.
- Our second prototype was a small scale model meant to finalize the shape of our final product. This prototype was also used to have a handheld model our client could hold so they could see what the profile of the final product would look like.
- Our Final prototype was used to see how big the final product would be, this was the full scale model of the second prototype. This was used so that the client could see how the final product would fit in the space and the location they provide to us. This also helped us to make sure the client liked the size.
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First Prototype
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Second prototype
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Final prototype
Final product[edit | edit source]
Describe your final product here with image and labels. Start with the biggest overview first.
This box has a maximum height of 3 feet, maximum width of 2 feet, and a maximum depth of 1 foot 8 inches. This is all supported by two feet of exposed double h beam that is supported by concrete underground below the box. The main construction of the box can be separated into five main sections: Frame, Exterior, Roof, Drawers, and Organization System. The frame consists of 2x2 wood planks sanded, stained, and screwed together to create the basic shape of the box. The exterior consists of salvaged road signs that we have cut to shape to fit the frame all connected by corner brackets and roofing screws. It also has a door which is ½ inch thick plywood with its side that’s facing out and protected by another layer of street sign. The door is connected to the frame using a series of three hinges with a latch attached to keep it shut and locked if needed. The Drawers are all made from one 4-foot by 8-foot board of plywood, ⅜ of an inch thick, with CNCed designs on the front. Those drawers are designed to hold up to 20 16-ounce mason jars for controlled storage of the seeds while also adding to the aesthetics of the box. Finally, in those drawers, we will have CNCed organizers that are labeled with letters for each column and numbers for each row. Those organizers will be referenced to the poster on the inside of the door that will have what is in each jar based on the system we set in place. All of our sponsors will have
stickers/labels in their honor on the inside of the door.
Construction[edit | edit source]
Video instructions[edit | edit source]
Bill of materials[edit | edit source]
Description of costs, donations, the fact that this is just proposed, etc. For a simple cost table, see Help:Table examples#Cost Table and Template:Bill of materials for two nice formats.
| Item | Amount | Cost per unit | Actual Cost | What we paid |
| Hinges | 3/package | $10.99 | $10.99 | $0.00 |
| Handle | 1 | $6.99 | $6.99 | $0.00 |
| Latch | 1 | $8.99 | $8.99 | $0.00 |
| Lock | 1 | $19.99 | $19.99 | $0.00 |
| ⅜ in 4 by 8-foot board | 1 | $26.95 | $26.95 | $26.95 |
| Scrap plywood | TBD | |||
| 2x2 board (8 feet long) | 5 | $4.95 | $24.75 | $24.75 |
| Aluminum brackets | 3 | $11 | $33 | $0.00 |
| 2-inch Roofing Screws | 8 | $.79 each | $6.32 | $0.00 |
| 1¼ inch roofing screws | 1 box | $11.56 | $23 | $0.00 |
| Drawer slides | 4 sets (8) | ~$11 | ~$44 | ~$44 |
| 2½ inch wood screws | 64 | $0.08 | $2.65 | $2.65 |
| Window seal | 1 | $12.99 | $12.99 | $0.00 |
| Mason Jars | ~100 | ~$2 | ~$200 | ~$200 |
| Metal Post | 1 | ~$70 | ~$70 | $0.00 |
| Mahogany wood stain | 1 | $15.99 | $15.99 | $0.00 |
| Golden Oak wood stain(small container) | 2 | $10.99 | $21.99 | $10.99 |
| Aluminum Road Signs | 6 | $50 | $300 | $0.00 |
| Wood glue | 1 | $4.99 | $4.99 | $4.99 |
| Calking | 1 | $9.99 | $9.99 | $0.00 |
| Total cost (Before tax) | $314.33 | |||
Operation[edit | edit source]
How to take seeds[edit | edit source]
- Open door
- Locate the location of the desired seed/s by looking at the poster
- Open drawer with desired seed/s
- Find the mason jar with the desired seed/s
- Take desired seed/s
- Close the mason jar and return it to the drawer
- Close drawer
- Close door
- Close latch
How to leave seeds[edit | edit source]
- Open door
- Locate the location of your seed/s by looking at the poster
- Open the drawer with the seed/s you have
- Find the mason jar with the seed/s you have
- Put your seed/s in the mason
- Close the mason jar and return it to the drawer
- Close drawer
- Close door
- Close latch
Implementation[edit | edit source]
- Dig a hole in your desired place
- Put a bucket with concrete in the hole
- Put the pole for your box in the concrete
- Attach the box onto the pole
Maintenance[edit | edit source]
How to clean the box
- Open the door
- Open the drawers
- Take out all the mason jars
- Take out the Mason jar divider
- Sweep everything out through the bottom slit of the drawers
- Put the mason jar divider back
- Put the mason jars back in their section
- Close the drawers
- Close the door
- Close the latch
How to inspect for ware and tare[edit | edit source]
- Look under the box and inspect the 2x4s for any noticeable damage like mold spots
- Open the door and inspect it for any damage
- Open the drawers and inspect the slides by making sure they are still moving
- If not opening, lubricate the drawer slides
- Check the drawers for any damage
- Check the mason jars for chipping
- Inspect the frame for any water damage or splitting
- Close up the whole box
- Inspect the exterior for any holes
Maintenance could be done by any CCAT employee as long as they have the time and patience.
Maintenance schedule[edit | edit source]
This is when to maintain what. Please keep the format the same as it populates the kiosk in CCAT
- Monthly
- Clean and reorganize
- Check for ware and tare
- change seeds depending on the season
- Yearly
- Do a thorough inspection of the whole box
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
Testing results[edit | edit source]
Describe the testing results.
Discussion[edit | edit source]
Discuss the testing results.
Lessons learned[edit | edit source]
A major lesson we learned doing this project is just because the representative for your client you talk to agrees to your ideas that doesn't mean person in charge will.
Next steps[edit | edit source]
Hopefully our work here is done because we predict the project will last approximately 10 years.
Troubleshooting[edit | edit source]
This is only how to troubleshoot basic operation. For complex issues, the solution might just say something like contact ________. It should be a table in this format:
| Problem | Suggestion |
|---|---|
| Drawers won't open | lubricate the drawer slides |
| Moisture is still getting into the box | Make sure you are closing the latch compleatly |
| Door won't open | Make sure you are opening the latch and check that the hinges aren't rusted closed |
| Hinges are rusted and the door wont open | Spray WD40 on the hinges and scrape the rust away until they open |
Team[edit | edit source]
Introduce team and semester in the following format:
- Lonny Grafman
- Emilio Velis
- One bullet for each team member.
References[edit | edit source]