The Axles

It's time for another Thunderbolt - the chronicles of Thunderchild.

So there we were a year or 3 ago, just finished watching our normal early evening soapie, about to start with schoolwork when TC comes up to me and says: "Dad, I need to build a car for Technology".  Let me just explain.  Technology is a subject taught in schools over here and exposes the kids to all things, well, technological, from computers to shapes, structures (e.g. Dome Structures) and everything in between.

"Cool," I reckon.  "Do you have a design yet?".  Yes, she says and shows it to me on paper.  Simple enough, I think.  "Dad, it needs to have axles.  One must be moveable, and the other not.".  It's just here, where silence descends upon the study.  This axle moving thing is unfamiliar territory for me.

"Daddy, it needs to be finished by Thursday".  The silence becomes a humming in my ears as the blood takes on an extra supply of steroids and goes berserk.  IT'S TUESDAY, BLOODY EVENING!  Deep breath, or 2.  I try to get TC to explain this axle theory to me, but she cannot (I expected as much as she sometimes struggles to explain things), so I read her text book.  A few minutes later I have a fair idea of what's required.

So, we need the following:  a design, a shell of a car, axles (we'll use dowel sticks), bottom parts of cans for the wheels (at least 8), some tape, some wire and a drill bit small enough to go through the wood.  Problem is, I don't have the dowel sticks, drill bits or enough cans.  But never mind, I'll get the wood and stuff the next day at the hardware store.  Now, at about this time, I was very into electronics, and I thought it would be cool to have some lights on the car - so in goes 2 LEDs, some soldering, a battery holder and a few penlights into the design.  However, we cannot do it all that evening so we get stuck into cutting the cardboard to form the car.

Round about 22h00 TC says she's going to lie down for "just a few minutes".  I carry on working, knowing better.  At midnight, I'm tired and decide to go to bed.  But first I need to get TC to bed:  she just couldn't make it and passed out on the couch.

OK, so the next day I'm off to the hardware store to buy "supplies" and on the way home I stop off to get a battery holder and some penlights.  That evening she and I get going again on our design.  The axles are cut (using a Leatherman), holes drilled for the nonmoveable axle (the wheels move, not the axle), grooves created for the moveable axles (wheels are fixed to the axle) to allow the wire from the car to hold them, the cans get cut and holes made into the bottom and eventually fitted onto the axles.  Now, just a note regarding the bottom of cans (remember, they are rounded):  Don't try and drill the hole.  The best way is just to use a pocket knife (or steak knife!), punch a hole and then widen it.  Works much better this way.

Once done, I need to solder the wire onto the LEDs, connect up the battery holder and switch and add the batteries.  Test:  works like a dream!  Connect the LEDs to the car, fasten the holder to the inside and test again.

"Daddy, I need number plates."  No problem.  Luckily we have not yet run out of ink for the printer.  A few clicks later and the printer kicks into life and we have our plates.  Cut, glue and stick.  But 22h00 we're finished.  So what if the wheels are a little skew!  They're round, aren't they?  And the car moves forward...sort of.

The next morning I take TC to school telling her not to let anyone touch "our" car.  And save the batteries so that the LEDs work when you show the car.  I leave for work.

The afternoon I pick her up and ask how it went.  "Dad, someone sat on it and squashed it.".  Silence descends upon the car (Silence has this way of descending).  "Just joking!", she laughs.  "So how much did we get?".  "Ten out of ten", she replies with a big smile on her face.  Apparently the teacher was very impressed with the design and construction.

I got full marks!  The stuff these kids make you do for school.

Now, a few years later, and she's still at it.  Tomorrow evening it's off to school for a braai (barbecue to the foreigners reading this) - it's one of their major fund raising events for the year.  Should be interesting.  And cold (it's winter).

Now for the last line (some of you should know what's coming):
"Van die Affie vrouekrag."

Goodnight TC, Daddy loves you very much.