I have been doing some research on costs to help me decide which project I want to do. I would really like to build a Grandfather clock because it is something that I would get to keep after my Senior Project is done and put in my home someday. I was just worried about the cost. I searched on the internet for clock parts and found that I can get a fairly nice clock face for under $150. A nice pendulum costs around $250-$300. I am not sure what else I would need besides wood and nails, screws, wood glue, etc. I researched what kind of wood is best for building a Grandfather clock, and I found that traditionally they are usually made of Oak or Cherry wood. I really like Cherry wood, but it says that Cherry wood is not as easy to work with as Oak, so I will probably use Oak. I looked at prices of wood on the Internet, even though I will probably buy them locally so I can see what I am getting, and I think I should be able to stay under $100 for my lumber. I need to talk to my parents to see what they think, but I am leaning toward building a Grandfather clock if I can keep the price under $500-$600. I will also check with one of the carpenters in the area to see if they think I could use Oak wood and keep the cost reasonable. I will also look at Menards to see the price of Oak.
I have been trying to narrow down my interests to come up with a specific topic for my Senior Project. I have narrowed it down to crocheting caps for cancer patients undergoing chemo, building a Grandfather Clock, or refinishing my grandmother's oak table.
A friend of my mom's has been crocheting for many years and could be my mentor. She only lives 20 miles away. The cost of this project would probably be under $50 because I would only have to buy a crochet hook and yarn, and pay for gas to go work with my mentor. I could write my research paper on a couple different topics for this project. I could write it on cancer, cancer treatments and side effects, or the history of crochet. If I chose my second topic, building a Grandfather Clock, I could have one of the area carpenters as a mentor. I could order a kit on the internet for the clock parts, and I could write my paper on the history of time. This project would be a little more costly because I would have to buy the wood, the clock face and other clock parts, nails/screws, varnish, etc. I am estimating that it would cost me a minimum of $300 or more depending on the quality of the materials. If I choose my third topic, I don't have anyone in mind for a mentor, but the cost would probably fall between the first and second ideas. I already have the table, but I would need materials to remove the original finish and then materials to put on the new finish. I could probably write my research paper on preserving and restoring furniture coatings. |