User Guide

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Truss Bundle User Guide

60016 V0412

Materials Included • • • •

50 balsa wood strips, 1/8" x 1/8" x 24" 10 small glue bottles 16-ounce bottle of HD Bond II glue 2 truss templates

Items Required Per Student (not included) • • • • • • • •

Foam board, 8.5" x 14" or bigger (can be reused) Waxed paper, 8.5" x 14" or bigger Masking tape Hobby knife, Pitsco Timber Cutter, or Easy Cutter Pitsco Lil’ Termite Sander (optional – can be shared among students) Structure-building pins, grip pins, or T-pins (T-pins shown in this guide) Pencil Pitsco Balsa Truss Tester (with bucket tester or Structure Testing Instrument, STI), Pitsco Truss Tester with STI, or other truss tester

Teacher Notes •

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This pack provides enough materials to build 25 trusses using the included truss templates – provided very few cutting mistakes are made by students. If students use a different design, the truss might require more or less balsa wood. In order to have a copy of a template for each student, you can photocopy the included templates. You can also photocopy the Construction Tips and Truss Building Instructions that follow to distribute to students. Alternatively, you can lead the activity and demonstrate the process. Divide the glue from the 16-ounce bottle into the smaller bottles for students to use.

Safety Note Teachers should provide adequate supervision when leading this activity in the classroom. As needed, teachers should implement general safety requirements, including, but not limited to, the following: eye protection, proper ventilation, and instruction on the use of hand tools. Furthermore, teachers should implement the safety requirements required by their district and/or state in combination with the safety requirements mentioned in this user guide. Pitsco, Inc. is not responsible for bodily injury or property damage resulting from the misuse of its products or the teacher’s failure to implement proper safety procedures within the classroom. 2

Truss Bundle User Guide 60016 V0412

Extension Idea: When familiar with the truss-building process, students can design their own truss based on observations of real trusses in their environment or from an Internet or library search of various truss designs. Note: This requires additional materials.

Construction Tips • Diagonal braces help to prevent racking, which is a kind of stress that distorts a square or rectangle and causes it to become a parallelogram. A diagonal brace converts the rectangle into two triangles, making it much stronger. However, diagonal braces can be difficult to make. Following are instructions for adding diagonal braces as called for in the truss templates. a. Lay the diagonal piece across the area where you want the brace (Figure 1). b. Mark on both ends where the piece lies across the parallel Figure 1 Figure 2 pieces (Figure 2). Cut the marks. c. Mark and cut off the tips of the other side of the ends so they fit into the corners (Figure 3). d. Glue the piece in place Figure 3 Figure 4 (Figure 4). e. Cross two pins over the strip of wood to hold it in place as it dries (Figure 5). Do not push the pin through the wood Figure 5 – it will split it. Figure 6 • The Pitsco Lil’ Termite Sander can also be used to accurately sand the wood pieces to a tight fit (Figure 6). Truss Bundle User Guide 60016 V0412

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Truss Building Instructions 1. Using masking tape, attach the truss template or your own truss design to a piece of foam board (Figure 7). 2. Cover the template with a piece of waxed paper and tape it in place (Figure 8). Follow the instructions for the type of truss you are building.

Figure 7

Figure 8

Triangular Truss: 1. Cut the bottom piece of wood to length, cutting or sanding the ends to fit the angle Figure 9 on the template (Figure 9). 2. Secure the piece in place with pins (Figure 10). Figure 10 4

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3. Cut the two pieces that create the top of the triangle, making sure to cut them a little long so you have room to angle the ends. Lay one piece over its place on the template, and mark and cut the angle for the top end. Then mark Figure 11 and cut the angle on the bottom end according to the template (Figure 11). Glue the piece in place and secure with pins. 4. Repeat Step 3 for the second piece that goes on top of the template. Glue the piece in place and secure with pins (Figure 12). 5. Cut the piece that is Figure 12 centered in the truss, marking and cutting the ends according to the template (Figure 13). This will be trickier as the top will have to be cut twice to create a point (see tips on page 3). Glue the piece in place and secure with pins Figure 13 (Figure 14).

Figure 14 Truss Bundle User Guide 60016 V0412

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6. Cut the two vertical side pieces, marking and cutting the angles according to the template (Figure 15). Glue the pieces in place and secure with pins.

Figure 15

7. Finally, cut the two braces, marking and cutting the angles as specified (Figures 16a and b). Glue the pieces in place and secure with pins. 8. Let the truss Figure 16a dry completely. Remove the pins (Figure 17). Figure 16b

Figure 17 6

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9. Gently pull up where you glued the joints and then pull up the truss from the waxed paper (Figure 18).

Figure 18

Flat-Topped Truss: 1. Mark and cut strips of wood to fit the top and bottom pieces on the template. Secure the pieces in place with pins (Figure 19).

Figure 19

2. Mark and cut the two outside braces, making sure that the top end of each fits snugly against the top piece. Glue the pieces in place and secure with Figure 20 pins (Figure 20). 3. Mark and cut to length the three vertical pieces that go between the top and bottom pieces. Glue them in place and secure with pins (Figure 21). Figure 21

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4. Mark and cut the two inside braces, carefully cutting the angles (Figure 22). Glue the pieces in place and secure with pins. 5. Let the truss Figure 22 dry completely. Remove the pins (Figure 23). 6. Gently pull up where you glued the joints and then pull up the truss from the waxed paper (Figure 24). Now that your truss is complete, you can test Figure 23 it to see how strong it is. Using a tester approved by your teacher, you can determine how much weight, or mass, your truss can hold before it breaks. Be sure to follow the procedure and safety instructions Figure 24 that come with the tester being used.

P.O. Box 1708 • Pittsburg, KS 66762 www.pitsco.com Toll-Free Orders 800-835-0686 8

Truss Bundle User Guide 60016 V0412