Boy Scouts of America

Model Design and Building Merit Badge

Model Design and Building
Merit Badge

Boy Scouts of America Merit Badge Hub

Boy Scouts of America
Merit Badge Hub

ModelDesign

Model Design and Building Merit Badge Overview

Model making, the art of creating copies of objects that are either smaller or larger than the objects they represent, is not only an enjoyable and educational hobby: it is widely used in the professional world for such things as creating special effects for movies, developing plans for buildings, and designing automobiles and airplanes.
Model-Design_merit-badge-overview

Model Design and Building Merit Badge Requirements

The requirements will be fed dynamically using the scout book integration
1. Study and understand the requirements for personal safety when using such modelmaker hand tools such as knives, handsaws, vices, files, hammers, screwdrivers, hand drills and drill bits, pliers, and portable power tools, and when to use proper protective equipment such as goggles when grinding or drilling. Know what precautions to take when using flammable or hazardous products such as glue, epoxy, paint, and thinners. Discuss these with your counselor before you begin your modelmaking project and tell why they are important.
2. Explain the uses for each of the following types of models: architectural, structural, process, mechanical, and industrial. Do research into the different types of materials that could be used in making these models.
3. With your counselor's advice, select a subject from requirement 4 for your model project. Kits may not be used. Prepare the necessary plans to the proper scale. This model should be your own original work. Tell your counselor why you selected this project.
4. Do ONE of the following:
  • (a) Make an architectural model. Build a model of a house to a scale of 1⁄4" = 1'0" (1:50 scale). After completing the model, present it to your counselor for approval. Review with your counselor the materials you used and the details of your model.
  • (b) Build a structural model. Construct a model showing corner construction of a wood-frame building to a scale of 11⁄2" = 1'0" (1:8 scale). All structures shown must be to scale. Cardboard or flat sheet wood stock may be used for sheeting or flooring on the model. Review with your counselor the problems you encountered in gathering the materials and supporting the structure. Be able to name the parts of the floor and wall frames, such as intermediate girder, joist, bridging, subfloor, sill, sole plate, stud, and rafter.
  • (c) Make a process model. Build a model showing the plumbing system in your house. Show hot and cold water supply, all waste returns, and venting to a scale of 3⁄4" = 1'0" (1:15 scale). After completion, present the model to your counselor. Discuss the scale, the materials used, and any problems you encountered in building the model.
  • (d) Complete a mechanical model. Build a model of a mechanical device that uses at least two of the six simple machines. After completing the model, present it to your counselor. Be prepared to discuss materials used, the machine's function, and any particular difficulty you might have encountered.
  • (e) Make an industrial model. Build a model of an actual passenger-carrying vehicle to a scale of 1" = 1'0" or 1⁄2" = 1'0" (1:10 or 1:25 scale). Take the dimensions of the vehicle and record the important dimensions. Draw the top, front, rear, and sides of the vehicle to scale. From your plans, build a model of the vehicle. Discuss with your counselor the most difficult part of completing the model.
5. Build a special-effects model of a fantasy spacecraft or a hand-held prop that might appear in a Hollywood science-fiction movie. Determine an appropriate scale for your design. Include a cockpit or control area, living space, storage unit, engineering spaces, and propulsion systems. As you plan and build your model, do the following:
  • (a) Study existing designs of vehicles and hand-held devices.
  • (b) Arrange and assemble the parts.
  • (c) Sketch your completed model.
  • (d) Discuss your design, scale, and materials choices with your counselor. Describe how you engineered your model and discuss any difficulties you encountered and what you learned.
6. List at least six occupations in which modelmaking is used and discuss with your counselor some career opportunities in this field.

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Discover more about "Model Design and Building"

Many teenagers have their own room. Luke Thill has his own house. The 14-year-old Life Scout from Dubuque, Iowa, raised $1,500 performing odd jobs for neighbors and used a mix of reclaimed and purchased materials to build his own 89-square-foot tiny house in his parents’ backyard. The process took nearly two years. Luke says Scouting gave him both the leadership skills and craftsmanship needed to complete the process. “All the merit badges helped — Personal Management, Woodwork, Welding, Public Speaking, Communication,” Luke told me by phone. “All that kind of stuff plays a role.” The project has made Luke something of a celebrity both in the burgeoning tiny house community and beyond. He has nearly 45,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, and his story has been featured by ABC News, Country Living magazine and many local media outlets.

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Bray Barnes

Director, Global Security Innovative
Strategies

Bray Barnes is a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, Silver
Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Learning for Life Distinguished
Service Award. He received the Messengers of Peace Hero award from
the royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and he’s a life member of
the 101st Airborne Association and Vietnam Veterans Association. Barnes
serves as a senior fellow for the Global Federation of Competitiveness
Councils, a nonpartisan network of corporate CEOs, university presidents, and
national laboratory directors. He has also served as a senior executive for the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, leading the first-responder program
and has two U.S. presidential appointments

David Alexander

Managing Member Calje

David Alexander is a Baden-Powell Fellow, Summit Bechtel Reserve philanthropist, and recipient of the Silver Buffalo and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the founder of Caljet, one of the largest independent motor fuels terminals in the U.S. He has served the Arizona Petroleum Marketers Association, Teen Lifeline, and American Heart Association. A triathlete who has completed hundreds of races, Alexander has also mentored the women’s triathlon team at Arizona State University.

Glenn Adams

President, CEO & Managing Director
Stonetex Oil Corp.

Glenn Adams is a recipient of the Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the former president of the National Eagle Scout Association and established the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award. He has more than 40 years of experience in the oil, gas, and energy fields, including serving as a president, owner, and CEO. Adams has also received multiple service awards from the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers.