A secondary school wants to display trophies and medals won by students in athletics, swimming, and team sports. The current open shelf in the main corridor...

(a) Four functional points [4 marks]

1. Transparent front panel for visibility — The primary purpose of a display case is to showcase trophies and medals to visitors. A clear front panel (glass or acrylic) allows items to be seen from a distance while being fully enclosed and protected from dust and accidental contact. [1]
2. Security against tampering or theft — The case will be in a public corridor. A lock or secure fastening (key lock, combination lock, or tamper-proof screws) prevents unauthorised opening, protecting valuable trophies and ensuring the display remains as arranged by staff. [1]
3. Adjustable shelves for different trophy sizes — Trophies range from small medals (50 mm tall) to large cups (400 mm or more). Shelves must be adjustable in height using shelf support pins in pre-drilled hole columns, so the case can be reconfigured as new trophies are won and the collection changes. [1]
4. Dust protection — Open shelving accumulates dust quickly in a busy school corridor. The sealed case keeps contents clean, reducing the maintenance effort of regularly polishing trophies. Tight-fitting door seals (rubber or felt strip) prevent dust ingress even when the corridor is busy. [1]

(b) Two wall-mounting methods [4 marks]

Method 1 — French cleat system: Two interlocking bevelled timber strips are used. One strip (45-degree bevel on the top edge) is screwed horizontally to the wall using heavy-duty wall plugs and coach bolts, ensuring it is level. A matching strip (45-degree bevel on the bottom edge, mirror image) is screwed to the rear of the case. The case is hung by hooking the case cleat over the wall cleat; the bevelled faces interlock under gravity. This method distributes the load across the full width of the cleat and allows the case to be lifted off for rearrangement. It also self-levels because the case can slide sideways along the cleat. [2]

Method 2 — Heavy-duty mirror plates: Metal mirror plates (L-shaped brackets with keyhole slots) are screwed to the top and bottom edges of the case. Screws are driven into the wall using rawl plugs. The keyhole slots allow the case to be hung by sliding down over the screw heads. Two plates at the top bear the weight, and two at the bottom prevent the case from swinging outward. This method is simple but the individual fixing points concentrate load, so the wall fixings must be rated for the full weight of the loaded case. [2]

(c) Three design ideas [12 marks]

Idea 1 — Tall, narrow cabinet with single glass door and medal rail: A vertical cabinet (1200 mm tall x 500 mm wide x 300 mm deep) with a single hinged glass door. Three adjustable internal shelves hold trophies. A horizontal rail with small hooks runs across the top interior for hanging medals on ribbons. The narrow profile suits a corridor where width is limited. A small key lock secures the door. [4]

Idea 2 — Wide, shallow wall-mounted case with sliding glass panels: A horizontal case (1500 mm wide x 600 mm tall x 200 mm deep) with two sliding glass panels that bypass each other, allowing access to the full interior without a door swing. Three tiered shelves display items at different heights. The wide format displays more items at eye level. Sliding panels require accurate top and bottom tracks to run smoothly. [4]

Idea 3 — Modular interlocking cube units with individual acrylic fronts: A set of separate cube boxes (each 300 mm x 300 mm x 300 mm) that stack and interlock using dowel pegs. Each cube has its own clip-on acrylic front panel. Cubes can be added as the trophy collection grows. This modular approach is flexible but individual front panels are less secure than a single locked door, and the visual effect of many small boxes may look fragmented. [4]

(d) Evaluation and justification [8 marks]

Idea 1 (Tall narrow cabinet) — Strengths: single lockable door provides good security; narrow profile suits a corridor; medal rail at the top is a dedicated display feature; adjustable shelves accommodate trophy height changes. Weaknesses: the narrow width limits the number of items visible at eye level.

Idea 2 (Wide shallow case) — Strengths: wide format displays many items at eye level; sliding panels avoid door swing in a busy corridor. Weaknesses: sliding track mechanism is complex to manufacture accurately; two panels mean twice the glass area, increasing cost and weight.

Idea 3 (Modular cubes) — Strengths: expandable as the collection grows; each cube can be removed for rearrangement. Weaknesses: multiple acrylic fronts are less secure than a single lock; the segmented appearance may look untidy.

Chosen idea: Idea 1. The tall narrow cabinet provides the best balance of security (single key lock), visibility (glass door displays all contents), and practicality (narrow profile fits a corridor, adjustable shelves adapt to trophy sizes). The construction uses rebate joints for the glass panel and standard butt joints for the carcass, all achievable in a school workshop. [8]

(e) Full solution — construction details [12 marks]

The solution is drawn in exploded isometric projection.

• Carcass: 1200 mm tall x 500 mm wide x 300 mm deep, constructed from 18 mm oak-veneered MDF. Top, bottom, and two side panels are joined with biscuit joints or rebate joints, reinforced with PVA glue and panel pins.
• Glass door: A 6 mm toughened glass panel (1160 mm x 460 mm) sits in a 6 mm x 10 mm rebate cut along the inner front edge of each side panel, top, and bottom. A brass piano hinge (full length of one side) provides continuous support along the door edge.
• Lock: A small cam lock (barrel type) is fitted through a 19 mm hole drilled in the door-side panel at mid-height. The lock tongue engages with a keep plate screwed to the door.
• Shelves: Three shelves of 18 mm oak-veneered MDF (460 mm x 280 mm) rest on chrome-plated steel shelf support pins (5 mm diameter) inserted into a column of pre-drilled holes (spaced 32 mm apart) on each side panel interior. The 32 mm grid allows fine adjustment of shelf heights.
• Medal rail: A 460 mm brass rod (6 mm diameter) mounted horizontally on two small brackets at the top interior of the case, with six small brass S-hooks for hanging medals.
• Back panel: 6 mm MDF, pinned and glued into a rebate in the rear edge of the carcass.
• Wall mounting: French cleat system (two 450 mm bevelled strips, one on the wall, one on the case back).

(f) Materials [4 marks]

1. Oak-veneered MDF (18 mm) for the case body. Oak-veneered MDF combines the attractive appearance of real oak with the dimensional stability and smooth machinability of MDF. It will not warp or twist like solid timber, which is important for a large case where panel flatness ensures the glass door closes flush. It machines cleanly on a table saw and router, and the veneer edges can be finished with iron-on edging tape. [2]
2. Toughened glass (6 mm) for the front panel. Toughened glass is four to five times stronger than standard float glass of the same thickness. If broken (by an accidental impact in a busy corridor), it shatters into small, blunt granules rather than sharp shards, making it significantly safer. It is fully transparent for maximum display visibility and resists scratching better than acrylic. [2]

(g) Manufacturing the side panel [6 marks]

1. Mark out: Mark the panel dimensions (1200 mm x 300 mm) on an 18 mm oak-veneered MDF sheet using a pencil, steel rule, and try square. Mark the positions of shelf support holes along the inner face (two columns, 50 mm from front and back edges, holes at 32 mm intervals). [1]
2. Cut to size: Cut the panel using a table saw or circular saw with a fine-toothed blade to avoid chipping the veneer. Support the offcut to prevent breakout at the end of the cut. [1]
3. Rout glass rebate: Using a router with a rebate cutter, form a rebate (6 mm wide x 10 mm deep) along the inner front edge to receive the glass door panel. [1]
4. Drill shelf support holes: Drill a series of evenly spaced 5 mm holes along the inside face for the adjustable shelf support pins, using a pillar drill with a depth stop set to 10 mm and a spacing jig (a strip of MDF with pre-drilled holes at 32 mm intervals) clamped to the panel to ensure uniform spacing. [1]
5. Apply edge banding: Apply iron-on oak veneer edging tape to all exposed cut edges using a household iron set to medium heat. Trim the excess tape flush with the panel faces using a sharp craft knife or edge trimmer. [1]
6. Sand and finish: Sand all surfaces smooth with 180-grit glasspaper. Apply two coats of clear satin lacquer spray, sanding lightly with 240-grit between coats, to seal and protect the veneer. [1]