An Experience

30.08.2023

My Term 2 school holidays have come to an end a few months ago. I got 2 weeks off and did 2 days a week ‘work experience’ with ATC Engineers and Project managers in Kingaroy QLD Australia. It was AWESOME!

When I say work experience it is more of a “see what the engineers do and do a few jobs around the office”.

I also intend to do some short videos and/or some posts on what I was taught by the engineers.

An image of the sub-branches of engineering is below. I want to specialize in the Geotechnical and Structural branches.

DAY 1, TUESDAY

The first day I arrived at the office I was introduced to the engineers and administration staff though many of the engineers were away at training.

It is mandatory that a civil engineer in QLD do a certain amount of hours training in a year so they stay up to date with engineering requirements.

I was introduced to the ATC Engineers project filing system and spent most of the day ensuring all the project files had the required documents printed out. The system is year project. E.g. 23200 = 2023 project 200.

At ATC Engineers the office closes at 5pm and opens at 8am though for Day 1 I was only there from 8.30am-3pm. The other days I was there from 8am-5pm.

After lunch I studied the plans for the new year 11 and 12 building at St Johns Kingaroy that is in construction. I did not understand much of the drawings on Day 1 though by Day 4 I understood the plans much more. I also got to write down questions to ask the team the following day.

DAY 2, WEDNESDAY

By now I felt more relax in the office and with the engineers. I spent the day with an engineer called Phil. At 9am I went with him to a site inspection of St Johns’ foundation pad. I was unable to go on the actual site due to the risk associated with it, though I observed from afar.

When we returned Phil continued work on some CAD drawing for a footpath on Tessmans Rd Kingaroy. This was a great experience as I got to understand the obstacles for a footpath and the reasons for certain design features.

Once that was complete he moved onto a risk assessment for the project. A risk assessment outlines the risk and how it can be controlled and make the risk lower, like in school science reports. An image of a risk matrix is below. It is used to determine the risk of an activity.

At ATC Engineers and Project Managers they have a team meeting at 3pm to discuss projects and reflect on the week. There I got to ask my 5 questions about the St Johns year 11-12 build plans. My questions and responses will be in a later post. Julian, an engineer also gave me homework that was to design two bridges, one that failed and one that worked and why.

DAY 3, TUESDAY

Today I was with an engineer called Julian. The one who gave me the bridge building home work. I did some research activities I was tasked with which include concrete repair research and answering questions by searching through the Australian Standards for engineering for the required information.

Through out my time at ATC Engineers Julian showed me many objects and instruments from his ‘museum’. His ‘museum’ was a collect of engineering tools and technologies used in the construction of infrastructure. This was cool as I got to see the object/s physically. His museum had many engineering instruments and construction technologies though they all were quite small in size so they could all fit in a A4 paper box.

Through out today I observed Julian drafting reports for a concrete repair on a dam and calculations for a driveway widening project at a timber mill which was expanding the mill by adding a glue-laminating (glue-lam) factory. Of course there was also smaller things I am not mentioning.

DAY 4, WEDNESDAY

In the morning I observed Julian again, doing a report for Gordon brook dam concrete repair and driveway widths for a timber mill who was adding a glue laminating factory. After lunch I prepared my bridge presentation to present it to the team at the team meeting. As usual the meeting commenced but in addition I got to present my bridge presentation. The ATC team was quit impressed by it.

After the meetings I went to another site visit of St. Johns and I got to walk on site!!!!! This was because it was the end of the day and most high risks weren’t present i.e. heavy machinery.

Thank you for reading,

Archie

My New Name

Hello,

I have changed my name. I changed it in January-ish but I didn’t put this post out, so it’s time for it to see the light of day. Let’s begin!

The Why

I have changed my name to Archie Hitchins. I chose the surname Hitchins because I couldn’t come up with a name I liked while being easy to spell and say at the same time (I wanted my full name under 7 syllables). Archie Hitchins is four syllables. Requirement ticked off.

Archie Drysdale Lytton-Hitchins as a signature could barely fit in the box that you sign in for legal documents. This is if I was lucky (my signature usually went off the page since my writing wasn’t tinny at the time). Although Archie Drysdale Lytton-Hitchins was my full name I acted as if Archie Lytton-Hitchins was my full name.

Archie Hitchins is still a long signature to write but it fits.

Finding Hitchins

I originally wanted to be Archie La San but I was told that many people would mispronounce that name. I than wanted to be just Archie but there could be confusion if there were multiple people called Archie in one place. I decided that Hitchins was the simplest part of my last name (Lytton-Hitchins was my original last name) so I made it my surname.

The Family

My biological family have different surnames. My brother has kept the same surname of Lytton-Hitchins but is pondering changing it to Sparks like my mum. My sister’s surname is Grace. while my dad is still Lytton-Hitchins but he is almost entirely out of my life.

Author: Archie Hitchins

Published: 11.07.2023

Update As of the 01 2023

This is a quick update of what I have done in the past few weeks and a few notices.

All donations I receive will be put towards experiments, education, fulfilling my passions and future goals and costs associated with better quality sharing. Once, more donations began to be received they will also be put towards covering my general living expenses.There will be more posts in the future relating to the experiment ideas, education and passions.

While on finance, I would also like to mention that in a month I will be qualify to become an employee of a business and start to make my own income, which is so exciting. I have been waiting impatiently for this moment for the last few months feeling it is unfair as both my siblings have jobs-NOT TRULY UNFAIR (they had to wait for as long as I did). This is not to say I don’t already have opportunities to be making income from working for my family and friends though my attitude towards this work has been poor.

I completed an Australian White Card Course on the 10/01/2023 with Blue Dog Training down at Brisbane Queensland. Great experience as I learned cool things and about many important subjects. Good education. Though it was awesome and I passed, there was a lot of hand holding and you were provided answers for every question except for 10 or so questions. This made it easy to pass and made it more like a listening test. For this reason,the test for the card felt a bit pointless apart from keeping the audiences attention as we all wanted to pass.

I got an auto darkening welding helmet from Sydney Tools for a 59% discount. I also went to Total Tools in Brisbane and stocked up on a few tools. They were to contribute to my shared welding kit (shared by me and my brother) and to a wood works tool box gifted to me by Eloisa (AKA; my mum).

These tools include;

An engineers file – finest I could find

A four way 10 amp power board

Four carpenter pencils

A carpenter pencil sharpener

A sliding bevel

A magnetic welding clamp- adjustable angle

A wooden mallet

These purchases have, for now, depleted my savings greatly. But it’s time to save again.

I also went to the Brisbane Botanical Gardens. They were really cool though there was little animal and insect life along with mainly introduced plant species.

Thanks for Spending the Time to Read This Post,

Archie

Notes When Doing A Design

In my recent blog ‘My New Vision for the Future’ I said that I want to design buildings. I have been sketching up different building ideas for some time though I haven’t had the time to draw up the plans properly and do research relating the idea. Once I have the time and desire to sketch up my ideas I will use this list to check if my designs are any good. Below the text is the list of things to keep in mind when you are doing a design.

Thanks to the many God’s Way Member Meetings, that I had the privilege to attend, about designing the Auditorium at the God’s Way Function Center (Scroll down to the sub-heading “Function Center Build”) I have been able to construct a list of things to keep in mind for when you design a building. I have added other ideas of my own to the list.

QUESTIONS PART 1:

Is it functional? (Very important)
Is it economical? (Very important)
Does it have beauty? (Less important)
What is the structures purpose?
Where will it be built?
What have you allowed the structure to be used for? (E.g. needs to be used for more than just a house)
Who can use it? (Can some one in a wheel chair live/work in the structure)
Where can it be built? (Can it be built on land with both a slope and no slope)
What is the structures environmental impact? (Where do the materials come from? How are the materials created?)
What damage will be cause in our world by building this structure?
What is the ideas merit?
Can the structure be replaced and/or customized?

QUESTIONS PART 2:

What do others want?
Can it be replaced and/or customized?
What do others want?
Would it work for others with their passions and desires?
What is their age? (How does this limit them)
What do I NEED?
What do I WANT?
What will enhance my life?
How do I protect my necessities? (Food, Water, Shelter, Clean Oxygen)
How does each design decision affect the over all structure/design?
What are the effects of each design decision?

NOTES:

Try to base everything in the structure off a central place/center piece in your design
Remember that there are always trade-offs in buildings

REFLECTION:

Why did I think this way?
- What emotions affect my thinking and ideas?

NOTE: Most of these ideas come from Jesus.

My New Vision For The Future

Hi all, I am back with another post. Once more I have changed what I want to do when I am older. I want
to be a carpenter, an architect and a structural and civil engineer. I want to also qualify in all the areas
Corny qualifies for, like said on a Divine Truth’s post (Scroll down to the sub-heading “Cornelius”). I want
to be qualified as a carpenter and builder but I don’t intend to do it day in and day out. I want to focus on
planning buildings, being an architect and an engineer once I am qualified.

My vision for the future is to go to university/tafe so I can get the necessary degrees/qualifications for my careers then do work as a carpenter, an architect and an engineer so I get experience. After I am experienced in my chosen
careers I want to go traveling around the world for a few years. When I return I would like to continue to
volunteer for God’s Way Ltd. I want to become a member of God’s Way Ltd and aim to set up a God’s
Way Function Center in Africa or South America. I want to work on constructing, planning and designing
buildings for the God’s Way Function Centers. I would like to manage a team of construction workers who
would work on God’s Way’s building projects and other community building projects in either Australia,
Africa or South America (doesn’t really matter where but I think this area would be a good place to help). I would love the team of construction workers to be qualified in all different areas so that if we wanted to our team has the experience and knowledge to build, design and plan a whole house or complex by our selves. I would like there to be a God’s Way Function center already constructed to act as a “home base” but if that hasn’t happened I would like to help build one.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & NOTES
Thanks so much towards Jesus and Mary who with out this vision would never of began.
This is my vision and dream for my future. No Idea or event is set in stone yet. I aspire to do these things in the
future.
NOTE: There is other information about the God’s Way Function Center in the link (Scroll down to the sub-heading
called “Function Center Build”).

Thanks for Reading and I hope to expand this vision one day but also complete it, yet who knows how long this idea will last, may change yet again,

Archie

Something New

Over the last couple of months I have made and edited some math videos about subtraction, addition, multiplication and short division. These videos are accessible through my YouTube channel that can be found at this link.

Link to Math by Archie Playlist here.

You can watch my subtraction and addition video via this link.

You can watch my short division video via this link.

You can watch my multiplication video via this link.

Thank You, Hope You Enjoy.

Archie

The Paper Clip Experiment

Materials:

-Paper or tissue.

-Cup.

-Needle

-Paper clip.

-Water.

Method:

The needle or the paper clip must be dry.

1.Fill the cup up with water

2.Cut a small square piece of paper or tissue (With the tissue you need to separate the layers before you cut)

3.Put the needle on the square of tissue or paper. You need to center the needle in the square.

4.Lift up the needle on the paper. Make shore there is a flat valley where the needle or paper clip is.

5.Lower down the paper or tissue with the needle or paper clip on it. Make shore the flat valley is on the water first.

6.Once the tissue or paper starts to sink and the needle or paper clip is sitting on the water push down the rest of the paper or tissue.

How it works:

The needle or the paper clip sits on the water not floats. This is possible even though the metal is heavier. The surface tension allows this to happen because ,the surface tension is strong enough to let these objects sit on the surface.

You need to disturb the surface as little as possible. This is so you don’t break the surface tension. This is also why you need to lower the tissue evenly and close to the surface.

By Archie Hitchins

Thank You

Thank you for the donations that I have received this term. I very much appreciated this slow and steady donations.

Khaki Weed

Khaki Profile

Native to: South America.
Classification: Pain in the back side (it is literally a pain in the back side if you sit on it. I have experience it. It poked through my shorts)

Note from Archie: This weed has burrs and a tap root. It is a prolific seeder and creeps around the area. It sticks on shoes ,tyres ,cattle , wallabies , domestic and native wooly mammals.

For real information go to Brisbane Government on khaki weed link here.

https://weeds.brisbane.qld.gov.au/weeds/khaki-weed

Methods of weeding or killing these green terrors are listed below.

1. Urine
If you presently wee on khaki weed it eventually dies. Remember don’t stop if plants brown just keep peeing. It should take at least a week peeing 2-4 a day.

2. Weeding
You dig up the roots but make sure you get the whole tap root and all the seeds. It is easier to weed them after the rain because the soil is soft.

3. Drowning Khaki weed in fermented vinegar. You do need to cover this weed with vinegar. You do need some vinegar (60 or more millimeters) to kill it successfully.

Warning.

This weed will come back after rain if all seed is not collected and the whole tap root is not weeded.

Pot ash and Garden lime boost khaki weeds growth. And remember the more dehydrated you are the quicker the weed dies.

By Archie Lytton-Hitchins

Yum Bruchetta Recipe

QUICK & EASY BRUSCHETTA & BRUSCHETTA SALAD

SHOPPING LIST

Olives 1 x pack
Tomatoes 2 x large, or 1 x punnet of cherry tomatoes
Basil 1 handful
Cucumber 1x large or 4 x baby cucumbers
Bread one loaf
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic 1 x clove

Optional:

Avocado x 1
Vegan mayonnaise (optional)
Snow peas x 5
Sprouts x small handful
Lettuce mix half a packet

INGREDIENTS

(Makes 4 Bruschetta)

1 handful of black olives
2 large tomatoes or 3/4 packet of cherry tomatoes
1 handful of basil
½ a large cucumber
Bread
Garlic
1 TBS of balsamic vinegar
Splash of Olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Note: If you wish you can leave out the bread and use lettuce leaves instead.
Or you can combine all of the ingredients into a salad (minus the bread).

Bruschetta Toast

Method

Put bread in toaster, let it toast.
In the mean time cut the olives in half and put into a medium sized bowl.
Cut cucumber & tomatoes into chunks, rip basil and put them into the same bowl.
Combine in a small bowl 1 TBS of basalt vinegar, 1/2 TBS of olive oil & salt and pepper to taste, pour over mixed veggies.
Mix all of the ingredients in the bowl.
Remember to keep an eye on the toast.
Once bread is cooked peel the skin off the garlic and rub the clove of garlic onto the toast.
Spoon the veggie mix onto the bread (or the lettuce cups if not using bread).

Enjoy!

Bruschetta Salad

Alternative recipe (same ingredients)

Method

Add half a family sized bag of lettuce mix to a medium sized bowl.
Chop all of the other ingredients into small pieces; place on top of the lettuce mix.
Add avocado, vegan mayonnaise, sprouts, snow-peas and anything else you would like to add to the salad bowl.
Mix the dressing ingredients and including chopped garlic and pour over the salad.
Optional hot buttered toast sprinkled with salt on the side.

Enjoy the feast.

Easy print format of recipe press download button below.

archie-bruschetta-rreicipe-blog-2 Download