ShopBot, creator of a line of popular CNC router tools, have collaborated with CAD powerhouse Autodesk to create a program that aims to bring digital fabrication tools into more schools around the country. Fifty ShopBot Desktops were set aside for teachers and educators in the US to claim through the promotion, “Digital Fab Tools for Schools,” and vouchers of $2,500 are available based on a first come, first served basis from 100kSchools.org.
Interested in CNC routing, and want to get in on the action?
Over the past few years, I have been fascinated by Michael’s Halo armor project. The piece that first caught my eye was his M6G pistol made of foam. Insulating foam is a fascinating material, due to its’ consistency, low cost and ease of tooling. Machined foam can be cut quickly, and can be finished with a variety of surface treatments from diluted white glue to some paints. He’s been posting to the MAKE Flickr pool for quite a while, allowing us to see what he’s up to as the projects evolve. Recently, we’ve had an email exchange where he has shared some of the process and techniques that he is employing on this masterful personal project.
Mark Williams’ electric violin, which he has been building over the past few months is nearly complete. Other than the neck and a few other items, the whole instrument has been scratch built, mostly at the Boston Fab Lab. He has a nice gallery of photos detailing the build.
I’m almost finished painting it, and I just string it all up for the first time since the project exposition to test out the new pickup magnets. It works GREAT! So amazing to play something I’ve built from the ground up. Just have to finish the fingerboard and bridge and then wait for the paint to finish curing so I can buff and polish it.
We keep hearing about all of these amazing devices and objects that other people are making with CNC tools like laser cutters, Shopbots, mills, and maybe you are feeling left out. You may be like the college student in the mid 1980’s who didn’t like completing papers on the typewriter and looking for a way to use the word processor. If today, you make a design for the part you need, how can you get it machined? You can leverage the power of 100 thousand garages.
Dan Smithwick is working on developing a system so that people can design houses, buildings and other structures in Sketchup, then have the parts cut on a Shopbot, which can then be put together with a few more tools than a rubber mallet. Dan has been working with MIT Professor Larry Sass. Take a look […]
Imagine pulling up to an empty lot with a CNC-controlled ShopBot router, a rubber mallet, and a pile of 600 sheets of plywood. Add in some unskilled labor and a few days, and you could end up with a livable, permanent structure. Ok, you will need to add electricity, plumbing, and lighting, but thanks to […]
