Today we loaded up the truck going to our 2007 ShopBot Jamboree in California. Bill Young and Bill Palumbo have been working incredibly hard getting a great program ready for the event May 17th-18th at the San Mateo Fairgrounds. We think we’ve got the logistics worked out pretty well and we expect this to be a great opportunity for us to touch base with ShopBotters on the other side of the country. ShopBot vendors and software providers will be available throughout the Jamboree. Lots of interesting sessions with ShopBotter presentations are planned, and we’ve allowed plenty of time for conversations and networking.
 Recent ShopBot CNC Training at our facility here in Durham |
There will be an Introductory Level ShopBot CNC Training Session on Wednesday the 16th. The Women’s Class on Friday will be cutting with one of the new PRS tools. Then, Saturday and Sunday the 19th and 20th the Maker Faire will be at the same site for any ShopBotters who wish to stay over (encouraged!). |
 |
 |
 |
Assembled 4×8 PRS being loaded; (far right) 5×10 PRS modules in crate … headed for the Jamboree!
We’ll have a 4×8 PRSstandard and a 5×10 PRSalpha set up for the Jamboree and the Maker Faire. With the 4×8, we’re experimenting with shipping a fully assembled tool, which could become an option for future purchasers (though there are a lot of advantages to receiving your ShopBot in more manageable modules in our standard shipping crates).
 ShopBot’s PRSalpha |
Shipping ShopBots to the Jamboree marked another chapter in the PRS story. Last week was the first week in which we were fully on schedule for all PRS orders, and everything is finally going out as scheduled. Although the lead time is still considerably longer than we would like, the delay is now due to a steadily growing demand for the new PRS ShopBots.The first few weeks of production of the PRS’s were quite a struggle, and we probably shipped a couple before they were really ready. But we appreciate the help, prodding, and challenging of a few or our early adopters, which has helped to make sure that we’ve really gotten it right in how we were prepping, assembling, and shipping the tools (and we’ve tried to do right by them).
We struggled more with this introduction than we would have liked because of what in retrospect looks like a “not so great idea” of mine (though you could not have convinced me of it that the time). |
 Crated X Gantry ready to ship |
My thought was to try and let people know earlier than is typical that we had a new model of ShopBot in the pipeline. So in late fall, even before we had fabricated the second round of prototype test tools, we started informing potential purchasers that there would be a new ShopBot “PRS” tool (actually, we had not even decided on the name at that point). We gave these customers the option of purchasing the current PRT model, that could be ready to ship in a few weeks, or a new PRS that was still several months out, as we were still in the process of finalizing the design and getting it into production. Many people opted for the bird-in-hand, but a number also purchased the new PRS’s. This early announcement and offering was an attempt to be as forthcoming as possible, but it came back to haunt us. As things would have it, even though we allowed extra time for the unexpected, we weren’t ready at the first promised ship dates. |
 YZ Car on X Gantry |
 |
We had done some last minute revisions to the design. These changes required producing a new round of parts. And then, we had some start-up delivery problems in getting materials as well as in getting the revised parts. All this got us off to a delayed start and left us needing to play catch-up.I’m glad it is behind us, and we now have a little more time to get focused on some of the other things we want to be doing. Yes … like writing this blog for the website. [We are small enough, that when there is a need for help in production, we all shift our priorities and pitch in as much as we can.] Now I can at least report that we’re getting ready for the Jamboree … |
By the way, at the Jamboree, we will also have a prototype of the new Benchtop version of a PRS ShopBot. (Oh no! Here I go again.) There are a number of details on the Benchtop that are not yet final (including the name), and it won’t be ready to ship for a while. But we know that ShopBotters are interested to see what we are working on, and there have been a lot of questions about the Benchtop.
 |
Prototype New PRS ‘Benchtop’ ready to ship to the Jamboree for its Preview. |
We’re shooting for a mid-July release date of the first models. These tools will be based on the same beam and YZ Cars as the full size PRSs and use the same motors and controls. There will be an affordable ‘standard’ version and a higher performance ‘alpha’ version. We expect that, as with the current benchtop tool, it will have a moving table and be available with or without a stand.