Creating a Jig for the ShopBot Handibot

This week, I’m getting ready for a number of upcoming STEM-related conferences and festivals. I’ll be taking both a Desktop and a Handibot, and want to have attendees get the thrill of running a ShopBot.

I use what I call the “3 min demo” that lets someone design a sign in CAD software, prepare it …

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It Is Christmas Time

I help teach an Adaptive Industrial Technology Couse with a variety special education students that vary in their motor skills. We developed a project they could take home right before Christmas that allowed them to do a little of everything in the shop area. Students were able to do some cutting, sanding assembly and finishing …

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123D Make…Makes me a Rocket!

We finally had a chance to play around with Autodesk 123D Make after first learning about it a year ago. For our first project , I had a student download a rocket model from the Autodesk 3D Model Gallery and then had him load it into 123D Make.

123D Make is an intuitive piece …

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Projects of the Past

A number of years ago I had a student that came to me and said I want to machine out a miniature “Hit and Miss Antique Engine” and to be honest I had no idea what he was even talking about.. But after explaining to me about the engine I remember going to the Iowa …

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Developing a Prototyping Activity

A great way to get your students interested in your CNC mill is to implement it in your CAD classes that you teach. I like to take students aside throughout the school year and let them complete a project that uses their CAD skills to complete a final prototype on your mill.

The activity that …

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ShopBot Camp! (Easthampton, MA)

I went to the The New England School of Architectural Woodworking (NESAW) to attend ShopBot Camp this Saturday and it was awesome! The school is located on the first floor of a converted warehouse/factory building that also houses several artists’ studios. NESAW began as a collaboration between the Division of Continuing Education at the University …

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ShopBot at the 2013 NYC Maker Faire!

I went to the 2013 NYC Maker Faire today and…to quote one of my students who also attended…it was “very intense.” There was definitely a lot to see but the highlight of the day was that I had a chance to meet some of the great people from ShopBot!

I finally had a chance …

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Benefit Time

Our local community college has a “Hall of Fame Night” that includes a ceremony along with a live and silent auction for the schools foundation. Since I am past graduate, player, and having a teammate that will be inducted in this year’s ceremony, I thought it would be nice to have my students help make …

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Tick Tock…It’s Back-to-School Time!

It’s back-to-school time and the clock in my apartment hallway just decided to disintegrate! How am I going to know when to leave for school in the mornings now?

Fortunately, I have a ShopBot Desktop and some ideas about what I would like to have for a replacement… I’ve been …

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Promote Your Program Traditions

Have you had successes in your program that you would like students, parents and visitors to see when they come in your classroom or lab? One possible way is to create some type of display in your room for students or teams that have done well.

I started doing this at my last school when …

Continue reading >>> Promote Your Program Traditions