Historical Restoration’s Modern Day Ally

A Focus on Education

ShopBot On The Road

A Brief Timeline of Mobile Digital Fabrication Equipment

One of the more interesting developments of digital fabrication over the past decade has been the rise of “fab labs”, which are completely mobile digital fabrication workshops. Despite their size, these labs generally have full capability in 3D printing, laser engraving and CNC cutting in a  setting. From early labs housed in giant trailers to more recent miniature iterations, Sallye Coyle walks us through some of the innovations that have made digital fabrication a truly portable business, all the way up to the Handibot®--which literally fits inside a suitcase! Read all about the evolution of these mobile labs, which have redefined when and where makers can make.

ShopBotters at Work

Visionary Effects' Interdisciplinary Portfolio the Work of One Person

Dan Thomson is a one-man wrecking crew. His design-build business, Visionary Effects, has been called on to produce some of the most amazing and mind-bendingly real projects for all sorts of purposes, and they’re all the product of Dan himself. From his early days in the horror movie business up until today, Thomson recounts the role that CNC has played in shaping his business, and how purchasing his 4’ x 4’ ShopBot PRS Standard gave him the flexibility to work with all sizes and types of materials. Check out Thea Eck’s blog entry showcasing the limitless possibilities of Thomson’s interdisciplinary studio.
 

Saw Horses & SketchUp

ShopBot contributor Eric Schimelpfenig has designed a simple and easy design for sawhorses that make for a great first CNC experience that will be useful for future projects. Designed for strength and durability, these sawhorses also make efficient use of material, as they require only one piece of 3’ x 4’ plywood. You’ll learn how to import your SketchUp model into VCarve or Aspire, and then walk through milling it on a CNC. Thanks for the cool new project, Eric!

See Eric’s step-by-step guide to download the files and read the instructions.

Attending IWF in Atlanta Later This Month?

Then why not plan to join us for a drink and a bite to eat? We'll be hosting a happy hour (or two) at STATS (300 Marietta St. NW) on Thursday, August 25th from 5:30pm-7:30pm. If you'd like to attend, please RSVP to marketing@shopbottools.com by Tuesday, August 23rd. We look forward to seeing you there!