What’s New

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It has been awhile since we have provided an update. As usual a lot of things are going on and the space is getting busier and better every day!

Go LIVE! a big success.

We had well over a hundred people that attended our Go LIVE!/Demo Day event. Go LIVE! marked the end of our beta testing phase and we opened membership to everyone. To celebrate we threw a party with free food and drinks but the best part was the flying sparks and debris. We demonstrated much of the equipment in operation and the response was fantastic.  A big thanks to all the family, friends, members and instructors that made it happen.


CNC Router being demonstrated at Go LIVE!
CNC Router being demonstrated at Go LIVE!

CNC Router Operational

One of the things that we really wanted to show off for Go LIVE! was the CNC router. By burning a lot of midnight oil we were able to make it happen. Although the machine was operational when we bought it, we felt it needed upgrades to improve safety, reliability and usability. Some of the improvements.

  • Relocated the X axis motor to a higher location adding about 4″ of additional Z movement.
  • Added reduction drive units on the X and Y motors, improving the machine’s resolution by 320%. We also replaced and relocated the gear tracks to make them less susceptible to clogging with debris.
  • Added limit switches and mechanical stops to all the axis which protects the mechanisms from damage as well as providing much improved squaring.
  • Added cable chains to carry the control and power cables. This provides a much neater appearance and helps protect the cables from damage.
  • The control software, Mach 3, was reconfigured to make usage easier, more repeatable and safer.
  • Built a zeroing plate which automatically detects the bit and sets the Z axis zero point to the top of the material.


The machine is in full operation and members have been using it ever since. The first project was a big one produced by Patrick and Nate from the Gosun crew. They cut out approximately 1,200 parts for the Gosun mini stand. In addition to building the wooden stands they have used the vinyl cutter to create THOUSANDS of logos that will be applied to the finished product. Soon they will be cutting parts using the rotary attachment for the plasma table.


Powder coating

We now have a small scale powder coating setup available. One of our members, Bob, is working on plans for building a larger scale oven that will accommodate pieces up to several feet long. We hope to begin construction in a few weeks.


Saw_cropped.6f3125cc99Wood Shop Only Membership

We have added a special lower cost membership that allows access to the wood shop only. This membership is designed to accommodate people that are only interested in woodworking. People with this special membership will have access to the panel saw and all the woodworking tools in the wood shop except for the CNC router. The price is $75 per month on auto renewal. Membership months accumulated using this membership will not count towards our membership loyalty bonus program.


Store

The store is shaping up. We are in the process of bagging up thousands of screws, bolts, nuts, washers, etc. Most of the items are being conveniently bagged in $1, $2 or $3 packages including tax. There is also an assortment of large fasteners that are simply priced by the pound. Everything should be priced and organized in the next few weeks. Members should find this store extremely convenient and our pricing very fair.


Classes

CNC Plasma
CNC Plasma Table

We have recently added Basic Welding and CNC Plasma to our list of offerings.

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