Recently one Saturday morning I was helping the Tigard High School Robot Club with a T-Shirt launcher we were doing as a group project.  After a great time of building with some really enthusiastic kids, they left and I ran out for some Sushi take-out.  When I came back and sat down to eat while finishing up some relay wiring at the same time, I realized that some sort of goal of Techshop had been met regarding helping kids get involved in technology.

 That added a little extra something to the Wasabi.   -dcole

Last week was a busy week. Finished repairing the exhaust fan and made ducting to get the laser cutter hooked up. Installed CorelDraw and set the software up too. We now have a working laser cutter. It will cut up to 3/8" wood or acrylic or etch anodized aluminum, brass, glass. Materials forbidden to be cut are PVC, Vinyl, Polycarbonate (Lexan), and ABS. They will all damage the machine.

 

The concrete cutters came in and we had the holes cored for the exhaust fan on the fume hood for the finishing area. Holes were also cored for the CNC router vacuum pump and for the heat treat oven. Gas plumbed in for the metal melting furnaces and heat treat oven as well. We now have two of the three furnaces running as well as the heat treat oven running.

 

Some new toys arrived this past week. Stuff that many of you have been waiting for! We received the CNC Router Table and the CO2 Laser Cutter.

The router is a ShopSaber 4896, 4'x8' router table. 5HP VFD Driven Spindle with quick change tooling and auto tool height setter. The table is a 4 zone vacuum table with a 20 HP Vacuum Pump. It will be a week or two before the machine is operational as we need to wire it in and plumb the vacuum system. Classes on CNC operation should start within the next month.

The laser cutter is an Epilog Helix 45, 18" x 24" table, and has the 4 axis to do cylindrical objects. We are in the middle of getting the exhaust system running and plumbing in air for assist gas. Once this is complete the laser should be ready and we will start the SBUs to get people using it. 

        

Wow....Things are really coming together. What a treat to see a bunch of wild ideas finally take shape. Please note that our trusty foam gear on the side of the building made it through rain, sleet and snow but was blown to smithereens by the windstorm last month...it is now a victim of dumpsterside.  We kept the patterns from last time and now a clone adorns the front of our new cafe. 

The Textiles, Softgoods and Upholstery section is up and running, headed up by Kathy Andrews "seamstress for the band".  

Very nice first shot on the CNC Embroidery machine.   

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Fun in the Snow... 

We sent out a little inquiry to see who might be available to knock out the walls, and scheduled a work party for Saturday, December 20th, not knowing who might be able to come (on account of the weather.  Here is a drive-by shot of the Flaming Gear).

What a pleasant surprise!

People showed up with axes and chainsaws and we were able to tear out offices and open up the the area where the reception lobby is going to be.  

The "Techshop Shuttle" truck was filled to overflowing with debris and what wouldn't fit, we loaded up on pallets, waiting for the eventual arrival of a 30 yard dump box (once the snow cleared)