Champaign-Urbana Community Fab Lab

Fab Lab is short for Fabrication Laboratory. We are a specific kind of Makerspace.

Note: This document is a very rough draft.  If you're a Mac OS X user who would like to access mcu.cba.mit.edu, please try it and let me know how well these instructions work be e-mailing me me (lukescharf@clusterbee.net) or by adding a comment to this page.

Mary K Watson writes:

The first presentation at the United States Fab Lab Network (USFLN) Annoual Symposium in Kansas City was done by the Rapid Tech.org which has the Bright Minds Mentoring program with teacher training workshop for educators They have four days of hands on experience to learn the secondary processes for using the machines and then how to use it in the classroom as well as industry seminars for companies. They have opened a fab lab and Fox Valley works with them on prototyping development.

These are some of the other presenters:

Betty Barrett writes:

Today Mary Kay, Mercedes, and I are at the USFLN conference in Kansas City. There are, perhaps, 50 to 60 people in attendance from 10 to 20 fab labs all at different stages of development. Here are some of the ideas that have come up so far that may be worth exploring at CUCFL.

Notes below the fold:

The CUCFL "Friends" held the first general meeting on Dec. 16, 2010.

The next meeting will be 20 Jan 2011 (tentative).

Please find attached notes from the Dec. meeting.

-- REMcG, acting chair

Full post and discussion here:
http://www.fabhub.net/showthread.php?56-quot-Friends-quot-Committee-Note...

We've created a new Facebook Page for the Champaign-Urbana Community Fab Lab:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Champaign-Urbana-Community-Fab-Lab/177273545636056
In addition to actually using the page, links to posts on the Fab Lab website are automatically posted to this page's wall.

We've also added a "Share" button to our website that will allow website users to easily link to content using dozens of social networking services.

Lastly, since I post on cucfablab.org far more often than I post on Facebook, I've set up my Facebook account to automatically share items that I post in "Luke Scharf's Blog".  If anyone wants to see how to set this up, let me know and I'll either show you how to do it or post a writeup.

Epilog Helix 350 Laser Engraver

• Really Good Things to do:
  • Press the “STOP” button if anything goes wrong
  • Turn the fan on before you begin cutting
  • Position materials with care in the upper left corner of the platform in the machine
  • Wait thirty (30) seconds before opening the cover, after a job is done
  • Turn off the machine when you are done
  • Make sure the fire extinguisher and/or water bottle is by the machine in case there is a small fire
  • Use the right power and speed settings for cardboard, plastic or other materials
• Really Dangerous Things (things not to do):
  • Cutting material that could give off dangerous fumes
  • Cutting material that could catch on fire
  • Don’t start the machine cutting something and then walk away – it’s really danger

For questions about the Fab Lab in general see our page for the press.

If I wish to visit the FabLab for the first time:

The Business/Operations committee writes:

Fab Lab Open Session Hours, beginning Monday 12/20/2010:

• 2010 
  • 12/20 Monday 6-9 
  • 12/23 Thursday 6-9 
  • 12/26 Sunday CLOSED 
  • 12/27 Monday 6-9 
  • 12/30 Thursday 6-9 
• 2011 
  • 01/02 Sunday CLOSED 
  • 01/03 Monday 4-9 RESUME NORMAL HOURS 

Closing the Lab – A Check List:

ž      Give everyone 15 minutes notice

ž      Make sure all projects are complete or appropriately saved or stored

ž      Turn off all computers (shutting down windows, pressing the “on/off” buttons, and turning on power strips)

ž      Turn off the laser cutter and the associated computer

ž      Turn off the vinyl cutter and the associated computer

Opening the Lab – A Check List:

ž      Check for any leaks in water lines or any other circumstance that could be a safety hazard

ž      Turn on lights

ž      Make coffee (instructions available)

ž      Turn on all computers (turning on power strips and “on/off” buttons on each computer with log in “fablab” and the same password)

Policy on “Consumables:”

The overall policy on consumables is to encourage experimentation with low cost materials, but to cover costs with more expensive materials and to charge high volume users fees that help to maintain Fab Lab tools, equipment and other expenses.

Cardboard for prototypes is provided free (members are encourage to recycle clean, food-free cardboard for use in the lab.

CUCFL Operating Rules

Safety:

Overall Safety

Roster of Committee Members

Curriculum and Programming Committee

Recent (2012)

• Whitney Street
• Chris Needham
• Mary K Watson
• Betty Barrett
• Jeff Ginger

Previous (pre-2012)

• Kathleen Harness
• Jonathan Manton
• Debarah McFarland
• Johann Rischau
• Kathleen Smith
• Debra Woods

Fab Lab IT Committee

Recent (2012)

CUCFL Operations Committee Charter

Purpose:

• Ensure effective and efficient operations for the CUCFL, promoting ingenuity, invention, and inspiration in the community

Membership: