INDUSTRIAL ARTS

What is Industrial Arts Called Today?

2024-02-21T07:06:00.000-08:00

In the United States, Industrial Arts has evolved and is now commonly referred to as Career and Technical Education (CTE) or Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. These programs encompass a broader range of subjects beyond traditional industrial arts, including fields such as engineering, computer science, health sciences, agriculture, and business management. They aim to provide students with practical skills and knowledge that can prepare them for careers in various industries.

Industrial Arts significantly contributed to the modern Maker Movement

2023-07-27T07:57:00.000-07:00

Industrial Arts significantly contributed to the modern Maker Movement by instilling essential principles and practices. Industrial Arts programs taught students practical skills like woodworking, metalworking, and electronics, fostering hands-on learning and creativity. These classes promoted a DIY culture and encouraged students to explore their problem-solving abilities, inspiring a do-it-yourself ethos.

Moreover, Industrial Arts introduced students to various fabrication tools and technologies, familiarizing them with craftsmanship and innovation. The collaborative nature of Industrial Arts classes also encouraged community-building and teamwork.

The resurgence of the Maker Movement built upon these foundations, expanding access to advanced digital fabrication tools and creating communal workspaces known as maker spaces or fab labs. This movement further embraced a global community of makers, promoting a culture of sharing knowledge, experiences, and creations.

In summary, Industrial Arts laid the groundwork for the Maker Movement by fostering practical skills, creativity, and a DIY spirit, all of which have become integral aspects of the modern maker culture.

SOIL Co-Create Makerspace: From the Ground Up

2022-09-15T09:41:00.003-07:00

Significant progress has been made in the efforts to secure a makerspace for our five city communities (Oceanside, Carlsbad, Vista, San Marcos, and Escondido). I am delighted to announce that I have had very positive discussions with the founders of SOIL Co-Create Makerspace: From the Ground Up in San Marcos. The founders of the SOIL Co-Create Makerspace had intended to open it to the public, but the Covid pandemic disrupted their plans. As a result they used the SOIL Co-Create Makerspace as their personal makerspace resulting in several entrepreneurial successes. Now the founders want to rekindle their efforts to make an entrepreneurial makerspace available to the public. I will host a series of Meetups at the SOIL Co-Create Makerspace in San Marcos to assess interest and support for a makerspace to support the five cities. For our meetup venue we will use the conference room at the SOIL Co-Create Makerspace followed by a tour of the facility. We expect the tour will result in many questions. We will stay and answer your questions and continue the discussion on social media. We hope that the public will attend multiple Meetups and bring their friends and colleagues. Please share this information with other “makers” you know on social media. I am confident that if the interest is there the five cities' communities will have access to a makerspace.

2022-08-31T09:51:00.004-07:00

Building a makerspace community is difficult because it is hard to describe. I will start out with the old chestnut, imagine if your will, standing in a large room with 12 tables, a bin wall on the right and white board on the left. Now let’s think about a collaborative enterprise built around the product development cycle. Looking at the white board there is an infographics continuum of the product/project development life cycle, mockup, prototype, first article, test, etc. Strategically placed along the continuum are logo decals, graphics, or posters for the online digital manufacturing services that can support your product development in as little as 24 to 48 hours.

Now we proceed to integrate you into the process. I am thinking of refrigerator magnets with avatars of the members of the community being placed on the infographics continuum in the most representative location representing the current status of the member product or project. The community wants to know your current status. To have a community we need collaboration. Here I am going to drift off into the weeds. I want you to visualize the basic training segment in the movie “Full Metal Jacket”. The idea here is to have the members help other members through or over the obstacle course. If the member can visualize the status of their colleague’s location on the continuum, they might note that their colleague has just finished the prototype phase and is moving to make a crowdfunding video. If you have questions about the prototype phase you should, at a minimum, ask a question of those who just completed that step. Maybe you claim a level of expertise in making videos. You might get enthusiastic help with your prototype in exchange for your support in assisting a colleague with their crowdfunding video.

So here is how I see it. Walk in, drop your stuff on one of the tables, look at the whiteboard, move your refrigerator magnet as appropriate, on your way to the coffee, talk to your colleagues about their status, maybe their thoughts about whatever online digital manufacturing services they have used and recommend. Just ask a question, they may have just completed your problem du jour. Yes, you need and can build a community and it’s invaluable to do so.

Contemporary Industrial Arts

2022-08-20T09:56:00.001-07:00

Contemporary Industrial Arts

My Thesis

Paul Hewett’s approach to teaching physics was to focus on the ideas of physics rather than the often daunting mathematics. Why exclude students from science because they didn’t have the exposure and/or aptitude to execute the computational rigor often required. The conceptual presentation of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics are fundamental to today's STEM and STEAM programs, particularly in the lower grades.

It has been suggested that a major differentiator between humans and the other species is their use of tools. In 1968 Stuart Brand published the first “Whole Earth Catalog”, this spectacular publication exposed me to tools and then went further to provide access to tools. The human desire to use and have access to tools has long been demonstrated by the large tool sections in all the “Big Box” lumber and hardware stores. The problem of not knowing how to use tools has resulted in cries of, “bring back shop class”. People remember that in shop class you could learn how to use tools and “make stuff”.

In the new millennium we started to see the new phenomena of “maker spaces'', and the “maker movement”. My first exposure to makerspaces and the maker movement was at the Techshops in Silicon Valley. Today there are more than 2,000 makerspaces that are answering the call to bring back shop class. For years I have been suggesting the connection between the Industrial Arts of old and the current makerspace, maker movement. The makerspaces of today are different from the old shop classes in that the technology has changed, making them more relevant to a digital technology and a global economy. Today's digital tools are safer, lower cost, more relevant than the typical shop class tools of the past. Low cost multi-axis automation systems and digital manufacturing systems are readily available as training platforms. Today you can buy 3D printers for $200USD, and Chromebook computers that require little administration for under $200. Arduino boards are $20 for schools. Cloud based 3D Modeling and other applications are readily available for free. There has never been a lower cost of entry to a digital education.

I want to finish this introduction to a contemporary Industrial Arts program with my most imaginative incarnation of what it could have been if we vigorously and enthusiastically continued to support Industrial Arts to today. By far my favorite example would be Arts et Métiers ParisTech (https://artsetmetiers.fr/fr/lecole) founded in 1780 in France. The literal translation is “Art and Craft ParisTech”. It is acknowledged as being the leader of French higher education in the fields of mechanics and industrialization. I visited the Cluny campus of Arts et Métiers ParisTech years ago and was immediately overwhelmed by the feeling that “this is it”, “this is what it could have been.'' The missing piece might have been predicted by physicist Paul Hewitt when he suggested a strong conceptual foundation in physics would better equip the student’s understanding of the equations and formulas in their more advanced studies. It may seem fanciful to think that a fully supported Industrial Arts program could compare to an institution like Arts et Métiers ParisTech in just four or five decades, but maybe not!

Techshop - Maker Movement, Maker Spaces

Conceptual Physics - Paul G. Hewitt

Arts et Métiers ParisTech founded in 1780

STEM and/or STEAM

Relevance

IBEW 1890

Whole Earth Catalog - Access to Tools

Imaginative

incarnation

Casual vs Entrepreneurial

2022-08-16T09:54:00.001-07:00

Casual vs Entrepreneurial

There are all kinds of makerspaces today. Everything from Mrs. Johnson’s 4th grade class working in the library with a 3D printer to a multimillion dollar enterprise like the Techshops in Silicon Valley. However, I think it is fair to suggest that all of the makerspaces can be characterized as being on a continuum somewhere between edutainment and entrepreneurship. A casual user as you describe them might be in the middle of the continuum. Any new makerspace should focus toward the entrepreneurship end of the continuum. The reason for this is simple and fundamental. It is much easier to add value to the entrepreneurship end of the continuum rather than the edutainment end of the continuum.

I suspect that my last statements are controversial with many thinking, what about the casual user? As long as we are able to add enough value to justify the fees that would be required to sustain the enterprise the casual user could be accommodated.

Whether the enterprise is for profit or non profit, it is essential that the members pay a membership fee in order to sustain the enterprise. The costs associated with securing the bricks and mortar, equipment, utilities, and other operating expenses are always substantial. However, it is these costs that can allow us to make the case regarding the value that the enterprise can add to the entrepreneur. When you tell the inventor and/or entrepreneur how their association with the enterprise is going to greatly increase their chances of success they may then be able to correlate the fees being requested with the value added. We do that by pointing out the costs of bricks and mortar, lighting, heat and air conditioning, equipment, software, and all of the other expenses associated with a startup. As much as 98% of these costs are all deferred allowing the inventor/entrepreneur to focus all of their financial resources to their product and/or service. Furthermore there are many intangible advantages that are offered such as opportunities to collaborate as well as mentoring. An enterprise such as this can add more value by helping the inventor/entrepreneur develop their prototypes, crowdfunding campaign, as well as how to execute preproduction after a successful crowdfunding campaign. As you can see we can potentially add a lot of value to the entrepreneur. However, the deferred cost of bricks and mortar has no relevance to the casual user. The casual user does not aspire to start a company. A casual user always has the option of using a makerspace on a month to month basis, which may be adequate. As you know, the Techshop enterprise failed. It was unsustainable. The casual user, as you describe them, simply does not want the value that is inherent in a makerspace that adds more than just access to tools. The only response to the casual user would be to limit the value offered so that their fees would be proportional. Maybe a silver, gold, and platinum fee structure could be instituted. I suggest this kind of system would be very labor intensive and bureaucratic. While the casual user would secure a lot of value from being a member of the makerspace, their fees would most likely be proportionally higher for the value received. The Techshops original business model was based on a 24 hour health business model. You buy a membership in February and then don’t use it much or at all. The casual user is alway at a disadvantage in any membership relationship.

My conclusion is that a sustainable makerspace model would be that of a nonprofit enterprise that focuses on adding value to the entrepreneur. All of the facilities, equipment, software, and other resources are developed and maintained to help the entrepreneur be successful in developing and executing their product or service. This model will work because the value added to the entrepreneur is proportional to the fees requested. If you need to increase the fees, add more value.

Business Model for a Sustainable MakerSpace

2022-08-02T09:53:00.001-07:00

Business Model for a Sustainable MakerSpace

I prepared this makerspace business model in the context of the 2017 closure of the Techshops. I want to point out that it is always easier when you are standing on the shoulders of those who preceded you.

I am not going to discuss what the Techshop could have done or should have done but rather what should be done to develop a sustainable makerspace business model. There are all kinds of makerspaces today. Everything from Mrs. Johnson’s 4th grade class working in the library with a 3D printer to a multimillion dollar enterprise like the Techshop. However, I think it is fair to suggest that all of the makerspaces can be characterized as being on a continuum somewhere between edutainment and entrepreneurship. The focus of any new makerspace should be towards the entrepreneurship end of the continuum. The reason for this is simple and fundamental. It is much easier to add value to the entrepreneurship end of the continuum rather than the edutainment end of the continuum.

At this point I suspect that my last statements are controversial with many thinking, “what about the kids”. I have been a supporter of Industrial Arts all of my life, so yes let’s bring back shop class. It should be some kind of STEM/STEAM and makerspace hybrid. And it is happening! The point I am making is that this is too big for any makerspace enterprise to get their arms around. They wouldn’t be able to add enough value to justify the fees that would be required to sustain the enterprise.

Municipalities have shown inclinations to offer building and operating budgets in exchange for the chance of securing a tech startup(s) in their city. Cities recognize the value added by the makerspace enterprise to the extent of offering substantial physical and operational resources.

Now the discussion turns to the issues of whether the enterprise is a profit or nonprofit enterprise. Many have struggled with this choice. However, I think the decision is rather easy in that I believe being a nonprofit enterprise is simply the route of least resistance. It is simply easier to get discounted or even free equipment, software, and other resources if you are a nonprofit. Many of these resources are simply not available to for profit enterprises. Fundraising and “development” campaigns are much easier for nonprofits.

I would be delighted to discuss these ideas. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has tried to set up a makerspace, or is trying to do so, or who has successfully done so. I think we have common goals and collaboration is possible.

2022-05-18T09:49:00.001-07:00

In 1968 Stewart Brand published the Whole Earth Catalog. It was this catalog that opened to me and the boomer generation the world of tools and their possible application.

While the major differentiator for the human race was the use of tools, the Whole Earth Catalog's subtitle expressed the necessary condition required for the Maker Movement-- "access to tools".

I may have been luckier than most in that I always seem to have access to tools. Then in junior high school I discovered Industrial Arts and shop class. This was the first time in my life that school had been anything other than a hellish torment. It was that moment that I decided that I would tolerate school in exchange for "access to tools". However, Industrial Arts gave me more than just access to tools. It showed me how to use them. In Industrial Arts you learned how to use tools. Safety and basic use of tools has become the mantra of makerspaces world wide.

Several years ago when Jim Newton's Techshop was just getting started in Menlo Park, California, we had Friday night mixers where we displayed current projects and discussed Techshop issues. I was delighted to have the Techshop and the access to tools. However, I wanted to be an integral part of this experience. At one Friday night mixer I suggested to Jim Newton that the Techshop should add metal spinning to its list of technologies. I pointed out that if he purchased a large wood lathe we could offer two technologies using the same physical tool. I told Jim that both Woodturning and Metal Spinning would be great additions to the Techshop at a low cost of entry because we would use the same lathe for both. Jim told me that he would buy the lathe if I would teach woodturning and metal spinning. I was delighted I to be part of this movement. However, there was a problem. I had had only 10 or 12 minutes of metal spinning experience in 1968 in an Industrial Arts 101, when I was studying to be an Industrial Arts teacher. Other than that I had no metal spinning experience and zero woodturning experience. So I went to YouTube and watched metal spinning and woodturning videos, wrote the class handouts, and have been teaching these classes ever since at the three Silicon Valley Techshops and the Techshop in Chandler, Arizona.

While I had always thought of myself as an inventor (maker) there were a couple of events that lit the fire. I liked Popular Science and Popular Mechanics magazines, but one in particular, August 1971 changed my life. In 1971 I was at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. At that time R. Buckminster Fuller (Bucky) was a professor at Southern Illinois University. The August 71 issues of Popular Science was all about geodesic domes. So I went to work building domes. This was a long time before "Burning Man".

It didn't take me long to find Domebook II, and then I went geodesic dome nuts.

It was Industrial Arts that made my school life bearable. After graduation, and for the next forty years, I did get distracted by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California and Silicon Valley. But eventually I got the opportunity to teach Industrial Arts, not in a school but rather at the Techshop (makerspace). You may have noticed by now that I am suggesting a connection between the Industrial Arts of the past and the maker movement of the present.

More than just the desire to use and have access to tools, the maker movement has been helped by a number of events. First was the commoditization of many technologies. For example the automobile and cell phone industries have made sensors inexpensive and available from many websites such as Sparkfun, Adafruit, Seeed, and many others. Microprocessor boards are available everywhere for less than the cost of lunch. The old Industrial Arts Supply catalogs have been replaced by hundreds of websites specializing in digital manufacturing, Internet of things, robotics and untold others.

There has also been a commoditization of tools of sorts, the best example being Harbor Freight. Tools have become so inexpensive that you can justify the purchase for a single use.

Another important change has been the democratization of the enterprise. Now for the first time you can use crowdfunding to fund your collaborative product development. Before crowdfunding most ideas were never realized because there was no possibility of securing the funding in the conventional capitalistic top down system.

These situations are going to continue and improve. There is more work needed on how to collaborate, and the organization of the workplace. I am very optimistic because I see this maker movement as not being the result of a few innovators and entrepreneurs but rather the direct result of "access to tools", mentoring, and collaborations. What that means to me is that the "maker movement" is sustainable as long as we continue to educate our populace. You may not need a High School Diploma but you will need digital literacy know-how!

An Explanation of the Maker Movement

2020-07-03T10:57:00.002-07:00

As suggested in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), it was the use of tools that would differentiate the human race. The aspiration, making and use of tools seems to be coded in to human existence. I have always been a Maker, but I used "inventor" rather than "Maker", I wanted to invent things.

In 1968 Stewart Brand published the Whole Earth Catalog. It was this catalog that opened up the world of tools to me and the baby boomer generation to tools and their possible application.

While the major differentiator for the human race was the use of tools. The Whole Earth Catalog's sub-title articulated the necessary condition required for the Maker Movement, "access to tools".

I may have been luckier than most in that I always seem to have access to tools. Then in Junior High School I discovered Industrial Arts and shop class. This was the first time in my life that school had been anything other than a hellish torment. It was that moment that I decided that I would tolerate school in exchange for "access to tools". However, Industrial Arts gave me more than just access to tools, they showed me how to use them. Yes in Industrial Arts they taught you how to use tools. The safety and basic use of tools which has become the mantra of makerspaces world wide.

Several yeas ago when Jim Newton's Techshop was just getting started at the Menlo Park, California, we would have Friday night mixers where we display are current projects and discuss Techshop issues. I was delighted to have the Techshop and the access to tools. My wife and I were early investors and lifetime members. However, that wasn't enough for me. I wanted to be part of this experience. At one of the Friday night mixers I suggested to Jim Newton that as part of the complement of technologies that the Techshop should offer should be metal spinning. I pointed out that if he purchase a large wood lathe we could essentially offer two technologies using the same physical infrastructure. I told Jim that both Woodturning and Metal Spinning would be great additions to the Techshop at a low cost of entry because we would use the same lathe for both. I was successful at convincing Jim, he told me that he would buy the lathe if I would teach the woodturning and metal spinning. I was delighted I was going to be part of this movement! I know that in order to be part of the Techshop enterprise I would need to differential myself from many others who wanted to be instructor as well. It was unlikely that anybody else would be claiming expertise in metal spinning and woodturning. However, there was a problem I had had only 10 of 12 minutes of metal spinning experience in 1968 in an Industrial Arts 101, when I was studying to be an Industrial Arts teacher. Other than that I had no metal spinning experience and zero woodturning experience. So I want off to YouTube and watched metal spinning and woodturning videos, wrote the class handouts, and have been teaching these classes ever sense. So I became the metal spinning expert teaching classes at the three Silicon Valley Techshops and the Techshop in Chandler, Arizona.

It didn't take me long to find Domebook II, then I went geodesic dome nuts. It was a sad thing to witness, but I would have done it again!

In that, it was Industrial Arts that made my school life bearable and my option would be Vietnam, coal mine, or becoming and Industrial Arts teacher. I did get distracted by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California and Silicon Valley for forty years I did eventually get the opportunity to teach Industrial Arts, not in a school but rather at the Techshop (makerspace). You may have noticed by know that I am suggesting a connection between the Industrial Arts of the past and the maker movement of the present.

More than just the desire to use and have access to tools the maker movement has been helped by a number of events. First was the commoditization of many technologies. For example the automobile and cell phone industries have made sensors inexperience and available from many web-site such as Sparkfun, Adafruit, Seeed, and many others. Microprocessor boards are available everywhere for less than the cost of lunch. The old Industrial Arts Supply catalogs have been replaced by hundreds of web-site specializing in digital manufacturing, Internet of things, robotics and untold others.

There has also been a commoditization of tools of sort, the best example is Harbor Freight. Tools have become so inexpensive that you can justify the purchase for a single use.

These situations are going to continue and improve. There is going to need more work on had to collaborate and the organization of the workplace. I am optimistic, that is also starting to happen.

I am also very optimistic because I see this maker movement as not being the result of a few innovators and entrepreneurial but rather the direct result of "access to tools", mentoring, and collaborations. What that means to me is that our "maker movement" is sustainable as long as we continue to educate our populous. You may not need a High School Diploma but you will need a digital literacy certificate!

Contemporary Industrial Arts

2019-05-12T14:54:00.003-07:00

Contemporary Industrial Arts

How should a contemporary Industrial Arts program be structured? We can’t simply pick-up where we left off decades ago. But today we can provide several examples of what the Industrial Arts programs of old could have evolved into over the decades and can suggest models for contemporary Industrial Arts programs. While an effort to envision what could have happened can only be speculative, there are many clues, examples, and arguments to made regarding today's Industrial Arts, as seen in today's STEM and STEAM programs.

Paul Hewett’s approach to teaching physics was to focus on the ideas of physics rather than the often daunting mathematics. Why exclude students from science because they didn’t have the exposure and/or aptitude to execute the computational rigor often required. The conceptual presentation of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics are fundamental to today's STEM and STEAM programs, particularly in the lower grades.

It has been suggested that a major differentiator between humans and the other species is their use of tools. In 1968 Stuart Brand published the first “Whole Earth Catalog”, this spectacular publication exposed me to tools and then went further to provide access to tools. The human desire to use and have access to tools has long been demonstrated by the large tool sections in all the “Big Box” lumber and hardware stores. The problem of not knowing how to use tools has resulted in cries of, “bring back shop class”. People remember that in shop class you could learn how to use tools and “make stuff”.

At the new millennium we started to see the new phenomena of “maker spaces”, and the “maker movement”. My first exposure to makerspaces and the maker movement was at the Techshops in Silicon Valley. Today there are more than 2,000 makerspaces that are answering the call to bring back shop class. For years I have been suggesting the connection between the Industrial Arts of old and the current makerspace, maker movement. The makerspaces of today are different from the old shop classes in that the technology has changed, making them more relevant to a digital technology and a global economy. Today's digital tools are safer, lower cost, more relevant than the typical shop class tools of the past. Low cost multi-axis automation systems and digital manufacturing systems are readily avail as training platforms. Today you can buy 3D printers for $200USD, and Chromebook computers that require little administration for under $200. Arduino boards are $20 for schools. Cloud based 3D Modeling and other applications are readily available for free. There has never been a lower cost of entry to a digital education.

I want to finish this introduction to a contemporary Industrial Arts program with my most imaginative incarnation of what it could have been if we vigorously and enthusiastically continued to support Industrial Arts to today. By far my favorite example would be Arts et Métiers ParisTech founded in 1780 in France. The literal translation is “Art and Craft ParisTech”. It is acknowledged as being the leader of French higher education in the fields of mechanics and industrialization. I visited the Cluny campus of Arts et Métiers ParisTech years ago and was immediately overwhelmed by the feeling that “this is it”, “this is what it could have been.'' The missing piece might have been predicted by physicist Paul Hewitt when he suggested a strong conceptual foundation in physics would better equip the student’s understanding of the equations and formulas in their more advanced studies. It may seem fanciful to think that a fully supported Industrial Arts program could compare to an institution like Arts et Métiers ParisTech in just four of five decades, but maybe not!

3D Printing Casting Patterns

2018-11-27T09:17:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons I purchased a 3D Printer was so that I could print casting patterns to be used at our Metal Club foundry. I wanted to design and print pattern with integral gates, runners, vent and sprue targets, and core prints. These feature are all shown in the image below. These patterns are printed using PLA. While I made my first pattern in Nylon and PETG, the PLA is a better choice because it can easily be glued to the match plate. The PLA is easier and faster to print. The color code convention for patterns is yellow.

3D Printed casting pattern for a C-Clamp- Drag Side

My $169 Ender 3 3D printer 300 mm x 300 mm x 250 mm is big enough to print these pattern.

3D Printing Casting Pattern for C-Clamp -- Cope Side

Here I am showing the cope and drag sides of the C-Clamp patter. The pattern has a 5° draft and a skirt all around the perimeter. On the lettering I used a 7° draft and top and bottom fillets.

3D Printed Casting Patterns for C-Clamp Cope and Drag Sides

PETG has a big disadvantage over other 3D Printing materials in that it is nearly impossible to glue. The patterns are often glued to the match plate. In the PLA pattern I did not print any bottom layer so that the grid on the bottom is exposed. This open grid makes it very easy to glue the pattern to the match place and/or other pattern components.

Backside 3D Printed C-Clamp Patterns -- Show Grid

One might speculate that this open grid bottom surface may make it possible to glue the PETG as well. If you were to apply a bead of RTV around the perimeter I think the mechanical interface, not the chemical, would provide adequate adhesion.

For comments and/or questions please contact me at earl@newproductllc.com

Rapid Prototyping Using Ender -3 3D Printer

2018-11-24T13:12:00.000-08:00

For many years I have been using Sculpteo to assist in my rapid prototyping projects, via 3D Printing. I would design the parts using Solidworks, convert it to an .STL and import in Sculpteo. However, in August I decided to buy my own 3D Printer.

Taken with Google Pixel 2 XL

After reading many low cost 3D Printer reviews I settled on the Ender -3.

Taken with Google Pixel 2 XL

I have been 3D printing day and night. I am leaning a lot, the machine works great, and I am have lots of fun. At $169 USD this is a very cheap adult hobby.

Preparing a batch of core sand

2018-11-24T13:02:00.000-08:00

When casting metal you at a minimum need a pattern. In addition to the pattern core(s) are often needed as well. If you want holes and/or cavities you would use a core(s). Example the water jacket in the engine blocks of internal combustion engines use many cores to yield the water jackets. It is general ideal if you can make a near net casting. I near net casting is one that have a minimum of post costing processes, namely machining. In our "Basic Sand Casting Class" we need a core for the feature that will threaded with an ACME to to accommodate the threaded rod used in every clamp. The 3D printed patterns have a feature that yields the "core prints". The core will be placed in the core prints before the pour of molting metal.

I purchased "Play Sand" available from Home Depot, Lowes, and almost every other building supply store or hardware store. This sand costs about $2.50 USD for 50 lbs. In order to use the play sand it must be dried and riddled. I just poured the sand in the black tub shown and raked it multiple time over a few day until it was dry.

After the sand is dry it is time riddle the sand, the objective is to yield and use only the finest sand.

Here I am shaking the riddle with sand over a large clean tub. This only take a fraction of a minute.

What remains in the riddle is then thrown away.

Now I poured the fine sand from the tub. This fine dry sand can now be designated as "core sand".

Place the sand in a container and label the container as, "core sand only".

I will do another blog post for the next step of the process for making cores. We have the sand but we also need a core box, sodium silicate core binder, and carbon dioxide.

For comments and/or questions please contact me at earl@newproductllc.com

Always interesting to see the support structure developed by the slicer

2018-11-23T12:18:00.000-08:00

I always find the support structure, developed by the slicing program to be interesting. While in many cases the support structures are needed, there is a problem in that they always leave artifacts behind. Buy seeing how the support structures are developed I have learned how to reduce and/or eliminate the need for the support structures. The part in the photo is a good example. I may have been able to eliminate most of the support structure by turning the part upside down. I now look at multiple printing position before printing.

PETG -- Not Dish Washer Safe

2018-11-23T11:53:00.001-08:00

If you have a 3D Printer you must try your hand at some kitchen gadgets. Lydia needed some cookie cutters. I found a set of South Park cookie cutter. I printed them in PETG and they came out great. These were printed in PETG at 245°C. I was thinking that they would be dish washer safe. I was very wrong.

Fixture for Moving and Rotating Foundry Flasks

2018-11-23T11:18:00.001-08:00

At our metal club we have set-up a nonferrous foundry. Here inside that flask is a 3D printed pattern on a match plate. In this photo I am showing the drag side of the print. Parting powder will be sprinkled over the pattern, then facing sand will be riddled over the pattern and then the flask is completely fill will foundry sand and then rammed . A bottom board is used to cover the flask. Now it is time to turn the flask assembly over to provide access to the cope side. Here in lies the problem, to operation is both awkward and heavy. In general is is too heavy even for two old guys.

What was need was a fixture to hold cope and drag sections of the flask, the molding board, match plat, bottom board, and the 40 plus pounds of foundry sand over.

This is our first attempt at building such a fixture. We started with two Harbor Freight 12" pistol grip clamps, $4.99 USD. We 3D printed 8 parts from PETG, and welded on a handle onto each clamp at the center of gravity.

The 3D Printed parts were fitted to the clamps to keep the fixture handles perpendicular to the side of the flask. These features make the fixture and flask assemble very stable. It hold all the part together, allow for easy lifting by two operators, and makes it easy and safe to turn the assembly over.

This is so much better than having to hold everything in place and turn the assembly over. That required a arm crossing maneuver that is unnatural and dangerous.

In this image the assembly is being rotated towards us. Because the handles are located at the center of gravity very little force is needed to turn the assembly.

In this view we provide a better view of the fixture.

I will provide more detail on the fabrication of the fixture in another blog posting.

For question please contact me at earl@newproductllc,com

Indexing head for 5C collets

2018-07-14T13:39:00.001-07:00

Precision Turn Table -- No markings on it!

2018-07-14T13:04:00.001-07:00

Earl's garage in the Sonoran Desert -- Industrial Arts

2018-07-14T11:47:00.001-07:00

Earl's garage in the Sonoran desert

2018-07-14T11:28:00.001-07:00

Metal spinning a bronze cylinder with a flange for a sailboat repair.

2018-06-13T17:34:00.000-07:00

Started a small metal spinning project today. I will be using a Oneway Manufacturing 2436 lathe. This lathe is a wood turning lathe with a 24" swing and 36" distance between the headstock spindle and the tailstock.

Oneway Manufacturing 2436 Lathe

I have installed the metal spinner's tool rest that I manufacture myself.

This Oneway Manufacturing Lathe is manufacture in Canada, we have installed a spindle adapter that adapts from the standard M 33 x 3.5 to 1-1/4" - 8 TPI that I use as my standard spindle size on all of my tooling.

I also used a spindle bushing on the headstock spindle thread. Spindle bushing at not all that important when you are using a spindle adapter. I always use spindle bushings on the large Powermatic lathes.

I fabricated the spinning mandrel from hard maple. The part we are trying to yield looks like a stovepipe hat. We are going to cut the end of the cylinder off so using a Ø 5/16" hole and brass pin with make the spinning process easier.

The follow block to the right of the spinning mandrel also has a Ø 5/16" hole to accommodate the Ø 5/16" brass pin in the spinning mandrel. There is also a center hole in the follow block for the tailstock live center.

While the actual part we are going to spin is going to fabricated from bronze we will be doing tooling shots using 1100 alloy aluminium circle so that we can develop the spinning technique and establish the correct circle size for the bronze circles. The aluminium circles are inserted on the Ø 5/16" brass pin and between the spinning mandrel and follow block.

Now I side the tailstock and live center towards the headstock and lock the tailstock and tighten the ram so the aluminium circle is held between the spinning mandrel and follow block. It is time to collect the tools, accessories, and consumables that we will be using.

during the metal spinning we will be using Earl's Cheap Imitation Mutton Tallow as a spinning lubricant. The big differentiater between Earl's Cheap Imitation Mutton Tallow and other lubricants is that it can be used with one hand and it stays on the part rather than leaving a racing strip on the operators face and upper body. Earl's Cheap Imitation Mutton Tallow is provided in a metal can with a strong magnet attached to the bottom. In the picture below the can is stuck to the tailstock. The protective lid has not been removed.

Here to lubricant is stuck to the headstock for easy access. Protective cover has not been removed.

So here is our set-up. We have added a backstick and a dolly to be used for the application of the lubricant.

In the nest post I will show the metal spinning of the tooling shots.

I will now at links to all of the items that I refer to in the post.

Blah, Blah, and more Blah!

Blah, Blah, and more Blah!

Blah, Blah, and more Blah!

The Transition from Blogger to Vlogger

2018-06-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

I am going to start the transition from blogging to vlogging. I have suggested many times that I needed to move from images to video to improve my exposure. My intention is to get me a new Samsung smartphone and use WeVideo to edit the videos. I suspect that these video are going to start out very rough. I look forward to comments and help. I will be doing a metal spinning workshop in Texas in early July. I hope to be doing a lot of video recording at the workshop.

Business Model for a Sustainable Makerspace

2017-11-28T21:42:00.000-08:00

Business Model for a Sustainable Makerspace

I am preparing this makerspace business model in the context of the recent closure of the Techshops in the United States. First I want to point out that it is alway easier when you are standing on the shoulders of those who preceded you. No enterprise has been more influential to the maker movement than the Techshop.

I am not going to discuss what the Techshop could have done or should have done but rather what should be done to develop a sustainable makerspace business model. There are all kinds of makerspaces today. Everything from Mrs. Johnson 4th grade class working in the library with a 3D printer to a multimillion dollar enterprise like the Techshop. However, I think is is fair to suggest that all of the makerspaces can be characterized as being on a continuum somewhere between edutainment and entrepreneurship. The focus of any new makerspace should be towards the entrepreneurship end of the continuum. The reason is simple and fundamental, it is much easier to add value to the entrepreneurship end of the continuum rather than the edutainment end of the continuum.

Whether the enterprise is for profit or non profit it is essential that the members pay a membership fee in order to sustain the enterprise. The costs associated of securing the bricks and mortar, equipment, utilities, and other operating expenses are always substantial. However, it is these costs that can allow us to make the case regarding the value that the enterprise can add to the entrepreneur. When you tell the inventor and/or entrepreneur how their association with the enterprise is going to greatly increase their chances of success they will then be able to correlate the fees being requested with the value added. We do that by pointing out how much bricks and mortar, lighting, heat and air conditioning, equipment, software, and all of the other expenses associated with a startup. The point is, these cost are all deferred allowing the inventor/entrepreneur to focus all of their financial resources to their product and/or service. Furthermore there are many intangible advantages that are offered such as opportunities to collaborate as well, as mentoring. An enterprise such as this can add more value by helping the inventor/entrepreneur develop their prototypes, crowdfunding campaign, as well as how to execute preproduction after a successful crowdfunding campaign.

In addition to adding value to the entrepreneur, municipalities have been shown to offer up building and operating budgets in exchange for the change of securing a tech startup(s) in their city. Cities recognize the value added by the makerspace enterprise to the extent of offering substantial physical and operational resources.

Now the discussion turns to the issues of whether the enterprise is a profit or nonprofit enterprise. Many have struggled with this choice. However, I think the decision is rather easy in that I believe being a nonprofit enterprise is simply the route of least resistance. It is simply easier to get discounted or even free equipment, software, other resources if you are a nonprofit. Many of these resources are simply not available for profit enterprises. Fundraising and “development” campaigns are much easier for nonprofits.

My conclusion is that a sustainable makerspace model would be that of a nonprofit enterprise that focuses adding value to the entrepreneur. All of the facilities, equipment, software, and other resource are developed and maintained to help the entrepreneur be successful in developing and executing their product or service. This model will work because the value added is proportional to the fees requested. If you need to increase the fees, add more value.

Yes this business model excludes a lot of people. For those, may I suggest Laura Fleming’s book, “World of Making: Best Practices for Establishing a Makerspace in Your School” I will class with my mantra, ”Bring back shop class!”.

I would be delighted to discuss these ideas. While some of the ideas may be controversial and you may take exception to my approach I think we have common goals and thus collaboration is possible.

Maker Space -- Having the Secret Sauce is Not Enough

2017-08-15T10:18:00.000-07:00

I think I know a thing or two about how the Industrial Arts of the past and its connection to the Maker Movement of today. Over the years I have known a thing or two on many subjects from solar energy to semiconductor manufacturing equipment. I have always tried replace one best known method (BKM) with another. Today that is referred to as "disruptive technology". I believe that if your are going to do something spectacular just nibbling around the edges of the problem will never yield your desired results. However, this approach implies change. While I have always know that the change must be managed I have simply failed to prioritize the change management component. The why is simple, it is difficult! I prefer the technology part because it is more fun and more importantly I am better at the technology part than I am the change management part.

So with regard to the Maker Movement and the Maker Space secret sauce, why am I on the outside scratching at the glass rather than fully engage in a movement that I have aspired for and promoted my entire adult life? While I have a masters degree in Change Management from the University of San Francisco, I do not claim any particular expertise. If I am ever going to be part of and make a contribution to the Maker Movement I am going to have to acknowledge the the secret sauce will require a perfectly executed change management program.

With regards to maker spaces, the Techshop Inc. has the BKM. Here is where the issue becomes confusing. Do you change the exiting BKM of do you replace the existing BKM with a new one? I have always been an advocate replacing the existing BKM with a new one. The implication being that replace an existing BKM with a completely new BKM would require more change that just changing the existing BKM. While this has always seemed to be intuitive to me, may I suggest I was wrong. I carefully executed change management program to an existing BKM may in the long run be representative of more extensive change.

Many of the existing Maker Space have developed organically. Another way of thinking of it is that they represent successive approximations of their desired results. The big advantage of this approach is that it does not require you to suggest that something is being done wrong by somebody. Trying to get somebody to acknowledge that they did something wrong is unlikely to yield a change advocate for your program. Almost everybody will acknowledge that and business process can be improved. Some may feel that it doesn't need to be improved but they can often be persuaded that their position is indefensible.

So what does the mean for my Maker Space Secret Sauce and the prospects of my doing something spectacular in the space? I want to be part of it, your existing or clean sheet enterprise. How can I help?

Industrial Arts or Shop Class is as Relevant today as it was in the past

2017-08-05T08:51:00.001-07:00

The education system has it only partly right. The major differentiators between human and other species is there developed use and language and tools. The school system got it right on their emphasis on the use of language but have failed with regards to the use of tools. Their efforts with Industrial Arts or Shop Class were never fully developed and have been nearly completely phased out.

May I suggest that there is a connection between the Industrial Arts, shop class" of the past and the maker movement of today. Human's use of language and tools have become much more sophisticated and integrated than ever. Not only do we communicate with each other but we also talk to our tools.

So I am not suggesting that me bring back industrial art as much as I am suggesting that we restructure our education around, and in support of our two fundamental desires to communicate with each other and use tools. After all, that's what makes us human!

Please comment and/or send me an email at earl@newproductllc.com

I would also be delighted to have you take a look at my E-commerce site, newproductllc.com