<<a href="http://www.adafruit.com/blog/2010/06/01/big-news-all-hacker-spaces-in-the-world-get-adafruit-reseller-pricing-starting-today" target="_blank">http://www.adafruit.com/blog/2010/06/01/big-news-all-hacker-spaces-in-the-world-get-adafruit-reseller-pricing-starting-today</a>><br>
<br>Check it out!<br><br clear="all">MakerBot Industries<br><a href="http://makerbot.com">http://makerbot.com</a><br>Recent Press: <a href="http://nyti.ms/mkrbot">http://nyti.ms/mkrbot</a><br>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, May 31, 2010 at 10:48 PM, Matt Joyce <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:matt@nycresistor.com">matt@nycresistor.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
I really do have to suggest being WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY careful with a project like this.<br><br>those lasers are not easy to deal with, and are severely dangerous.<br><br>be super super cautious.<div><div></div><div class="h5">
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">
On Mon, May 31, 2010 at 9:55 PM, john arclight <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:arclight@gmail.com" target="_blank">arclight@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
This sound interesting. Most importantly, I think we need a good,<br>
sturdy 3-axis gantry that can be used to move around a router, Dremel<br>
tool, LASER head, stencil cutting knife, etc.<br>
<br>
All of the systems I have seen so far (Reprap, Makerbot, etc) are too<br>
light to move something like a LASER system or a high-speed router for<br>
cutting out circuit boards/etc.<br>
<br>
And all of the heavy-duty movements I've seen have involved one-off<br>
salvaged components, like steppers+ball screws from a wrecked CNC<br>
machine tool or a large industrial line printer.<br>
<br>
So I would encourage the team to think about not making the platform<br>
100% specific to LASER cutting, but an open design that could have<br>
multiple components bolted on.<br>
<br>
A repeatable design for a nice, rigid 3-axis movement would be an<br>
excellent "Stage 1" design goal, even if the LASER portion proves to<br>
be harder to master.<br>
<br>
Arclight<br>
<a href="http://shop.23b.org" target="_blank">http://shop.23b.org</a><br>
<div><div></div><div><br>
On Mon, May 31, 2010 at 7:49 AM, Bryan Bishop <<a href="mailto:kanzure@gmail.com" target="_blank">kanzure@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
> Lasersaur<br>
> <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/405545346/lasersaur-open-source-laser-cutter-0" target="_blank">http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/405545346/lasersaur-open-source-laser-cutter-0</a><br>
><br>
> """<br>
> The idea is simple: Design a laser cutter and make the building<br>
> process repeatable for others.<br>
><br>
> Here's the thing. Laser cutters are traditionally expensive ($30,000<br>
> to as much as you can spend) and there are a lot of artist, hackers,<br>
> architects, designers, DIYers who could do great things with them- if<br>
> they could afford one, or even get regular access to one. Pretty much<br>
> anybody who is a maker could benefit from a laser cutter.<br>
> Unfortunately, turnkey systems are expensive, and there isn't really a<br>
> clear and simple way to build one. We can change this: with roughly<br>
> six month of R&D time we can develop a laser cutter which anyone can<br>
> build, use, and maintain. Most importantly this system will be open<br>
> source which means anyone can improve and modify the design.<br>
><br>
> Everyone should be able to have a laser cutter! Our goal is to design<br>
> a 100W machine which is capable of cutting 1/2" (12.5mm) acrylic,<br>
> wood, multiple layers of fabric or thin sheet metal.<br>
><br>
> Why<br>
> Laser cutters are a key technology for making things.<br>
><br>
> Remember when people couldn't make their own videos, CDs or print out<br>
> photos? Me neither (at least we try to forget). In many areas of<br>
> media, the last century was quite the read-only culture where a few<br>
> gatekeepers would sit on the means to produce everything. Not the best<br>
> situation for creativity or for people with lots of cool ideas but no<br>
> cash.<br>
><br>
> When you look at robotics and fabrication this is still the case. In<br>
> 2010, a reasonable laser cutter is still well over 30k and therefore<br>
> outside the budget of most of us. However, we are at a point where<br>
> this can change. We believe we are able to design a laser cutter that<br>
> can be built for under 5k (a 100W version) and a budget version (25W)<br>
> for under 3k. It would be completely open source and repeatable.<br>
><br>
> How this will go down<br>
> First of all, we need your support! Your pledge is what makes this<br>
> project possible. Once our funding goal is reached, the first<br>
> prototype will be formulated. With material testing and debugging<br>
> underway we can make a solid alpha system in about 6 months. At this<br>
> point, start checking your snail mail box for the alpha kit (see<br>
> pledges on how to get one).<br>
><br>
> Once our alpha testers have had a chance to geek out for a few months,<br>
> we will launch into beta with the beta testers. Then collaborators.<br>
> Our goal is to launch publicly within a few months thereafter,<br>
> releasing the project, documentation and schematics to the greater<br>
> good.<br>
><br>
> We will offer the Lasersaur open source system as kits available to<br>
> the public as well as offer documentation online for anyone wishing to<br>
> build their system from scratch.<br>
><br>
> Who we are<br>
> We (addie and stefan) are alumi from NYU's ITP and more recently<br>
> fellows at Eyebeam in New York City. Both are institutions dedicated<br>
> to open source culture and experimentation with cutting edge<br>
> technology.<br>
><br>
> As individuals, and as collaborators, we have been designing open<br>
> source software since 2002, hardware since 2006, and like sharing our<br>
> ideas with the bigger community. Our first open source hardware system<br>
> was launched in 2007 (CUBIT: the multitouch system, as well as the<br>
> later Touchkit, 2008). These systems were covered internationally and<br>
> nationally by media such as MIT Technology Review, The Economist, Der<br>
> Standard and even CNN. Over the last half a decade, our open source<br>
> hardware has been built and used by hundreds of people, labs and<br>
> research universities or institutions. We believe that people should<br>
> think globally and act locally and the open source movement has been<br>
> instrumental for this.<br>
> """<br>
><br>
> I was kicking around the same idea with a fellow in Austin, TX a while<br>
> back but we had a sub-$1000 price target. I wonder if these eyebeam<br>
> fellows will be wise enough to use EMC2? I hope so.<br>
><br>
> - Bryan<br>
> <a href="http://heybryan.org/" target="_blank">http://heybryan.org/</a><br>
> 1 512 203 0507<br>
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