FREE May Tool Trainings at the Fab Lab: Lasercutting, Shopbot, Stickers
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Katie Gradowski
Apr 30, 2018, 5:27:53 PM4/30/18
to Sprout Discuss
May is Small Business Month at the Somerville Fab Lab!
Are you a small-scale entrepreneur? Have a business or event you need to promote? Heard about the Fab Lab and want to check it out? Join us for a series of FREE workshops -- 3 sessions covering design, tool setup, and hands-on practice -- to introduce people to our basic toolset. Drop in for one or take all three to get certified on the tool.
Intro to ShopBot: 3 sessions
The ShopBot is a CNC router that can be used for larger-scale woodworking projects such as sign-making and furniture design. CNC routers can be used for a variety of carpentry work. This is a three-session tool training designed to give people an introduction to use this tool safely design and marketing products.
- Design with VCarve Pro: Tuesday May 8, 6:30-8 pm. Learn how to design and set up a 2D file to cut with the ShopBot. This workshop will focus on drawing and layout in VCarve Pro, with the goal of creating a simple design for a wooden sign that can be cut on the Shopbot.
- Setting up the Tool: Tuesday May 15, 6:30-8 pm. Overview of toolpaths, router bit selection, and basic safety procedures for setting up the ShopBot to cut a file. Import your file from VCarve to ShopBot control software and learn how to safely set up your workspace.
- Promote Your Business: Design a Sign. Tuesday May 22, 6:30-8 pm. Use the ShopBot to make something practical for your business! Make a sign for your business, cut it on the Shopbot, hang it up at work!
Intro to Lasercutting: 3 sessions
Learn how to use a high-powered laser to cut and etch different types of materials, including acrylic, wood, and fabric. This is a three-session tool training designed to give people an introduction to use this tool safely for your own products.
Intro to Programming: 6 sessions
A six-session introduction to the basic concepts of computer programming using Javascript and the p5.js programming environment. Javascript is a flexible and powerful programming language that can run in every web-browser. These features make it a popular tool for developing software of all kinds as well as a convenient and accessible environment for learning how to program.
For details, email con...@partsandcrafts.org
- Design with Inkscape: Wednesday May 9, 6:30 - 8 pm. Wednesday April 4, 6:30 - 8 pm. Whether your're creating ornaments, making your own signs, or etching a picture, the first step to using the lasercutter is being able to set up the file. Our first class will be an introduction to Inkscape, an open source tool that we use to design for the lasercutter.
- Setting up the Tool: Wednesday May 16, 6:30-8 pm. Set up a file and send it to cut! We'll go over speed and power settings for etching glass, cutting plywood, etching acrylic, and more. Participants will have an opportunity to experiment with different materials and go over basic safety practices that are required to use the lasercutter independently.
- Promote Your Business: Wednesday May 23, 6:30-8 pm. Design and cut a set of custom business cards using the lasercutter!
Learn to Code with Parts and Crafts at the Somerville Fab Lab
Intro to Programming: 6 sessions
Thursdays, May 10-June 14, 6:30- 8 pm
Week 1: What is Code? Thursday May 10, 6:30-8 pm What is code, and how do we write it? We’ll see what code looks like in various forms, where it’s found on the web, how it goes from being “written” to being “run”, and we’ll write simple programs to run in our web browser using the p5.js web editor. Topics: using a text-editor, writing/running code, basic program syntax, color and pixels
Week 2: Drawing and Animating with Numbers. Thursday May 17, 6:30 - 8 pm Drawing and animating with numbers. Everything on your computer screen is controlled in the background by relationships between numbers. By modifying and changing these numbers we can change what’s on the screen and make things happen. Topics: variables and arithmetic, structure of commands and functions
Week 3: Logic and flow. Thursday May 24, 6:30-8 pm. Programs are, at their core, a list of actions for the computer to take and decisions for the computer to make. Through loops and logic we can have control over these actions and decisions. Topics: loops, iteration, variables and conditionals (if-then-else statements)
Week 4: Functions: putting the pieces together. Thursday May 31, 6:30-8 pm. The most powerful aspect of computer programming is that we get to build our programs out of pieces of code that we, or other people, have already written. This week we’ll learn how to simplify our projects by defining our own commands. Topics: functions, program composition
Week 5: Structured data: Lists. Thursday June 7, 6:30-8 pm. Computers are very good at doing the same thing over and over again, so we solve lots of computer programming problems by turning them into repetitive tasks. By organizing our variables into lists of related data we can simplify our programs and automate repetitive tasks. Topics: lists, arrays, loops, iteration
Week 6: Structured data: Objects. Thursday, June 14, 6:30-8 pm. As we put all of these topics and ideas together our programs get more and more complicated and they become harder for us to read and understand. Computer science offers many different tools and techniques for managing this complexity and confusion, one of which is called “Object Oriented Programming.” Topics: objects, functions, arguments, and resources for further exploration
Week 2: Drawing and Animating with Numbers. Thursday May 17, 6:30 - 8 pm Drawing and animating with numbers. Everything on your computer screen is controlled in the background by relationships between numbers. By modifying and changing these numbers we can change what’s on the screen and make things happen. Topics: variables and arithmetic, structure of commands and functions
Week 3: Logic and flow. Thursday May 24, 6:30-8 pm. Programs are, at their core, a list of actions for the computer to take and decisions for the computer to make. Through loops and logic we can have control over these actions and decisions. Topics: loops, iteration, variables and conditionals (if-then-else statements)
Week 4: Functions: putting the pieces together. Thursday May 31, 6:30-8 pm. The most powerful aspect of computer programming is that we get to build our programs out of pieces of code that we, or other people, have already written. This week we’ll learn how to simplify our projects by defining our own commands. Topics: functions, program composition
Week 5: Structured data: Lists. Thursday June 7, 6:30-8 pm. Computers are very good at doing the same thing over and over again, so we solve lots of computer programming problems by turning them into repetitive tasks. By organizing our variables into lists of related data we can simplify our programs and automate repetitive tasks. Topics: lists, arrays, loops, iteration
Week 6: Structured data: Objects. Thursday, June 14, 6:30-8 pm. As we put all of these topics and ideas together our programs get more and more complicated and they become harder for us to read and understand. Computer science offers many different tools and techniques for managing this complexity and confusion, one of which is called “Object Oriented Programming.” Topics: objects, functions, arguments, and resources for further exploration
Why Take This Class? Computer programming is a very broad field with lots of different tools used to solve lots of different problems in lots of different ways, but they all share certain fundamental ideas and use a set of basic skills. The class will be aimed at complete beginners with little to know programming experience and an interest in learning about what writing code is like and how it is done.
You might be interested in this class if:
- You're considering a longer, more in-depth programming/computer science course. This class is a great way to "get your feet wet" and get a taste of what coding is like before going deeper
- You work with programmers and programming in a non-programming capacity and want to know more about how the programming side of the work is done
- You have a software project or idea that you want to work on but don't know how to get started
- You're just curious -- you want to know more about how computers work, how software is written, or you think it just sounds fun!
New this month: Vinyl Sticker Cutting for your Business!
Intro to Vinyl Sticker Cutting: 1 session
Wednesday May 30, 6:30-8:00 pm
Learn how to use Roland Cut Pro to design and cut vinyl stickers and decals to promote your brand. This is a one-session class, no experience required. REGISTER HEREStop by Fabville Open Shop!
Monday - Thursday
83 Highland Ave
The Fab Lab is open to the public Monday through Thursday. It is FREE and anyone is allowed to come! You do not have to be a Somerville Public School student or even live in Somerville. Open shop hours are as follows:
- Monday: 3-5:30
- Tuesday: 3-5:30
- Wednesday: 3-8 pm
- Thursday: 3-8 pm
Where are you located? FabVille is located on the far east side of the Somerville High school campus (library side). To get to the Fab Lab, enter near the gym and go down the stairs to your right, turn left and head to the end of the hallway. We're at the very end of the Voc Ed department, last door on the right.
Who can come? Anyone is welcome, but the Fab Lab is primarily geared toward late middle schoolers, high schoolers, and adults. It's a professional toolset, and there's less of the "pull something out and build it!" that we have at Parts and Crafts. Kids 13 and under should plan to come with a grown-up.
Does it cost anything? All classes and workshops are offered free of charge. This includes advanced classes like Arduino robotics, lasercutting and 3D printing, and materials for small-scale manufacturing.
Who runs the Fab Lab? The Fab Lab is run by the City of Somerville in partnership with Parts and Crafts, a kid workshop and community makerspace located at 577 Somerville Ave. To find out more about our programs, visit www.partsandcrafts.org.
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