Saturday, December 21, we will host an informal Christmas party and craft event. Join us for hot chocolate and Christmas treats while working on a craft.
Some of the crafts we have materials prepared for.
If you are needing help with using one of our tools, we will have people on hand to assist you. Don’t be afraid to tackle a project that may be a little more ambitious because of lack of confidence with a tool. We will be glad to help with the following tools (as well as others we have that you may need):
Table Saw
Band Saw
Router
Lathe
Laser Cutter
3D Printer
Drill or Drill Press
And many other tools
Keep in mind that we only have a couple of hours. So don’t try to get too ambitious. 🙂
This event will cost $10 and covers all the materials in the projects we have planned.
Planned Projects
Wooden painted or wrapped packages
Votive candle holders
Wooden snowmen
Christmas card tree
Quilted wooden star (you have to come just to see what that is about)
We look forward to seeing you Saturday!
Cost: $10
We’ve dropped the fee for this event. Come make a craft or just hang out and eat too much sugar along with us.
Do you want to learn how to use a table and miter saw while building a great project? This class is what you are looking for!
The class will be held Saturday morning December 14 from 10a to noon. During the class you will build a honeybee inspired hexagon shelf.
Who Should Attend
The class is targeted towards the beginning power tools user who wants more than just a nice shelf at the end of the class. But rather, is looking to actually learn how to use woodworking equipment properly and safely.
Young people ages 13 and up are welcome to attend. Anyone under the age of 19 must have a parent or guardian with them.
Skills You Will Learn
Using a table saw to cut down lumber into properly sized strips
Using a miter saw to cut boards to length
Using different types of sanders to achieve finished results
Use of a nail or screw gun
What to Bring
You won’t need to bring anything to the class other than yourself and your desire to learn some new skills. All materials will be provided at class.
Here is some follow-up information for those who took the laser class and would like to use the laser. Some of these items were mentioned in the class, others will be new information.
Software
There were two pieces of software mentioned in class. The first was the graphics software used to create the image file the laser needs: Inkscape. The second is the laser control software: K40 Whisperer.
Inkscape
Inkscape
In class we showed Inkscape as the software that was used to create the images. For the laser, the images need to be saved in SVG format (Inkscape’s native format), or DXF.
There are other graphics programs that can create the needed SVG files (scalable vector graphics). CorelDraw, Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Designer—as well as many others—are alternative tools you can use if you already have one of them installed. Inkscape is free and, while not always the easiest to use, it is not much harder than many other full-featured vector graphics program.
There are many tutorials online for using Inkscape, but I would start by watching the videos made by the creator of K40 Whisperer because he teaches what is needed to make the graphics for the laser.
K40 Whisperer
This is the laser control software. It works well with our laser and we will soon have a computer in place at the shop that will control the laser and you won’t have to configure the software on your own machine. But, until we have that computer set up, you can work through the setup steps on the K40 Whisperer website to get started on your own machine if you would like. When I was setting up the software and laser at the shop, I believe everything was left at default settings that the software and website recommended.
Don’t miss his tutorial videos towards the bottom of the software page. They are short and very informative.
Laser Setup
Turning Everything On
[This section will be updated as the physical location and setup of the machine changes in the coming weeks]. The laser should be plugged into a power strip. When turning the strip on, everything that needs to run for the laser to work, should come on. But, here are the things to check if something doesn’t seem right.
The Main Machine: If the on/off switch on the laser control panel doesn’t light up, then switch it to the on position.
Water Pump: There is a pump submerged in a bucket of water under the laser. Two hoses are in the bucket. One comes out of the pump and sends water to the laser. The other comes from the laser and is not connected to anything in the bucket. It is the return water from the laser unit. It would be wise to check and make sure water is pumping when you get started.
Air Assist: We did not have this in place during class, but we are working on an air assist nozzle. It pumps air right at the base of where the laser is cutting. It, along with the fan for smoke exhaust, are needed to help get the cleanest possible cuts with as little flame as possible. This is the stand-alone pump that makes so much noise.
Smoke Exhaust: Smoke from the laser is pulled from the unit to a filtered box by a fan. This should be running when you use the laser. It will keep the smoke fumes down in the room as well as give you a much better cut.
Settings
These are the items that you can adjust as you are using the laser. If you are not getting the cut you expect, go through this list and make sure everything is adjusted properly.
Focus
Use the “Laser Focus Block” to help set the height of the bed to the laser output lens. If the block cannot be found, the proper distance is 1-15/16″ to 2″ from the bottom of the laser lens to the work piece.
Raise and lower the bed using the knob on the front of the machine. Be aware that the table currently does not rise perfectly level. You may have to focus one end of the table to the laser and then check the other end. Adjust the table as necessary.
Laser Strength
The laser strength is set by the knob labeled “current regulation” on the main control panel to the right of the laser. You will need to make some test cuts and engravings to find what works best for your project and material.
Though I haven’t confirmed the exact number, the laser should not be set to greater than 15 mA on the “current indication” meter if it is running continuously. If it is pulsing a bit above 15 mA, that should be fine.
Be aware that the laser will wear out faster and need replacing the more it is run closer to 100% power (which is approximately 15 mA on the meter). Cut and engrave at the power needed, but try not to overdo it. Realize that for some materials you will have to run the cutting pass multiple times to get a cut all the way through.
Speed
K40 Whisperer Speed Settings
This is a setting inside the K40 Whisperer software. At the bottom left you will see a speed in mm/sec (or inch/sec if you choose inches as your default units when setting up the software). Since the laser will have a static strength (based on the power knob setting), the depth/strength of cut is determined by how quickly the laser moves over the material being cut.
Graphics Colors and Meaning
When you create your artwork for cutting/engraving, be aware of the following colors. The colors in the art help the laser control software know how to handle each part of an image.
Red: Vector Cut
Anything you want cut all the way through should be outlined in red. You can change the speed based on the thickness of material, but it should be somewhere near the default speed of 10 mm/s.
Blue: Vector Engrave
Anything that is blue in your image will get outlined with a vector engrave. This is a burn on the surface, but not a cut (unless your power is too high or your speed is too slow). Note that this will only draw the outline of each item in blue. It will not color in the entire blue object. That is what the raster engrave (next) does.
Black: Raster Engrave
Raster engrave is where the laser burns the surface of the material being engraved. This is done in a series of lines moving left and right, then top to bottom. Anything that is black in the art will be filled in using a fast movement of the laser for the purpose of scorching the surface of the material without cutting through.
Suggestions
I recommend you watch the tutorial videos at the bottom of the K40 Whisperer website. Working through those while sitting at the laser will really teach you most of what you need to know to operate the laser confidently.
Doing these two things will help you learn how to operate the laser when you want to step out of the realm of having someone hold your hand through a project.
Come learn how to use our laser cutter! This machine can be used to engrave wood, glass, paper and many other items. It can also cut various thicknesses of wood, acrylic, paper and cardboard.
What You Will Learn
This class will teach you how to use the Morristown Makers’ laser cutter. In the process we will also make a neat Thanksgiving project that you can use as a decoration in your house or on your table.
Create files for the laser cutter using
Inkscape
GIMP
K40 Whisperer
Use the machine safely
Adjust the speed and power of the laser
Who?
This class is for anyone who wants to learn to use the laser to engrave or cut various projects. Adults and young people 13 and up are welcome to come to the class but we ask that a parent or guardian be with anyone under the age of 19.
What To Bring
In this class we are working on a project that will utilize the laser to cut out a Thanksgiving decoration (but we will also learn how to use it as an engraver). We will apply glue and glitter to the final project. We have gold and red glitter. If you would like to use some other color in your project, then please bring your own glitter to class.
You are also welcome to bring your own computer and we can make sure the software is set up correctly.
These are settings (or ranges) that work well with the Morristown Makers 3D printer. You are welcome to deviate from these settings for testing, but it is recommended that you change one parameter at a time so that you know the effect each change has.
Printer-Level Settings
These are the sections and settings inside Cura 4.1. You should only need to set this up one time in your slicer and then never have to change the settings for this printer in the future.
Printer Tab
Printer Settings
X, Y, Z: 205, 205, 180
Build plate shape: Rectangular
Heated bed: Yes
G-code flavor: Marlin
Printhead Settings
X min: 20 mm
Y min: 10 mm
X max: 10 mm
Y max: 10 mm
Gantry height: 55 mm
Start and End G-code Settings
These are the settings that were in use when the printer was donated to Morristown Makers. You can change the start and end G-code as needed. Or, you can use a generic start and end code.
Start G-code:
;*** Start Dual Nozzle/Bed Preheating *** M140 S{material_bed_temperature_layer_0} ; start preheating the bed M104 S{material_print_temperature_layer_0} T0 ; start preheating hotend G28 ; home M190 S{material_bed_temperature_layer_0} ; heat to Cura Bed setting M109 S{material_print_temperature_layer_0} T0 ; heat to Cura Hotend ;*** End Preheating *** G92 E0 ;Reset Extruder G1 Y3.0 F500.0 ;Move out of print volume G1 X60.0 E9 F500.0 ;start purge line G1 X100.0 E8.5 F500.0 G1 Z15.0 F6000 ;Move the platform down 15mm G92 E0 ;Reset Extruder G1 F200 E3 G92 E0 ;Reset Extruder
End G-code:
M104 S0 ;extruder heater off M140 S0 ;heated bed heater off (if you have it) G91 ;relative positioning G1 E-1 F300 ;retract the filament a bit before lifting the nozzle, to release some of the pressure G1 Z+0.5 E-5 X-20 Y-20 F4800 ;move Z up a bit and retract filament even more G28 X0 Y150 ;move X to min and Y to max endstops, so the head is out of the way G92 E0 M84 ;steppers off G90 ;absolute positioning
Extruder Tab
Nozzle Settings
Nozzle size: 0.4 mm
Compatible material diameter: 1.75 mm
Nozzle offset X: 0 mm
Nozzle offset Y: 0 mm
Cooling Fan Number: 0
Per Model Settings
The per-model settings can be downloaded and imported into Cura as a profile. This was exported from Cura 4.1, but you should be able to import it into the current Cura version. Unzip the the archive and import the .curaprofile into Cura.
Layer Height
0.1 to 0.2
0.16 seems to be a good compromise between speed and quality.
Initial Layer Height
0.16: This should always be 0.16 regardless of the layer height you set for all the other layers.
Line Width
0.4: This is the nozzle diameter. You can adjust this up and down a little, but generally it should not be changed. This is typically always set to your nozzle diameter.
Shell Thickness
Wall Thickness
0.8: This means 2 outside perimeters. You can increase this in 0.4 mm increments (i.e., 0.4, 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, etc.).
Top and Bottom Thickness
0.8: This is determined by how many solid layers you want on top and bottom multiplied by your layer thickness. If you are printing 0.16 layers and want 5 solid top and bottom layers, you will have a 0.8 mm thickness.
Retraction
Yes: Enable retraction almost always. Flexible filaments print better without retraction.
6 mm
Infill Density
25%: This can go up or down depending on your needs. But 25% is a good mix between strength and speed.
Temperature
Printing Temperature (Hotend)
205° C: This is material specific. Different filaments (even regular PLA from the same manufacturer) will need different temperatures. Generally, all the PLA used on this machine prints well in the 205° range. Adjust as necessary.
Build Plate Temperature (Heated bed)
50° C: Technically PLA does not need a heated bed. However, having some heat on the bed seems to help with adhesion.
Print Speed
30-60 mm/s: There is a marked quality difference between 30 and 60 mm/s (slower is better). However, you can expect that it will take approximately twice as long to complete a print at 30 mm/s as it does 60 mm/s.
Recommended 50 mm/s: This printer can print accurately up to 70 mm/s but quality suffers.
Cooling
Enable Print Cooling
Yes
Fan Speed
80%: Faster than this and the hotend struggles to stay up to speed. And, at 80% it cools sufficiently.
Supports
Depending on your needs
Build Plate Adhesion
Depending on needs, but a skirt of at least 1 perimeter is recommended to help prime the printer.
This sewing class builds on the basics we learned in the previous class. This time we will continue to practice our sewing skills but add information about cutting material down to the sizes you need for your project.
Skills You Will Learn
Cutting fabric
Machine setup
Cutting tool options and use
Who Should Attend
This is still a basic sewing class; therefore, it is appropriate for anyone who feels like they need a bit more instruction before being turned loose on a machine by themselves. Or, you may be curious about how to sew but have never even tried it. This class is for you.
You do not have to have attended the previous class to attend this one.
What to Bring
Bring a sewing machine if you have one available to you. We will try to have an extra machine or two, but our preference would be that you practice on the machine you will actually be using at home. If your machine does not work, or does not work well, bring it along and we will try to help you get it up and running.
If your machine does not run, send us an email or a message through our contact form and we will see if we can get together for a short time before class to get everything working properly before class begins.
This is the third class in our three-class series on 3D printing. While it is helpful to have attended the slicing class, it is not necessary.
What You Will Learn
This class is focused on the machine setup side of 3D printing. You will learn:
How to level the bed
How to prepare the print surface (glue, tape, slurry, hairspray, etc)
How to load or change filament
How to load a file for printing
Troubleshooting through each of the steps
Who Should Attend
3D printer at Morristown Makers
Certainly if you have taken the design and slicing classes previously, you will want to learn this final step in the printing process. However, you can come to this class and learn this critical part of the process without having attended the previous classes.
While we will use the Morristown Makers’ printer for this class, almost all of these steps will be similar on any other filament-based 3D printer. If you have access to another machine that you are wanting to learn how to use, this class will be a great benefit to you.
Note: We will not be talking about resin-based printing or laser-sintering machines.
What To Bring
There is nothing required for this class other than a willingness to learn how 3D printing works. You won’t even need hearing protection or safety glasses for this activity.
Want to learn to sew? This class will teach you how to thread your machine and get started.
Who Should Attend?
This class is not intended for tailors and seamstresses. If you feel awkward, or maybe even scared, around a sewing machine, this class is for you.
What to Bring?
If you have a machine (no matter how old or what its condition is), bring it along and learn how to set it up. If it isn’t working, we will see what we can do to repair it.
However, you do not need to have your own machine to attend and benefit from the class.
The bandsaw is one of those versatile woodworking tools that is often underappreciated. They can be used to cut thick pieces of wood (or metal) into complicated shapes. A bandsaw can do things a router and table saw cannot do.
What You Will Learn
Bandsaw basics (advantages, purpose, etc)
Safety
Saw and material setup
Choosing the right blade for the job
This is a basic woodworking class. You do not need previous bandsaw experience to attend this class. The class is open to ages 13 and up; however, those under 19 must have a parent or guardian present.
Here are some links that might help you in learning more about building foam board airplanes. These are some of the things mentioned in class as well as extra resources that will help you in building other planes.
For the most part these are resources that will help you in building Flite Test plans. However, many of the skills learned in printing and building their planes will be useful when building other models out of foam board.
Printing Plans
Printing the plans can sometimes be difficult to get right. I have found that these instructions by SP0NZ always work for me. SP0NZ, by the way, is the guy who did the layout work for many of the planes that Flite Test creates.
The FT Tiny Trainer is the plane we built in class. You can download the plans from the linked page by going to the “resources” tab in the middle of the page. You can get some written instructions on the build process from their website. Also the build video can be seen below.
