Contents
MakerSpace is more than 3D printing! We offer the following digital tools:
- Vinyl Cutting: featuring the Roland CAMM-1 GX-300 Cutter and the Cricut Maker 3 (with EasyPress for transfer to textiles)
- CNC Sewing: featuring the Brother CP100X Sewing and PE800 Embroidery machines
- Laser Cutting and Engraving: featuring the Full Spectrum H-Series
- CNC Routing: featuring the Shapeoko 4
Vinyl Cutting
Roland CAMM‑1 Pro GX‑300
Tool
Materials
Software
Video Guides
Inventory
Red Binder
Roland CAMM-1 Pro GX-300
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The GX-300 Cutter is a sheet-good cutter primarily used for creating transfer graphics (decals) in vinyl sheets or rolls. |
- Type: Roll and sheet media-moving cutter with pivot blade.
- Media: Typically vinyl transfer material but with care others as described in Materials below may be machined.
- Maximum cutting area: 27 in x 63 in.
- Media width range: 2 in. to 36 in.
- Resolution: 0.0125mm/step (invisible to naked eye).
- Prints from: Networked PC printer driver direct from a graphics application.
- Required PPE: None.
Vinyl
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Complimentary MaterialsMakerSpace offers courtesy materials for working our digital tools at no cost to:
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Vinyl Colors and Finishes
If you need a unique color or finish, or you need more than 1 square foot in the area, you may purchase and use your own vinyl transfer material in our machine. We recommend purchasing by sheet rather than roll for most individual quantities. Commercial-grade materials can be purchased from online vendors and are also available locally at:
Other Sheet Goods
Any sufficiently non-abrasive material with a backing surface to protect the blade can be cut in the vinyl cutter. PLEASE CONSULT with the staff before cutting a non-standard material.
Any material that comes with a pre-applied transfer backing can be used right away. For others, be prepared to experiment with material stabilization techniques such as using transfer tape to create a backing material. Examples include:
- Printable clear sticker paper.
- Adhesive lightweight metal foils.
- Vellum, parchment, or tracing paper.
- Stencil material for masking silkscreen, etching, sandblasting, or painting.
- Window tinting transfer.
- Magnetic sheet (0.35mm).
- Bookbinder cloth or thin twill with a high thread count. Use spray starch and iron to stiffen, then wash out later. See notes on Intricate Designs regarding the use of thin textile in the vinyl cutter.
NO:
- Leather or textiles thicker than bookbinder cloth.
- Acrylic plastics.
- Mylar.
- Excessively abrasive materials.
- Materials without any backing or stabilizing.
- Material thicker than 0.5mm.
Many materials prohibited on the vinyl cutter are well-suited for working with the laser cutter instead.
Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape
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The majority of work done in the MakerSpace is decal sticker transfer for smooth surface application of graphics, and heat transfer for textile projects such as banners and t-shirts. |
Vinyl Cutter Safety Training
Basic Xacto Knife Safety
Using Heat Transfer Vinyl
More Post-Processing Videos
Visit the DecalMyWall YouTube Channel
- Want to work large scale? Transfer to glass? Multiple transfers? These video guides have you covered.
- Not a video, but a good general step-by-step how-to for transfer.
Slideshow
Documentation
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Additional: |
Cricut Maker 3
Tool
Materials
Software
Video Guides
Inventory
Red Binder
Cricut Maker 3
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The Cricut Maker 3 is a sheet-good cutter primarily used for creating transfer graphics. It can work with sheets or rolls in a variety of materials, chiefly vinyl. |
- Type: Roll and sheet media-moving cutter with pivot blade.
- Media: Typically vinyl transfer material but with care others as described in Materials may be machined.
- Prints from: Printer direct from software.
- Required PPE: None.
Cricut EasyPress
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The Cricut EasyPress allows you to perform heat transfer of decals onto textiles. |
- Required PPE: None.
Vinyl
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Complimentary MaterialsMakerSpace offers courtesy materials for working our digital tools at no cost to:
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Vinyl Colors and Finishes
If you need a unique color or finish, or you need more than 1 square foot in the area, you may purchase and use your own vinyl transfer material in our machine. We recommend purchasing by sheet rather than roll for most individual quantities, and we can help you decide what to get.
Other Sheet Goods
Any sufficiently non-abrasive material with a backing surface to protect the blade can be cut in a vinyl cutter. PLEASE CONSULT with the staff before cutting a non-standard material.
- Printable clear sticker paper.
- Adhesive lightweight metal foils.
- Vellum, parchment, or tracing paper.
- Stencil material for masking silkscreen, etching, sandblasting, or painting.
- Window tinting transfer.
- Magnetic sheet (0.35mm).
- Bookbinder cloth or thin twill with a high thread count. Use spray starch and iron to stiffen, then wash out later. See notes on Intricate Designs regarding the use of thin textile in the vinyl cutter.
NO:
- Leather or textiles thicker than bookbinder cloth.
- Acrylic plastics.
- Mylar.
- Excessively abrasive materials.
- Materials without any backing or stabilizing.
- Material thicker than 0.5mm.
Many materials prohibited on the vinyl cutter are well-suited for working with the laser cutter instead.
Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape
Safety and other topics
We recommend viewing video tutorials at Cricut's YouTube Channel for information.
Basic Xacto Knife Safety
More Post-Processing Videos
Visit the DecalMyWall YouTube Channel
- Want to work large scale? Transfer to glass? Multiple transfers? These video guides have you covered.
- Not a video, but a good general step-by-step how-to for transfer.
Slideshow
Documentation
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Additional:
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CNC Sewing
Brother CP100X Sewing and Quilting
Tool
Materials
Video Guides
Inventory
Red Binder
Brother CP100X Sewing and Quilting
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The CP100X, feature-rich, sewing, and quilting machine brings high-quality sewing to your craft room. Designed for ease of use and durability with convenient features like a sharp LCD display, a one-step automatic needle threader with easy-to-follow threading diagrams, Quick-Set bobbin system, and adjustable sewing speed control. The CP100X also comes complete with a large wide table for sewing quilts and garments and 11 sewing and quilting feet. Select from 100 unique built-in stitches and 8 styles of auto-size one-step buttonholes.
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From bobbins to spools of thread, from scissors to pins, from seam rippers to a soft tape measure, we have all basics for sewing in the Sewing Bin. Clients are encouraged to bring their own cloth for sewing purposes, though we do carry some random cloth swatches for learning purposes. |
Winding the bobbin
Installing the bobbin
Upper threading
Replacing the needle
Replacing the presser foot
Cleaning the race
Starting to sew
Reverse sewing
Adjusting the stitch length and width
Overcasting stitches
Blind hem stitching
Buttonhole sewing
Slideshow
Documentation
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Brother PE800 Embroidery
Tool
Materials
Software
Video Guides
Inventory
Red Binder
Brother PE800 Embroidery
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Monograms, badges, heraldic crests, logos, patterns — this CNC embroidery machine simplifies one of sewing's biggest challenges! Create dazzling embroidery designs in a 5” x 7” embroidery field, choosing from 138 built-in embroidery designs or import your own using an Inkscape embroidery plug-in. |
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From bobbins to spools of thread, from scissors to pins, from seam rippers to a soft tape measure, we have all basics for sewing in the Sewing Bin. Clients are encouraged to bring their own cloth for sewing purposes, though we do carry some random cloth swatches for learning purposes. |
Adobe Illustrator | Inkscape | Ink/Stitch
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Create designs with color in any vector art program. Free, open-source embroidery software is available: Ink/Stitch is an open-source machine embroidery design platform based on Inkscape.There is a discussion page at Inkscape.org here: Ink/Stitch is cross-platform and depends on Inkscape to operate. Use the installation instructions found here: Learn how to use Ink/Stitch:
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Winding and setting the lower thread
Upper threading
Replacing the presser foot
Embroidering
Editing functions
Character editing and thread color sorting
Magnetic frame
Replacing the needle
Cleaning the race
Instructables
A non-video tutorial is available here: Getting Started with the Brother PE-800
Slideshow
Documentation
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Laser Cutting
Full Spectrum H-Series
Tool
Materials
Software
Video Guides
Inventory
Red Binder
Full Spectrum H-Series
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The H-Series Laser Engraver performs cutting and engraving in a desktop version of a serious industrial manufacturing tool. Using the Print function from a vector file for cutting or raster file for engraving will export data to Full Spectrum's RetinaEngrave software, where power settings can be customized for a specific material. |
- Type: Class 3R sealed CO2 laser tube.
- Laser Power: upgraded to 45W.
- Cutting area: Nominal 12 in x 20 in, actual 11 in x 19 in.
- Maximum media thickness: 0.25 in for cutting.
- Resolution: 0.0125mm/step (invisible to naked eye).
- Supplementary equipment: Recirculating water cooling system, air compressor, triple-filter HEPA fume extractor.
- Prints from: Networked PC printer driver which exports data to software. Laser is controlled direct from software.
- Required PPE: Tinted protective eyewear, water spray bottle.
You must carefully observe this machine for the entire job. Tool times range from ½ hour for simple vector work to hours for a deep engraving.
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- Rule of thumb: Spend ½ hour on a dry run in the driver software to acquire a time estimate, then double that time to estimate your reserve. This allows for a re-do if your material ignites… and you feel awesome getting done early if it doesn't!
- Post-processing depends on the job. A simple engraving requires simple cleanup, ½ hour or less. A complex adhesive job with acrylic plastic may take hours. Consult with staff for advice and sign up for a WorkShop Space accordingly.
Laser Cutter Materials
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Complimentary MaterialsMakerSpace offers courtesy materials for working our digital tools at no cost to:
These courtesy materials include the following:
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The laser cutter will cut through anything that can burn, up to 0.25 inches thick—a huge variety of sheet goods!
The following table provides settings tested for a variety of materials on our cutter. We are constantly testing and updating this data. Note:
- Anything in DARK RED is strictly prohibited
- Anything in LIGHT RED is data we have not yet fully tested, so consult with a Monitor for these materials
- Anything in GREEN is good to go, but be aware: this data is a starting point which you should use to begin your own testing for optimal settings
Visit a full-screen version of this table here
Commercial Options | Commercial grade materials can be purchased from online vendors, and we have had success with the following local vendors:
- Northeast Plastic Supply: Cast and extruded acrylic sheet, HIPS, PETG, and others (but don't get PVC!)
- MakerStock Purchase materials cut to size for our laser bed by consulting the material board at the front desk
- Artist and Craftsman Supply conveniently located in Chestnut Hill
UNSAFE Materials | Inorganic materials—metals and glass, for example—are impervious to the 45 watt laser and should not be bothered with. Other materials are DANGEROUS. These materials, listed at ATX Hackerspace below, can melt into goo, explode into flames, create toxic cyanide fumes, or develop corrosive chlorine gas that can instantly rust out the interior of the laser cutter. USE OF ANY OF THE MATERIALS IN THIS LIST WILL BE TREATED AS AN ACT OF VANDALISM AND/OR ENDANGERMENT, WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE AND PERMANENT SUSPENSION OF MAKERSPACE PRIVILEGES, AND MAY LEAD TO ADDITIONAL REMEDY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PENN STATE CODE OF CONDUCT.
Know Your Thickness | Laser projects that use notching or mechanical fastening to create 3D objects rely on knowledge of material thickness for precision cutting. And materials are often listed at a nominal thickness that is not precise enough to count on: ¼ in thick acrylic is actually 0.220 inches in thickness, not 0.250. Fortunately, there are lists of material thicknesses available, though you should double-check actual thickness with our digital caliper once you have the material in hand:
To make things even more challenging, materials often vary by as much as 10% from their advertised thickness! There are design strategies for dealing with thickness variation as well:
Adobe Illustrator | Inkscape
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While most people think of a laser cutter as a 2D machine, the majority of the work done in the MakerSpace is 3D work created from planar materials: boxes, stacked slices, and other configurations lead to sometimes surprising sculptural form! Students have also brought in materials such as rubber stamp sheets to create stamps, linoleum blocks to create prints in the print shop, and anodized aluminum to etch. Driver Software | Full Spectrum’s RetinaEngrave software is engaged like a printer driver from your application:
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Safety Training Video
Official video for the MakerSpace with step-by-step narration. Timestamps viewed at the YouTube site allow for quick reference:
Getting Started
Retina Engrave 3-D Software Overview
Documentation
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Additional: |
Troubleshooting Flow-Chart | There are a dozen ways the laser can fail, so it often will. When the laser fails to fire, follow the flow chart at the link below to diagnose and correct the point of failure. About 90% of the failure points are easy for a trained client to fix, but some require the Monitors or Coordinator to step in. If you have trouble, visit:
Intricate Design Notes | The Laser Cutter can handle intricate designs, but be aware of potential trouble spots:
- If you find or create an intricate design, the machine will laser all the detail as instructed, but the end result may not work well. Spaghetti-thin lines have a tendency to make material curl up into the laser path and ignite.
- Avoid creating detail that is thinner than the width of the material stock. If you are cutting out of 0.125 inch thick material, your thinnest detail should be no thinner than 0.125 inches wide.
- Super intricate designs can lead to overly difficult separation of parts from discards. Very small pieces tend to fall into the cutting bed and are difficult to retrieve. They also have a tendency to ignite.
- Scaling an intricate design down significantly can exacerbate these problems and possibly create an impossible cutting task. If you must scale an intricate job down, you can employ path offset techniques and anchor point simplification to thicken up too-thin lines or reduce vector complexity at a tiny detail: ask a staff member for help!
- Be aware of what you want to keep and what you want to discard. It’s easy to lose track in an intricate design. Pro tip 1: keep a printed copy of the design nearby or post it on a computer monitor for reference before you start. Pro tip 2: keep your “blank” piece—the leftover that looks like negative shapes of your objects—as an organizing device to keep your laser pieces in order prior to any assembly.
CNC Routing
Shapeoko 4
Tool
Materials
Software
Troubleshooting
Video Guides
Inventory
Red Binder
Shapeoko 4
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The Shapeoko 4 CNC Router is the bench-top version of the Shapeoko Pro. It can machine wood, many plastics, and soft metals like aluminum, brass and some copper alloys. A CNC (computer numerical control) router bridges the gap between traditional shop machining and digital processing. It guides the router using tool paths in 3 axes generated by G-Code. |
- Type: Three-axis CNC stepper motors with Carbide Compact Router motor.
- Maximum router power: 1.25 hp.
- Router rotation range: 11,000—31,000 rpm.
- Stepper resolution: Determined by G-Code, but a minimum of 0.0125mm/step (invisible to the naked eye).
- Cutting zone: Maximum 18 in x 18 in bed (X and Y axis), 4 in-depth (Z-axis). Actual vertical cutting limited by bit depth.
- Dust attenuation: 3 stage system:
- Sound attenuation: Cabinet reduces noise from 85 db to 70 db (can hear a normal conversation next to machine).
- Processes from: Stepper motors, connected to the controller board in projector housing, networked to PC running G-Code software.
- Required PPE: None required with cabinet closed. With cabinet open, eyewear, ear protection, and dust mask filtration if router motor is running.
CNC Router Materials
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Complimentary MaterialsMakerSpace offers courtesy materials for working our digital tools at no cost to:
Standard materials include:
This material is often pink or blue in color and can be painted with a gesso ground to finish, or can be used as a mold for other materials such as plaster, ceramic, or resin. Bring Your Own MaterialsYou may bring your own materials and use our machines if you have exceeded the limits above or would like something special. If you can use a normal shop tool on it, chances are it will work on the CNC. The cutting zone is 1.5 ft x 1.5 ft in area and 4 in deep. For beginners, it is strongly recommended to use foam products. High-density polyfoam is designed to be milled and so performs better than polystyrene, but costs much more. |
For advanced users, wood and wood products, and even some exotic materials of wood-like density, can be machined on the CNC router:
- Expanded polystyrene foam
- High-density polyurethane foam
- Plywood
- MDF/LDF
- Hardwoods
- Machinable wax
- Acrylic plastic
- Gatorfoam board
- Laminated foam core
- UNFIRED ceramic clay can be machined in consultation with our ceramics faculty
We've even worked with wacky experimental materials from charcoaled wood to frozen meat! We're open-minded and limited only by our concern for safety, so speak to a Monitor if you have an unusual idea.
NO:
- Metal
- Concrete
- Stone
- Glass
- Too-wet, too-dry, or fired clay
- Plaster-based products (though you can route a mold for plaster)
When in doubt, consult with staff before acquiring your material.
CNC Router Software
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Intricate Design Notes | The CNC Router can handle intricate designs, but be aware of potential issues:
- For most beginner projects, we recommend use of a standard ¼ inch diameter router bit. By designing with the use of one bit in mind for your first couple of jobs, you significantly reduce the complexity of your G-Code setup and running the machine. As you become more familiar with the workflow, it becomes easy to visualize the use of multiple specialty bits for specific steps.
- The ¼ inch diameter router bit will be the default bit you’ll find installed in the router collet, so you will not necessarily need to change your bit—but it’s good to verify before starting a job!
- This bit is versatile but imposes several limits on intricate design:
- While all convex corners in any axis orientation will remain sharp if designed as such in the model, any concave vertical corners will mill with a ⅛ inch radius fillet. You don’t need to model this fillet, but be aware that any sharp concave edge will not translate into the final fabrication. If sharp concavity is a must, you will need to factor a bit change into your coding via MeshCam.
- Any detail smaller than ¼ inch will not mill with this bit—the g-code generating process will ignore it. In fact, the code will often ignore details that are EXACTLY ¼ inch: design with an ever-so-slightly larger dimension (say, 0.26 inch instead of 0.25). If you have a 0.26 inch square vertical hole in your design, the g-code will render it as a effectively a ¼ inch diameter round hole.
- The steps on a finish cut pass will determine resolution. In other words, with a ¼ inch bit, the steps should be ⅛ inch or less to overlap paths and create a relatively smooth surface. In other words, the closer the path spacing, the smoother the surface with this rounded bit—but the longer the tool will take to complete a job.
- MeshCam will provide a reasonably accurate estimate of tool time for the g-code it generates using various bit configurations. Carbide Motion will provide a running clock of tool use. Consult these time tools! You can’t leave a routing job unattended, so knowing this time data will help you with time management and adequate tool reservation. More detail requires more bit changes and more tool time. Design accordingly!
G-Code: MeshCAM 1 Importing
G-Code: MeshCAM 2 Stock Setup
G-Code: MeshCAM 3 Set Zero
G-Code: MeshCAM 4 Tool Library
G-Code: MeshCAM 5 Global Options
G-Code: MeshCAM 6 Roughing
G-Code: MeshCAM 7 Finishing
Intro to Carbide Motion & Running Your CNC
Process Case Studies
Slideshow
Documentation
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Additional: |
Required PPE
Eye protection and ear protection when opening the sound attenuation cabinet while the machine is running.
Step-by-Step Floor Plan
