Fablab sign?

Last year when I was barely working on the donor wall, we talked about making a fablab sign kind of like the ceramics sign across from it. It’s a neat format/idea! I was too busy with donor wall to do anything but I kept thinking about it and wondered about just pitching up a format.

So I’m proposing something - I haven’t checked with Dave or anybody, so this is just a thought right now…

We need seven volunteers, that way each letter is a cool unique style.

The rectangles are all 9 inches tall, 5.5 inches wide, like the Ceramics sign. And let’s say no more than 1" thick? 1/2" thick - less is okay.

We don’t want the colors to be awkward (red next to green, 2/3 blue, etc) so I randomized some and came up with this:

And we’d use our three favorite tools:

F - 3d printer @Teya
A - vinyl cutter @kim
B - laser cutter @ladeana
L - 3d printer @gemma
A - laser cutter @K0PSK
B - vinyl cutter @Moon_Goddess
border - anyone want to volunteer?

If you take a letter, you pick the font, style, take the colors above as a loose suggestion (generally red, generally blue etc), use the tool but you can use other tools and pretty much whatever you want, feel FREE to use more than one tool to make your letter, venture into the woodshop, paint, glue, etc, be creative!

What do we think, makers? This way we don’t even have to set another meeting up, pure forum effort and letters just magically happen!

Also you all know I am not the most artistic so if someone wants to propose a different color set, feel free. I figure they’ll go all over the place anyway so I just did it fast.

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I like the idea but we might need to have @Facilities permission to put more stuff up in the hallway.

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I would take on the Green B that is laser cutter… we could leave it natural masonite for the background…maybe piece in the b

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Would we want to get the blue mill involved? I’m still not sure if it’s a Metal Shop machine or a Fab Lab machine. :person_shrugging:

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It’s officially a Fab Lab machine. It’s only in Metal Shop while we were working on it, but it can come back anytime. We’re planning to put some better stepper motors on it very soon.

The build volume is too small to make a letter, but maybe we can make some wall mounts for the sign on it.

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Build volume might just require segmenting a build.

This is where my interest in 3D printing is. Im willing to do this.
Also, I have another reason for being interested. I will long-explain in person or phone. Not here.

I like your proposal, and I want the EFF.

I’ll take the L

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You are all so awesome! We checked with facilities, and they are good with the sign but requested that we make it non-powered… no lights, nothing requiring batteries or an outlet, I agree with that.

I’m going to swap the last letters around so we don’t have both As and both Bs made with the same tool. So we’ve got…

F - 3d printer @Teya
A - vinyl cutter @kim
B - laser cutter @ladeana
L - 3d printer @gemma
A - laser cutter
B - vinyl cutter
border - TBD

So I need three more volunteers! There’s an A, B and border left - no more F, Teya took it and I have no more Fs to give :smiley:

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I would like the second A.

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If someine were dying to join us and wanted me to give an F… i would, and then take a less daring letter.

How BIG can I make this EFF?
Remember, I LIKE the challenge of “bigger than the 3D printers bed”. This is what my patent is about. And my biz [TCMK Consulting] wouldnt mind another oppo to brush dust offa shoulder and say "See, this is what we can do.

PLUS… this is the perfect example of what I call " Teaming Project in a box". Where a team is assembled to cooperatively build something, and also learn about leadership, about tolerancing agreements, about schedule, and about fitup trials as well as presentation.

I can see such kit projects as being valuable training in academic, corporate and even NGO type environs. Yes, and even coders need to learn to team better.

Putting on my boogie shoes.

And i wish to photograph segments of this project for the same sort of reason.

I better get busy. Might come in tnite. If i finish my planting.

Technically you are making a rectangle - exactly 9x5.5 inches, and up to 1” thick. It should have an F on it, in it, or part of it. I can’t wait to see what happens :slight_smile:

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Would it be an issue to have the maximum thickness 1/2 inch? If we keep it thinner it can fit behind the door when it slides open.

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I think it should be easy to fit my letter into those requirements.

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1/2 inch it is!

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I’m going with an elven theme for the L. The colors just demand it.

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what size letters and/or space around letters? 1/2" space?

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Some design options:


B flat

B popped

B sunk

Preferences?

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I’ve been playing with options and my actual letter is 7.5x4" - I think we can be flexible about it though. I think I liked the popped one!

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I missed the [much needed] Fusion 360 class and so am back to trying this in tinkercad.
I envisioned printing a [3/4"?] thick cutout of an F and then print a filler letter F that stands higher and maybe could be [hammered] in to the open F shaped slot. Instead of doing a 2 color print. Sticking close to the colors in the picture. Letters and opening to be rounded to look pillowed. Adding that visual texture might detract from “the precision printed” look. But the pic gives a rough or more primitive feel. As does the ceramics sign.

Im not speeding towards completion. But inching there at least.

We are hoping to keep the sign to about a 1/2" so it can fit behind the door when it slides open.

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