Three months with the Desktop:

[Hoytbasses]

Karl Hoyt from Nauset Regional High School on Cape Cod.

Well, we've had our desktop for about three months. I haven't really done any formal training with the kids on its use. but I have to say it has been a wonderful addition to the shop.

We're currently working on small shaker style benches in which the students can program designs for the seat surface (pictures forthcoming) . Someone donated probably 600 board feet of glued up ash panels all 10" wide by between 16 and 32" so these small benches were the perfect design to use some of that stuff and make it"bot friendly". We've also designed some small jewelry boxes, some birdhouses, 'autographed' a lacrosse stick... and many other projects.

I've cut out one test electric guitar so far out of dead sexy CDX plywood. In September, my electric guitar class will move from using router templates and pen/paper to doing the CAD designs and cutting out the bodies on the shopbot. We'll be doing the body contouring and shaping the old fashioned way for now while their decrepit teacher learns to program in 3d.

My initial observations are that learning 2d was a breeze at least as far as we've gotten into it. (and my students took to the design part even easier... even the special needs kids) The toolpathing for the simple stuff we're doing is pretty straightforward. we've only trashed two bits and that was in the first week. What I especially like is that the students who aren't real good at pencil/paper designing seem to have an easier time of it when done in the Vectric program.

I be a happy camper and I know we've just scratched the surface.... but then I'm preaching to the choir.

for those of you who might like to consider a guitar building class using the Bot, I'll be building lesson plans that I'll be happy to share. I've taught acoustic and electric guitar building for 13 years now, so I think I can be of some assistance to people looking to get into that as a class.

Karl

[hh_woodworking]

Great to see an other one in the schools. It is so much fun and really a good way to back into woodworking. They love what they can do with it, but they have to learn basic wood information and tools to be able to use the Bot! It is a Win Win.

Ed

[myxpykalix]

There is a ton of info out there ready for cnc cutting of guitar bodies and parts, do a google search and you should find tons of stuff. However when you put your class info together if you need help, i've accumulated a bunch of stuff off the net i can send you along with some links, tutorials, and Scott Green(?) made a video series that you could purchase along with models, cut files, and a wealth of info that you might be able to use in class instead of reinventing the wheel...

But post anything you put together for your class....:D

[Hoytbasses]

thanks, Jack.

I did that search and did get the Green video. I'm feeing pretty comfortable with the process right now. The real challenge (which, I must admit I'm pretty good at) is teaching the students how to do it...

Originally, when I proposed doing the electric guitar class with the CNC the students didn't want any part of it .... choosing to go the old fashioned way. (we've built guitars the 'old fashioned way ' for 13 years now.... kids start with a pile of boards and do every bit of fabricating, wiring, setup and finishing themselves.


That was UNTIL they saw the Bot in action. Now they're all about doing the guitars on the CNC. What's great about this is the students who aren't that good with the machinery but can fly around on the computer.

I'll post some pictures of current projects pretty soon.

thanks

Karl Hoyt

[hh_woodworking]

Karl you have a PM

[Hoytbasses]

Karl you have a PM

sorry Ed. nothing in the inbox

karl

[WoodMarvels.com]

I've posted three free educational projects under 100kschools - I also have a ShopBot Desktop which is what they are optimized for and love working with it. It's an amazing tool!

Jon

[Bob Eustace]

Congratulations Karl - there truly is total satisfaction in teaching kids and watching them blossum way past their teacher. The resident guitar maker on this board is probably Dana and heres hoping he sees your post and chimes in.

[Hoytbasses]

sorry, I haven't checked in with this site all summer.

Well, the rubber will hit the road this upcoming week in that I'm teaching an 'intro to computerized manufacturing' class featuring the 'bot. In addition, we'll be designing and cutting our electric guitar bodies on the 'bot and probably routing the channels for the decorative rosettes on our acoustic guitar tops, roughing the electric guitar necks... and a myriad of other projects.

I downloaded the sample Aspire program and am starting (slowly) to figure out how to incorporate 3d into the curriculum. But that won't be till probably November/December. I think mastering projects in 2d will keep us going for the better part of the semester.

HERE'S an interesting thing that happened back in the late spring. I called the Principal in to watch the 'Bot working..... he was very impressed. We've done lots of signs, and designed some small stuff like birdhouses, small jewelry boxes etc..... pretty basic stuff, I know but we're pretty impressed with the machine so far. The students are transfixed by this machine and the process of using it.

so the Principal was blown away! and (get this!) He says " we need to get another one of these... a little bigger.. don't you think?

That's HUGE. In education, we spend time begging for money, groveling, writing proposals and grant requests etc. etc. to hopefully convince the powers that be that this would be educationally appropriate! You could have knocked me over with a feather when the boss was the one trying to sell ME on getting a new machine.....

Great to know that we have the support of the boss and my woodworking/guitar building programs.

...gonna be a good school year!

Karl Hoyt

[myxpykalix]

When i was in high school we had a great woodshop and metalshop. And that's where i think i developed my interest in working with wood and working on cars and stuff.
For years we've moved away from teaching and developing trades in HS assuming alot of kids would go to college. Well frankly there is a lot of kids who aren't smart enough, or motivated enough to want to go to college...i was one of them.:eek:
But i learned woodworking which helped me in building houses, metal shop helped in working on cars, welding, and along with math those things have helped me in the manual labor that i've used all my life.
The fact that woodworking now includes computers i think is what is helping get it back into schools which is great.
So keep up the good work teaching, we need teachers like you who value the need for teaching the trades...:cool:

[garyr6]

Hang in there and go for a bigger machine.....
Its great that the kids will get to see and use something that might lead to a opportunity and a career.

[Hoytbasses]

Hang in there and go for a bigger machine.....
Its great that the kids will get to see and use something that might lead to a opportunity and a career.


So keep up the good work teaching, we need teachers like you who value the need for teaching the trades...

thank you for your kind commentary! Jack, I agree wholeheartedly about the function of shops in comprehensive education environments. My personal goal is not to train cabinetmakers or even CNC jocks...... My goal is to give kids an exposure to woodworking as both a great avocation but also a really neat way to put math, physics, engineering etc to work in an applied way. The fact that we build acoustic and electric guitars get a very diverse group of kids through the door. What's nice about the 'Bot is that some kids are just naturally good with tools, but many aren't. But with the CAD/CAM, the kids who can fly around on a computer can make things just as nicely as the tool jocks....

Kids who want to use their hands as well as their minds are just as smart as their college prep counterparts. Too many high schools have turned a blind eye to those kids and that's wrong. For every Engineer out there, there needs to be a half dozen technicians who make the blueprint come to life. We need plumbers, welders, carpenters and cabinet makers, radiation technicians, etc......I'm lucky enough to work in a school that recognizes this.

and... it's a hell of a lot of fun!

take care

Karl Hoyt

[Bob Eustace]

Wonderful ethos Karl. Teaching and sharing knowledge is just so gratifying.

[Hoytbasses]

Wonderful ethos Karl. Teaching and sharing knowledge is just so gratifying.

Thanks...... I'm a little freaked out as this is my first foray into teaching the Computerized manufacturing course (starting tomorrow!) but I know that it will work out great!

It's a great way to keep the gears of my 60 year old brain greased..... I find the steep learning curve of the 'Bot' to be quite energizing.

kfh

[WoodMarvels.com]

I have my book coming out in less than a month that should provide you with a great resource to pull projects and knowledge for your classes.

Jon

[Hoytbasses]

thanks for that , Jon

sorry , I just logged in after the usual blur of the first week and a half of school.

kfh