Making Stuff At The Fab

The other day Danny mentioned opening a fab store in Akihabara. That's a very good idea. There are a lot of creative people going in and out of there as potential customers and all too frequently when you are inventing quite frequently you can't just buy stuff off the shelf. The idea of something like this has been rolling around in my head for some time and i have some thought and resources that might help somebody who was interested In something like Danny mentioned. But what kind of servics should this store have? The easy answer is well you install some 3D printers and have customers bring in files to print. There are some problems with that though. First of all 3D printers are not like the replicator in Star Trek. They are very slow and the results usually need finish work. Recently at work our 3d printer took 40 hours to make a part. So the kind make your part while you wait is out of the question. That means the question is what kind of services could the shop offer ans what kind of tools would be required to something like this work?

Coincidentally with Danny's Akihabara post, a bunch of stuff crossed my desk that made me think about making stuff in general and what it would take to have a store to be a basic fab shop. First there was this piece from next Big Future:
http://nextbigfuture.com/2010/08/voxel-fabbing-nanosphere-lithography.html
which had all sorts of interestin stuff on the future of 3D printing and some just as interesting stuff about printers that you couuld buy right now. Then there was this piece in Machine design, an advertiser supported magazine for designers:
http://machinedesign.com/article/diy-manufacturing-0824
Which has all sorts of good stuff both about 3d printers, CAD programs that can be downloaded for free and small personal machine tools. I will note that having used CoCreate Designer for years professioanally and downloaded the free version, this is a truly powerful full up CAD program suitable for real work on small projects:
http://www.ptc.com/offers/tryout/pe3.htm

My world consists of designing stuff to be made and making stuff myself. So I have access to a huge resource of information and experiences that most people don't know about. I'm going to share some of that so other people can make stuff better. I think there has been a quiet kind of new industrial revolution going on that most people don't know about. The marriage of CNC tools and cheap computers is poised radically change how thing are going to be made. I've been watching this revolution evolve for over 20 years now and I can see that things are ready to explode.
One of my big frustrations is that Tokyu hands does not have a store in NYC(hint, hint, huge hint Danny if you have any contacts with them tell them there is a market here) For reasons why, look at the pictures. I used to work in a traditional hardware store, which is fine if you are fixing a house, with plumbing, paint and electrical. But for inventing, if you want it off the shelf,you basically out of luck here in the states. I can order just about anything I want mail order, but that doesn't help when I need a 4mm end mill, an M4 tap and drill, a 90mm x 90mm sq piece of aluminum, a bunch of M4 SHCS in various lengths while I am at home. Even at work I have to wait for things, that i would expect to buy off the shelf, like an unusual spade lug terminal. Having a store like Tokyu Hands here in the states would make my life much easier. I have a very nice workbench. But I keep being limited by what I have ready access to. In an ideal world that wouldn't be a problem.
In any case I can live with my frustrations. If you are looking for unusual inventor tools and stuff here in the states or even in other countries there are resources available. First of all, I'm including pics of the shop where I work. Here our master model maker, John and our master machinist, Bill can make just about anything. That doesn't help the average creative type who doesn't have access to this kind of shop. What is needed is a shop that anybody can use. Someplace with tools and staff to help build things and provide access to technologies that most people don't have acess to. What is needed is a Fab Store.

Fortunately, other people have done some of the work for what would be needed in our supposed store. MIT's fab lab program is a good start:
http://books.google.com/books?id=Oil3bH6fKBkC&printsec=frontcover&dq=faB&hl=en&ei=1M-CTNPSEML_lgeK-4AZ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false
This book makes a good read and they keep aadvance the message on their website:
http://fab.cba.mit.edu/content/tools/
3D printing has actually been around for along time. The early printers though used a process called stereo lithography. Here is a How Stuff Works Article on stereolithography:
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/stereolith1.htm
And an article on 3D printers:
http://home.howstuffworks.com/10-cool-tools1.htm

Then there is techshop which seems to be geared more toward to the old style industrial tool and their use than fabbing:
http://www.techshop.ws/
There is the make website and magazine:
http://makezine.com/
While they don't sell tools or work very much with machine tools this outfit does have classes in fabbing:
http://www.nycresistor.com/
That all being said here a big list of resources for inventive types. Mostly US because thats where I live but most of the place are mailorder so that shouldn't be a big problem. With this list anybody should be able to put together a fab shop or store. I want to see one in Akihabara next summer.:
Starting with a couple of free magazines:
TCT:
http://www.tctmagazine.com/x/default.html
develop 3D;
http://www.develop3d.com/
An interesting article on desktop machine tool from micromanufacturing magazine:
http://www.micromanufacturing.com/showthread.php?t=933

Fabbing/3D printers:
I don't know anything about these people, but the price is incredible $1500 if you are one of the first 100 customers. That fram looks pretty solid too:
http://pp3dp.com/
Cup cake, again less than $3000, but it's a kit and I don't know how solid it is with those laser cut parts:
http://store.makerbot.com/cupcake-cnc.html
Fab at home, open sourcing the revolution:
http://fabathome.org/
Bits From Bytes:
Not a kit any more $3000. I can remeber not too long ago that laser printers cost much more than that.
http://www.bitsfrombytes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1
Stratasys makes all kinds of 3D printers for industry:
http://www.stratasys.com/
including the HP designjet:
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/uk/en/ga/WF06b/18972-18972-3328061-4154659-4154659-4154512-4154665.html
these are $30000+ machines for companies and design houses.
Zprinter. These are the big boys. But if you could find one used for the shop, it would be a better start than cheaper, but less solid machine:
http://www.zcorp.com/en/home.aspx
Solido:
3D laminate:
http://www.solido3d.com/

Machine Tools for small parts:
I'm not going to include links for industrial size production tools because they are too big for what we want to do:
Shop Bot tools:
http://www.shopbottools.com/
Tormach:
http://www.tormach.com/
MSC:
This is the machinist's go-to place. If it's for a tool and made somewhere, they will have it:
http://www1.mscdirect.com/cgi/nnsrhm?KNC-T7L391316886
Sherline tools:
I own their mill and lathe. Good solid little tools. Not outrageously expensive. Great for hobbyist and inventors.:
http://www.sherline.com/
Blue Ridge tool. Good dealer for small and medium sized tools:
http://www.blueridgemachinery.com/
Little machine shop. Chinese imports. Ok if you know what you are doing and of course, cheap:
http://littlemachineshop.com/
Roland. some people swear by them:
http://www.rolanddga.com/products/milling/default.asp
Prazi:
http://www.ismg4tools.com/
Taig:
http://www.taigtools.com/
Home Shop Machinist magazine:
http://www.homeshopmachinist.net/home

The Bridgeport:
Every shop has one. All the really good shops have the real thing. Use one and you know why. Use a fifty year old one and you know how much of a bargain they are at any price:
http://www.bpt.com/index.asp?pageID=63&prodID=56

Drill Bit City:
Drill bits, repointed, cheap. If you work with small stuff these people are your friend:
http://www.drillbitcity.com/

Hand tools:
Micro Mark:
Tools for hobbyists:
http://www.micromark.com/

Gears and Drives:
Wm Berg drive kits get you started fast:
http://www.wmberg.com/
Stock drive products:
http://www.sdp-si.com/
Micro Mo:
Tiny motors:
http://www.micromo.com/

General supply:
Small Parts: Oddball stuff for inventors and designers:
http://www.smallparts.com/
Mcmaster Carr:
The engineer's friend and the ultimate hardware store. The paper catalogs are treated as treasures by those who know:
http://www.mcmaster.com/#
Micro Fasteners:
Screws. If you think this isn't important just try designing around one you can't find.:
http://www.microfasteners.com/
http://www.fastener-express.com/

CAD software:
cocreate:
One of the best tools out there at any price. The free download is an incredible bargain:
http://www.ptc.com/appserver/mkt/products/home.jsp?k=5598
My main tool at work: expensive but recommended for serious work. Has a lot of features like built in analysis, sheet metal design and plumbing and wiring design. A very powerful tool.
http://www.solidworks.com/
More CAD software:
http://www.alibre.com/
3D software
http://www.daz3d.com/
http://www.blender.org/
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/index?siteID=123112&id=13567410
http://www.caligari.com/

Scupting/craft:
This is a figure website, so I'm including stuff for making your own figures:
Smooth On:
Stuff for making castings:
http://www.smooth-on.com/
Wayne The Dane:
Hand make great tools for tiny sculpting. The videos are good too:
http://www.waynethedane.bizland.com/
Sculpey, the basic tool for sculpting:
http://www.sculpey.com/