Atlanta Camp Shopbot - August 2002

[beacon14]

Announcing the next Camp Shopbot:

All shopbotters are invited to our shop for an informal day of Shopbotting - demonstrations, show-and-tell, shop-talk, refreshments and maybe a few tall tales!

We have decided to host this event in conjunction with the IWF, the largest trade show for woodworking machinery and suppliers in North America, held bi-annually in Atlanta. Shopbot will have a both at the show, and they have hinted that some of them may attend our get-together as well. If you are unfamiliar with the IWF, check out the IWF home page (http://www.iwf2002.com/)

As for the exact day, we have some thoughts, but wanted to get some feedback so as to include as many folks as possible. The IWF will be on Thursday August 22, 2002 through Sunday August 25, 2002. We could conceivably hold our shin-dig on Wednesday, August 21, or during the IWF on Thursday, Friday or Saturday. We suspect that most folks will want to head home by Sunday, but if we are wrong let us know. I hope by next weekend we will have enough input to set a date, so that people can make their plans.

We envision this to be a mini-version of the recent jamboree, in keeping with Bill Palumbo's vision of regional camps, to help create a local support group of shopbotters united for the common good. We hope coinciding with the IWF will allow more folks to justify the trip to Atlanta, and of course we will not limit attendence to folks from the southeast. All we require is a desire to spend the day talking and learning about Shopbot the tool and what you and other folks are doing with it. Those seriously considering purchasing a Shopbot are welcome as well.

This will be a one-day event, as you (and we) will certainly want to spend significant time at the IWF as well. Shopbot has expressed excitment and a desire to support us with refreshments, door prizes, demonstration items, etc. and for that we are very grateful. We are looking forward to making some new friends and hopefully seeing some familiar faces as well.

Please let me know as soon as possible if you will be able to attend, and which day you think would work best. We are very open as well to suggestions for making the day as beneficial as possible. The best way to reach me is via e-mail at: beacon14@attbi.com

Y'all come!

David Buchsbaum and Ted McWilliams

[billp]

David, is your shop actually IN Atlanta? If not, how far from the IWF Show are you? Thanks, Bill P.

[beacon14]

Good question.
We are not technically in Atlanta - we are located about 5 miles east of downtown in a town called Avondale Estates, just inside the "perimeter" which is what we call I-285. We are about a 20 minute drive from either the airport or downtown, which is where the IWF takes place.
I will post directions at a later date, and e-mail them to all who respond
David B.

[eurocab@bellsouth.net]

Hey David,

John and I would love to attend your get together. Having bought a ShopBot around the first of the year, I am sure we could learn a lot from you. We are located in Doraville, just a few miles away across from the Doraville Marta Station. What is your address in Avondale?

Another thing that fellow ShopBotters should know is that Avondale is on the East-West Marta Rapid Rail Line, so it would be fairly easy to get to your shop from the World Congress Center.

Perhaps someone would be interested in providing transportation to and from the Avondale Station. Just a thought.


I am looking forward to it.

Rick

[beacon14]

Rick and John,
We are located very close to the Avondale Marta station. I'm sure we could arrange "shuttle service" for those without cars. Marta also serves the airport, so it would be fairly easy to attend the IWF and our camp without having to rent a car.
I'll post exact directions, and e-mail them to all who reply, as we get a little closer to D-day
David

[bill.young]

Hi David,

Count me in. I was on the fence about attending the IWF this year...you've helped me make up my mind.

For those of you that haven't been to the Atlanta Show before, it's really amazing. Every woodworking tool, machinery, and hardware vendor that you've ever heard of is there, and lots that you haven't heard of. It's a great place to find out about new products and to see a whole lot of woodworking stuff in one place.

See you there,
Bill Young

[beacon14]

Ok, after sifting through hundreds of responses (not exactly), we have decided to schedule the camp for Saturday, August 24. (The IWF runs from Thursday through Sunday.) I hope this will allow the largest number of people to attend.
As for specifics, we will fine tune as the date approaches, but essentially what we do with our machine is one-of-a-kind parts (pattern cutting) and short production runs. We will have demonstrations and samples of parts we have cut, jigs we used for holding them, methods of creating these parts and jigs, etc. We also hope that those attending will bring examples of what they have done as well.
I will post more details as they develop. Please post any responses or questions here, and feel free to e-mail me as well.

[c1get1@hotmail.com]

Hi David,
My name is Frank Harris, i am in warner robins, ga. and will be attending the camp along with my partner and brother, we just purchased a 5x12x12", with dual Z's and its being delivered tomorrow, dont know if i will have any samples to bring with me, other than a few blisters, am in the process of assembling the steel table for the Bot, but i will be all eyes and ears, and willing to share anything i can, thanks.

[garlicking@charter.net]

Frank,
Are you excited about getting your new bot?
I know the feeling. Anyhow, enjoy it.
keith

[c1get1@hotmail.com]

Hi Keith,
Very much so Keith, i've wanted this thing since i first seen it in ToolCrib of the North magazine, now i was able or lucky enuf to get 1 with all the upgrades, with all the additional expense, i've completely re-done my garage/shop, insulated the walls, ceiling, new wiring, even added a/c and an exhaust fan to help pull the dust out. It is being delivered here today by noon, and i'm still assembling the steel table,,,i sure wish there was 2 more of me,,,where you located Keith, i take it you have a Bot also, next step after all this assembly work is to join Ron's server,,,you gonna be in atlanta for the Bot camp? Its like Xmas here, lovin it,,,,later,,,,frank

[garlicking@charter.net]

Frank
You saw it in Toolcrib? Boy Shopbot must be slumming, just kidding, I get Toolcrib also, or do they get me? Anyhow, in response to the atlanta deal, no, unfortunatly I live about as far away as you can get from there in the lower 48, Port Orchard , Washington. I figure I can support an airline or buy a bunch of new bits, you figure the answer, besides, thats why we have a forum, to commmunicate idea's, keep in touch,etc.(P.S. Ron know's his stuff!)Anyway, in the northwest where CNC is a dime a dozen, even if you don't need a bot for your business, it makes a great addittion to your shop. It's so nice to be able to cut a part as a temporary piece while working on a project without having to get out the jigsaw,tablesaw,router that the convience factor alone would justify the expense. Bottom line Frank, enjoy your bot, whether for business or pleasure.
Have a good one
keith
(I've had one for three years)

[c1get1@hotmail.com]

Hi Keith,
My Bot arrived yesterday, and its unpacked lying all over the shop floor, lol. But i am sure i will enjoy it and hopefully make something off it, man, where u are u should be able to get all kinds of good wood, big trees up there, thanks Keith,,,,,,,Frank

[beacon14]

Hi Frank,
Welcome to the family, so to speak. Looking forward to seeing you in August. Let me know what you will be using your machine for, and we'll try to make sure we know more about it than you do by then!

David B.

[jim@inurface.com]

David,

I recently discovered the Shopbot web site and am interested in eventually getting one for my new woodshop.

I live in Norcross, GA, so am not too far away, and would like to attend your shopbot camp if it is not too cost prohibitive.... Any details on the meeting would be appreciated.

Also, I was wondering (if it is not too much of an imposition) if i could get a personal "tour" of your setup before the big meeting?

One of my other hobbies is "Robot Battles" at DragonCon. (held the last weekend of August, in Atlanta)
My robot construction "material of choice" is a very tough plastic which i can buy in 4x8 sheets...
It occured to me that the shopbot might be ideal for precision cutting the parts to fit my design concept...
If you think you might be interested in working on that with me, as a very unique project for your shopbot, that would be fantastic! (and educational for me as well)... The material is very easy to cut and work...
However, if that is too much to ask on short notice, i will understand... and will just do it the "old fashioned way"! : )

Thanks for your consideration,
Jim

PS - I tried sending you an email to your name link,(beacon14@attbroadband.com (mailto:beacon14@attbroadband.com))and got a "Message undeliverable" return mail...

Please feel free to email me at
"jim@inurface.com (mailto:jim@inurface.com)" for contact info.... btw, check out my graphics web site at "inurface.com" where you will also find my phone#. (I screen all my calls so be sure to say something and i will answer if i hear it is not a solicitor.)

Thanks again, Jim

[beacon14]

Jim,
Norcross is about 15 miles from us so depending on your gas mileage, I would say the cost for you to attend the camp will be between $1.50 and $3.00 (round trip). The camp is geared for current Shopbot owners, but if you are interested enough you will probably find it worthwhile.
I didn't realize I had an outdated e-mail in my user profile, since I enter the correct address each time I post a message, but I have since corrected it. My actual e-mail (at least until AT&T #$^&'s me again) is beacon14@attbi.com (mailto:beacon14@attbi.com).
I will e-mail you to discuss cutting your plastic parts, maybe in exchange for a couple of tix to the robot battles!
Keep checking this thread, as I will be posting more info as it becomes available.
David

[c1get1@hotmail.com]

Hey Jimbo,
I sure hope ur able to learn more bout what im doin than me,,then i'll let u handle things here , and i will go fishing, lol. At the moment my steel will be delivered tomorrow so i can start on the table for this monster, people i bought my Bot from bought it to do surfboards with, but said it was to slow for their enviroment, has less than 100 hrs on it, i'm even open for any sub work, that i can muster up. I'm really interested in the cabinet doors and solid wood doors for the home, also signs for the buisness and home, but plain and simple, whatever i can gain knowledge and experience on, and that will help me pay for this hunk of steel and motors,,,thanks jim,,will see u soon----frank

[beacon14]

UPDATE:

The IWF and our Atlanta Camp will be here before we know it. It looks like we will have a good group of owners and maybe a few future owners with a wide range of experience. If you have not yet contacted me and are planning to attend or hope to attend, please let me know so we will be able to plan refreshments, etc.
As for specifics, I can tell you so far that Ted and I will be demonstrating various ways with which we hold down parts, such as: using homemade cams, brad nails, quick & easy vaccuum platens, and maybe a few more if we can think of them. I will also share ways to use homemade contact plates and limit switches to set tool location easily and accurately. We will have examples and photos of many of the items we have made with our Shopbot.
Make sure if you are coming that you bring either some examples of your own to share, or if you haven't reached that point yet, a sketch or sample of something you would like to be able to do. If there is enough interest, we will have a session in which we take an idea from sketch to cutting file, to show how easy it can be, possibly using several different software methods to get the ideas flowing.
We are more than open to ideas for other topics or ways to make the day more worthwhile.

More to come....
David Buchsbaum

[beacon14]

Quick update:

There is now a link on the Shopbot main web page with info, including directions to our shop. The info included an incorrect link to my e-mail, which has since been fixed. There is also a link to a short piece by Bill P., explaining the concept behind the "camps". I couldn't have said it as well, so I won't even try.

In addition to our Shopbot, I plan to have an extra computer on hand for software (partwizard?) demonstrations. Bill Young has promised to attend and demo the bar-code wand for pattern tracing. We may have one or more other "official" visitors/hosts as well.

We have had quite a few responses so far, and I suspect the fence-sitters will have to make up their minds pretty soon. If anyone needs more info to decide whether or not to attend, please post here or e-mail me. If you are considering it but won't know until the last minute, that's OK too, but if you can let me know that you might be coming, it will help us plan if we know approximately how many folks to expect.

Three weeks and counting...
David Buchsbaum

[billp]

Suggestions for the Campers...
For those of you who will be attending the Atlanta Camp I have a few suggestions which are based on our experiences up here at the Northeast Camps;
Bring business cards with you -(much easier to let people know how to reach you later than writing on a piece of scrap wood with a screwdriver)..
Bring floppy discs if you want to trade files, and obviously if you can, bring something to trade to others...
Pictures of your projects work much better than trying to describe them. If you have done something you were happy with but it's too large to carry to Atlanta, bring a photo..
Bring a camera with you- sometimes you want to record how a machine was set up, or just capture images of projects you like..Also send some to Shopbot for their web page...!
If you have found any good sources of materials, or good web pages, type them up so they can be assimilated into a "resource list" for everyone when the Camp is over. This is really pertinent in regional Camps where you can sometimes help other 'Botters save big bucks by knowing where to get wood, foam, etc.
Get around and try to meet everyone. You might find that there is someone attending who has been looking for work that you do,( or vice versa) and unless you find out who is there you'll miss a great opportunity.......

[beacon14]

Outstanding suggestions, Bill.

As of today we are looking at upwards of 25-30 attendees, and we are looking forward to a succesful day. We seem to have a good mix of current owners, recent purchasers, and a few prospective owners.
In the next day or two, I will e-mail all those who responded with specific schedule info and logistics. It's not too late to respond if you think you can make it.

By the way, I suppose it has never been specifically mentioned, but a couple of people have asked about the cost, so I guess it's not obvious. There is no charge to attend this event. ShopBot is even graciously providing our lunch and refreshments.

If anything else is not obvious and needs clarification, please ask.

David Buchsbaum

[studebaker]

Hey David, Count me in! I'll be at your shindig, too. I live here in Anderson, SC. I own a 4x10 shopbot.

[beacon14]

OK, here's the latest:

Plan to arrive between 8:30 and 9:00 AM on the 24th. We will handle registration and have coffee and donuts during that time. We will have a car to shuttle folks from the Avondale MARTA station beginning at 8:15AM. Look for an older gentleman in a green Honda Accord. He can take 4 people at a time. If you arrive later or need any help, call 404-297-0002 or 404-309-9146.

Beginning at 9AM, we will have introductions, then I will have a short demo on using limit switches and contact plates for setting tool location, and the program files we use for these purposes. At mid-morning, Ted McWilliams will cover hold-down techniques. We expect that each of these demos will evolve into general discussion sessions, with lots of questions and answers.

Lunch will be pizza and cold drinks, and during and after lunch there will be time to share your samples, projects, pictures, etc. Please bring whatever you may have, even if you don't think it's good enough to show.

After lunch and show & tell, will be somewhat free-form. Bill Young will demo the bar-code wand for tracing patterns. We will have an additional computer set up for showing PartWizard, and answering general ShopBot Workshop software questions. If there is enough interest, we will have a session where new or future owners can ask specific questions about creating part files relevent to their own needs.

We are not setting an ending time, so we can play that by ear; as long as there are interested ShopBotters around we can keep going. We will have directions to a few local restaurants so that anyone who wants to can continue over dinner.

ShopBot has provided some nice door prizes and is also picking up the cost of refreshments and lunch.

Each person who has responded should have received an e-mail from me, with some other specifics. We have plenty of room, so we will not "close" the registration period. If you can make it at the last minute, call and let me know so we will have enough food.

Looking forward to a great day,
David Buchsbaum

[billp]

New Jersey Camp Shopbot III.....
In answer to a bunch of questions kicked off by the Atlanta Camp, YES there will be a third annual shop cleaning/Camp Shopbot in Toms River. N.J. on Oct. 26th, 2002,(more or less...).
This gives some of you a few weeks between the Mid-West Camp and here..( Remember you really don't have to attend ALL of these once we get the regional things going..)
Topics to be announced once they are suggested/decided on.....Open invitation to all who have been here before, and those that would like to join us..Structure is limited, schedule is loose, information is plentiful.....

[billp]

FEEDBACK/PHOTOS FROM ATLANTA CAMP;
I just got a phone call from Bill Young who said the Atlanta Camp went very well!!! He got home to find that his internet connection is unable to connect with the outside world, so for the next day or two he will be offline...BUT if you have any digital pix of the Atlanta event he's asking that you please send them to- Martha @shopbottools.com
P.S. Congratulations to David/Ted for doing such a great job...

[rytjr@bellsouth.net]

Thanks David and Ted! Nice shop, good pizza, cold Cokes and ShopBot tricks I would never have thought of. I am always amazed by the creativity of the people that own ShopBots...These camps are place to see it.

[bill.young]

A belated Atlanta camp report:


The Atlanta Camp last weekend at David Buchsbaum and Ted McWilliams' shop was a great time, with 35 or so ShopBotters attending and plenty to see and do. Ted started it off by showing some of the vacuum jigs that they use in their work, and also discussed some of the other material holding methods that they use. After that David demonstrated their shop-built limit switches and talked about the programming involved in using them... a very good introduction to using the ShopBot programming language.

After lunch there was a show-and-tell session with some very neat projects and Ted and David talked about the project that they initially bought their ShopBot for. Next Ted Hall demoed some of the features of the new version 3 Windows software and also showed an early version of the Project Wizard, a new project creation method that we're working on (more info on both of these soon). Next David showed folks how to use the Part Wizard software and then some time to just talk and ask questions before everyone headed out.

Many thanks to David and Ted for opening up their shop for the Camp and also for doing a great job of setting things up. It was a lot of fun for all that attended, everyone learned a bunch of new tricks, and we all appreciate the great job that they did.

Bill

[c1get1@hotmail.com]

My "Thank You" is also belated, my eyes are still open to all the things i'd seen and ideas i heard. David and Ted, you have a great facility, and also a big "Thank You" to Shopbot for all the goodies, that pizza was good, yum. Seems the Part Wizard Demo you guys passed out was the full version, only thing we need now is for them to pass out the key code so it will work, lol. David, tell Ted the next time he comes to Warner Robins to race his Miata, to stop by, you also, i'm sure we will be seeing you guys again, unless this 5x12 steel table i'm assembling beats me up first, what a hog. Thanks again------Frank Harris

[dianne@shopbottoolscom]

If you want a copy of the Part Wizard demo, send your mailing address to Dianne at ShopBot (mailto:dianne@shopbottoolscom). It'll help if you put "Part Wizard Demo Request" as subject of email.