Northeast "Camp Shopbot" II

[billp]

Northeast Camp Shopbot II


I've had a number of inquiries regarding the possibility of holding another "Camp' in the near future.. Last year's Saturday session drew 30 Shopbotters, and prospective Botters as well, ( in fact a few of the attendees bought their machine as a result of meeting with other owners.).
I'd like to start getting this years event together well in advance, because I am hoping to change the focus a little this time. Instead of spending a portion of the day as a 'demo' session , I'd like to co-ordinate our time a little more efficiently and cover those areas which are of most interest to those planing to attend. I realize that it's tough to do any one topic justice in just a few hours, so I will be asking for feedback from prospective attendees, regarding their interests..If in fact it looks as though we cannot cover the desired topics in one day, I can stretch this out over the weekend, and then people can attend the sessions they are most interested in.
This does not mean that non owners will be excluded..I really hope to see a few new faces, and it is a great chance for interested people to get face to face feedback from a variety of owners. It's just that in all fairness to many current owners it would be more practical for those needing more individual time, (or a specific demo with their own needs as the main focus), to attend at a different time..
Logistically it would be better for me to hold this Camp in late September/early October. That keeps us within a pretty comfortable 'weather window', and it also makes it easier for those staying overnight at one of the local hotels/motels to get rooms at a rate more favorable than the summer season here near the Jersey shore..
With these basics in mind, I'll now ask for feedback from those who might plan on attending. What date(s) would work best for everyone? What areas of interest would you like to see covered? What programs would you like to see in action ? Do you feel you have anything to offer in the way of a 'session' you could share with others?
For those who attended last year I am sure you appreciated the fact that with no discussion , or solicitation, almost every machine owner brought something for a pretty informal 'show and tell' session in the parking lot ( Ed Coleman please bring your truck again, it made a great display rack…). Everyone has some skill they can share with all of us, so don't assume that what you are working on only interests you!
I have updated my cable drive machine, so there will be two rack/pinion machines available this year, and that might make some of the lengthier demos more practical. I'll also try to get a few computers setup for anyone who needs to create files , or would like to do a session regarding specific programs..
Last year was a great event, and with three months lead time, and a little effort I think we can expand on that. Please respond to me directly, or on the Forum, so we can gauge the interest level, and start to get this event organized..Any/all feedback suggestions are welcome, the floor is now open…..Bill Palumbo

[davidallen]

if you need help demo'ing or presenting a particular topic, let me know and I'll work something up.

da

[davidallen]

one topic I'd like to sit in on would be converting images to true type fonts.

[rgengrave@aol.com]

Allen that would be me that does that, I think I showed Bill how to do it? but I am not sure if he has it down yet.

If Bill has the Camp Shopbot? I can send him all the info on it, All this info is on the server.

Ron

[edcoleman]

Bill:


Looking forward to it. It was a good event last time, and I expect this time around it will be even better with more folks knowing what to expect and bringing some of their stuff for show and tell. I'll definitely plan on coming up.

-Ed

[billp]

I've already heard from a few people regarding topics they'd like to see covered at "camp". 3-D file generation, vacuum table setups, joinery techniques, and different materials for cutting have all been mentioned ( sort of a reader's digest list of Forum topics...).I'll work on covering those areas, and see what other areas of interest pop up.Keep them coming...!

[billp]

Northeast Camp date(s)...
To date I've only had a few suggestions regarding the best time to hold the second Northeast Camp Shopbot.( The majority of people who have already confirmed have said "just tell me when it is, and I'll be there.."), but I know that everyone might not be as flexible in their scheduling.
It seems that three weekends are currently favored,Sept.30/Oct.1, Oct. 6,7,8 ( three day weekend for some..), and Oct. 13, 14...Any more ideas of topics to cover?,Or thoughts about the dates?

[edcoleman]

Bill:

I don't want to turn this thread into a "Vector" discussion, but I'll risk it


I have never spent the time necessary to learn this software, and I thought that a demo of its capabilities and a little tutorial on how to use it would be a nice fit at Camp II.

-Ed

[djhazeleger@mindspring.com]

Bill,
This is my wish list for Camp Shopbot:
I would like a Profilelab demo. Since shopbot is selling this software, I would like to see some of the things it can do to justify the price.
I would like to see some of the accessory items SB sells put to work, like the probe, Columbo spindle, and indexing head. I would also like to see any vinyl cutting setup other Shopbotters are using demo'd.
I really enjoyed Camp Shopbot last year and I'm looking forward to attending this year.
Dirk

[billp]

Ed/Dirk,
Thanks for the input and ideas. One thing I learned from last year's Camp was that given a topic, ANY topic, Shopbotters can expand/expound on it for longer periods of time than one would imagine. This is obviously due to the fact that since most of us learn our own ways of getting jobs done, we all seem to find little nuggets of info that no one else mentions in a demo..Hence a simple 10 minute demo of cutting a circle can become an hour long marathon of identical circles cut into some scrap plywood.
This same "law of learning" happens with software as well. While one person will use a Cad program to achieve a goal, 2 others will get to the same place using a sign making program. Before I get too lost in this thought process all I'm trying to say is that we could easily spend all day on any one program/technique/tool etc, and most people don't have that kind of time to spare.
Since Profilelab and Vector are the two programs which are promoted by Shopbot I can see giving both of them (equal) time, during the Camp. However it would be hard to do justice to either of them in one hour..I have both programs here, and will be able to put in my two cents worth, but as some of you saw last year, with 30 people wandering around it is very difficult to hold anyone's attention unless there is something planned, and drawn up in advance. What I think would be really useful , and probably greatly appreciated by the entire Shopbot community would be for any users of the above mentioned programs to draw up a short "recipe' of steps they use to achieve certain results. As we have all seen , there are very few software companies which produce straightforward manuals because in many cases they have little idea of how the end users will be applying their programs. SO, I am inviting anyone who has a working knowledge of either program to send me a short list of steps on how to accomplish certain tasks ( whether it be cutting out signs with multiple layers, or left handed inverted butterfly mortices…)..I will then assemble these recipes into a pamphlet which will be distributed …(By the way to those of you in Raleigh who are reading this why not sponsor a similar project, and this way we might all be able to assist everyone save some time/brain cells in honing our craft..?)
And regarding machine related hardware, I will again have two Bots up and running, which will include proxy switches, remote control, dust/vacuum systems, external wiring brackets, networking setup, and hopefully a probe. I don't have an indexing head, but Gene Marshall is about 10 miles from me and he has had his almost a year now, so maybe we can arrange for those of you interested in that tool to take a 'field trip'over to Point Pleasant. I don't know of anyone local using either the Perske/Colombo spindles but if you are out there please let me/us know..As for vinyl cutting I'm one of those who thinks it's tough to do both wood and vinyl in the same shop, but if anyone can help us with that add-on we'd all like a look see.
This is still a free form event, and I see my self as more of a 'moderator' than "the"instructor. Every machine owner has tricks of their own, and sometimes people are reluctant to "share" because they think only the gear heads, and code writers have anything of value we can learn from…In reality some of my biggest breakthroughs have been watching how someone has simplified a procedure I have made too complicated for my own good. We need as many "McGuyvers" as we do Buckminster Fullers…
Please keep these ideas rolling, and I'll do what I can to accommodate them. Right now it looks as though we are aiming for the weekend of October 6, 7 ( and 8th since it's Columbus Day around here..). If that is not workable let me know ASAP…Bill P.

[djhazeleger@mindspring.com]

Bill,
I agree with your points on the software issue, and I think your pamphlet idea is a good one. As far as the accesories, I was thinking on the lines of Shopbot getting involved to promote there products, lots of potential sales and a very captive audience. How bout it shopbot?

[billp]

Northeast Camp update…....

I've heard from a few people who have a schedule conflict with the originally proposed Camp date of Oct.6,7 (8).. Family obligations, school holiday, etc. SO I will push the date(s) back one week to Oct.13/14.. This is still within the weather window, and might be an easier time for more people..
I've heard from owners, in Texas, Fl., Oklahoma, the mid-west, etc. Many will try to get here and see what a bunch of Botter's looks like..I'm still looking for a few "volunteers" to demo stuff they think we'd like to see..Should hear back on a possible "rate"at the local Motel 8 ( ½ mile away..) for those of you travelling.
I hope with two months warning this will be workable for those of you planning to attend. By the way, now might be a good time to get a preliminary head count. If you think you might make it, please drop me an e-mail..Thanks Bill P.

[waynesutter]

Something I would like to see is a West coast Southern California Shopbot forum. To make this a reality I am willing to do the following. I run a technology traing center at a Community College in Hemet CA which is east of LA about an hour. I personally own the late model PRT 96 shopbot which is at the training center and we also have a perfect training classroom with 24 computers and an overhead projector as well as lots of software for CNC and CAD. We could sponsor a camp at any time that did not conflict with classes and we would also supply lots of material to cut. Early January would be great since the weather in southern CA is allways great and the college does not hold regular classes until late January

I am currently working on a clock project making a grandfather cock and movement (see the projects forum) and we may even want to include this in the camp.

[imserv@imsrv.com]

Wayne, maybe we could take the Shopbot-Vector training class on the road at that time. We could possibly donate a Vector educational lab license to the school in exchange for providing the facility, then if you wanted to host a Camp Shopbot at any time, all the computers could have a VectorCam license available. If there was enough interest maybe we could have a Camp Shopbot and a Vector Training session back to back.

Best Regards,

Fred Smith
IMService

[carol]

Cool, guys. Go, go, go! Going to Anaheim tomorrow and will talk with Shopbot guys. Wayne, you gonna be there?

[k_music@borg.com]

I would be very interested in attending the 2nd annual Northeast Camp Shopbot. I am new to this and currently do not own a machine, however, I plan on making a purchase in the near future. In the meantime, can anyone out there steer me in the direction of a current Shopbot owner that might be willing to give me a demonstration on the PRT96 or a comparable unit near my area? I am located in Utica, NY. Thanks.

[superior@compworldnet.com]

Bill: I'll use this forum to contact you this time. I am very interested in the camp idea, as I mentioned in an earlier note. I have at least two, perhaps four, others interested also. One of the others has a shopbot, as do I. I have found some good ticket buys on AA, $192.00 ea. round trip to Philly, from DFW. What I need is the exact date of the camp, so I/we can make ticket purchases, the sooner, the cheaper! Give me some advise as you have it, and we will proceed.
Sounds like a real blast!
Waiting to hear.....
Doug Strickland
superior@compworldnet.com (mailto:superior@compworldnet.com)

[billp]

Doug, It's now defineately the 13/14 of October. I am listing two days because a few people last year still had things they wanted to cover/speak about after day #1, so this time I'll try to do the bulk of the demo/teaching stuff on Saturday, and then we get into anything "else"on Sat. night/Sunday..
I am about 55 miles from The Philadelphia airport so it's just as easy to fly into there as Newark, or Atlantic City..Exact directions will be showing up on the forum soon, and I'll post the tentative sessions we have planned soon as well. Thanks for letting me know about your interest, I'm hoping others will start to do the same so I know roughly how many people to expect ( gotta get better at my Camper/donut ratio projections...)..

[danlisa@erols.com]

Bill (Billp)
I am interested in attending the Northeast Camp ShopBot. Please provide information regarding the location, fees, and nearby accommodations.
thanks.........dan

[billp]

Northeast Camp directions
I will be leaving for vacation on Mon.27th., and gone until the 7th of September. During much of that time I will be out of reach with computers, phones, etc. so I thought I'd get this stuff posted before I took off to help some people get their plans finalized.
The first 3 major 'sessions' scheduled will be- "Hold downs/vacuum setups", "Software"(with Profilelab and Vector being featured), and "Boatbuilding/weird shapes..". There have been a few suggestions for other sessions, but I'm still fielding ideas. I am just as willing to throw the shop open to whatever those in attendance want to cover at the time. You can reach me between now and Sunday evening at the phone # listed below, or via e-mail. We'll get the rest of this finalized when I get back so if you have any ideas, or want to run a session, please contact me.
Northeast Camp Shopbot directions…
It looks as though people are driving/flying in from all directions for this Camp, so I'll try to be as mercifully brief as possible as I can with these directions. If anyone needs more specific routing I will work with you via e-mail/phone, etc. I've also contacted the two closest hotels/motels for rates. The closest facility is the Super 8 motel ( 732-657-7100), about ½ mile from the shop. Their Shopbot 'rate' ( ask for Leigha when you make reservations..) depends on how many rooms are eventually booked-Base rate is $65, then 4 rooms = 10% discount for all, 8 rooms = 20 % discount, etc. The second option is the Quality Inn (732-341-2400), about 3 miles from the shop. Their standard room rate is $85 per night. Both of these places are fine, and I'd suspect anyone wanting to run over to the beach/boardwalk ( 8-9 miles..), could do so from either location.
From the South;
If you are taking the ferry over from Lewes, De. To Cape May, N.J. just get on the Garden State Parkway, and head North to exit 82A. . This will put you on Route # 37 West. Follow that for about 4 miles until you come to "Northampton Blvd.". Do NOT turn here, instead go past Northampton, and as you do you will see a Getty gas station on your left hand side, and just past that a small industrial park. I am IN that park, but you can't get there ( divided highway), unless you go to the next intersection which is 'Commonwealth Blvd." , and make a U-turn..Do so, then as you now head back east on route # 37 you'll see the entrance to the park ½ mile down the road. In the park is a building with a large sign saying 'Carpet' on the front. I am in the rear of the building, at Bay Craft Designs..
If you are coming North on Interstate # 95 ; take I-295 into New Jersey . Take it North until you reach route # 70 ( approx. 35 miles..).Go east on route # 70 until you reach the outskirts of Lakehurst, and connect with route # 37. Follow the signs eastbound toward Seaside Heights. I am about 4 miles East on route # 37. You will pass the Super 8 motel at "Commonwealth Blvd.", and go ½ mile until you reach a small industrial park. The Getty gas station you will see is PAST the park, turn in before you reach it. Then when in the park follow the instructions above..
From the North;
Connect with the Garden State Parkway and go South to exit 82A, then follow instructions from the above paragraphs..
From the West;
Cross into N.J., and if coming through Philadelphia connect with route # 70. Then follow instructions from the above paragraphs.
If coming from the Northwest you can take I-78,I-80, or I-195 across the state to the Parkway, then follow instructions from the North.
From the East;
Please dry your feet…

Actual street address is; 1745 Route # 37 West
Shop phone # is 732-286-2700

[superior@compworldnet.com]

Bill: Just a quick note-there will be four of us coming for the camp, three form Oklahoma, 1 from Texas. We will arrive on Oct 12 in Philly, and drive in from there. I see your direction on the forum post, so I will work with those.
Looking forward to the camp, will be in touch via this forum.
Best regards, enjoy your time off.
Doug

[billp]

Camp Shopbot is still on..

In response to a few calls/e-mails, I want to confirm that "Camp" is still on schedule..We are 60 miles south of ground zero, and all services are back up and running as if….
Hopefully this will not interfere with the plans of those who are travelling here from outside the area.. So far I have 25 campers "confirmed" ( a rather loose term as I've learned from Camp # 1..). This means anywhere from 12-200 will be there, and that also means between 2-2,000 different ways to run the same parts file, etc. Some of the things scheduled will be demos of different approaches to vacuums/hold downs; software that people want to know more about ( Profilelab, Vector, etc) , a demo of most Shopbot accessories ( Gene Marshall may be moving his shop during the same time period, but he said he thinks he will still be able to do a demo of the indexer for those of you who have asked..); a boat building session during which I hope to unveil this week's version of the "Quicklap Qruzer" ( a testimonial as to what can happen when someone has too much time and epoxy on his hands..) which is Bill Young's Quicklap canoe "modified" somewhat into a 13-1/2 ft gaff rigged tri-maran with leeboards;
a little software surprise Ed Coleman has written which will help in viewing Shopbot files; a demo of a plastic nail gun ; examples of cutting in different materials ( marble, plastics, etc.); and the standard "show & tell" sessions where we all get to finally show some of our stuff to people who understand what it is we are trying to do with the machine. So far the range of expected products runs the gamut from turkey calls to wooden eyeglasses…
If anyone has other stuff to show, please get back to me, and I'll add it to the "schedule"..
Maybe the world HAS changed since last week, and maybe our best response can be to live our lives a little fuller, with much more appreciation for the ways in which we are still able to grow..

[metalcad]

Bill, I would like to know more about the shopbot and just what are some of the kinds of things that can be done. sounds like the camp would be a good way to discover more. Please advise about place, time and cost etc. Thanks

Larry Prewitt

[billp]

Larry, if you back up in this "thread", you'll see most of the basics regarding the Northeast Camp. It will be Oct. 13/14, and there is no charge to attend. If you need any further info, or directions, get back to me here on the Forum, or send me an e-mail...
A further note, Bill Young has volunteered web space within "Bill's Corner" on the Shopbot website for us to post stuff we do/learn at this Camp. This makes much more sense than me trying to do a pamphlet, etc. since everyone will have access to it whether they attend or not.. Regards, Bill P.

[billp]

Fourth major topic;
With Camp a little less than 2 weeks away, I've had a number of requests for some time to be devoted to the generation of "3-D" files.To do so we'll spend some time discussing/using the Shopbot probe ( which they have graciously donated for the Camp, thanks guys..)In addition we'll have some work produced by a digitizer, and we'll dig a little bit into the major software out there.
Gene Marshall is going to be moving his shop in the next few days, so we're hoping he'll be up and running to have an indexer available for a demo as well.Even if he's not in place he'll have a bunch of samples on hand to show what can be done with the tool.
If anyone needs more specific info or directions please get back to me soon, since I expect to be running around a bit trying to wrap up last minute details..I think this is gonna be fun...

[superior@compworldnet.com]

Bill: If you could give us detailed driving instructions from Philadelphia International, it would be greatly appreciated. We will rent a car at the airport and drive in on Friday. As of this moment, there will be four, with another individual flying into Baltimore from Austin, TX, and driving in.
I agree, I think is going to be fun!
Thanks for everything......
Doug

[billp]

Doug, From the airport you will take Interstate 95 North until you come to the "Ben Franklin" bridge. You'll cross over into New Jersey following signs for "Cherry Hill/Route 70". Stay on route 70 for approximately 45 miles . It's not a major highway since it runs straight through the "Pine Barrens" of N.J. , but it is the most direct route..When you see signs indicating you are near the town of Lakehurst you'll also see signs for route 37 ( it might also say Seaside Heights, Brielle , etc.). Follow Route 37 for roughly 4 miles and you'll come to "Commonwealth Blvd." ( If you are staying at the Super 8 it will be on your left hand side near this intersection). Continue ½ mile East on Route 37 and you'll see a small strip mall/industrial park just before a Getty gas station. I am IN that park, and my shop is at the rear of the building which has a large sign saying "Carpet"in red neon on it's front façade..Shop phone is 286-2700..
If any Shopbotters from the Western N.J., or Philadelphia area can improve on these directions, or offer simpler alternatives, please feel free to do so.
As you might expect things will be a little frantic around here during the next week, but each day is producing more and more surprises which I hope will make this "Camp" an experience we'll all get a lot out of..Bill P.
P.S. I will probably be here that Friday night getting last minute things together so anyone who winds up in the area then can call me..

[billp]

Some thoughts for this weekend's "Campers"-it would probably be a good idea if you brought some business cards, and a camera with you. I am hoping to "network"some people and with all of the goings on I doubt everyone will remember names, etc. The camera is just in case you see something you are interested in, and we somehow neglect to get a shot of it for "Bill's Corner".Latest weather says nights in the 50's, days in the 70's ( but they lie a lot, I still check http://www.wunderground.com for updates..).

[billp]

I just got a great suggestion from Bill Young- His thought is that it would be a good idea to bring a floppy disk ( or two) with you to Camp in case there are some files you'd like a copy of. This way we can do it right there instead of trying to e-mail stuff after the fact.
Also in answer to a few last minute e-mails- we'll try to start the festivities at 9 AM on Saturday.

[billp]

Camp report..Well the last Shopbotters have just hooked up their trailer and headed home. I don't really know how may people were here during the entire weekend since I was running from one group to the next a lot.
I would really like to thank Ted Hall, Bill Young, and John Forney for taking the time to come here and present a LOT of information to everyone. This was a different group of "campers" than last year, in that almost everyone who attended had some skills we were all able to learn from. There was a lot of trading ideas, techniques, and stories all weekend long. I picked up more than a few new ways to do things I have been wanting to learn, but never got around to on my own.
The "networking"looks like it will go on well beyond the weekend too. We have some new "toys"to work with on the 'Bot , and there should be some interesting follow up stuff coming out of all this. Hopefully anyone who took pictures will get them to Bill Young at billyoung@shopbottools.com (mailto:billyoung@shopbottools.com).
Many thank you's to everyone who took time out of their regular schedules to trek here to New Jersey. I met some great people, and had a wonderful time as well.
Maybe this idea can be transplanted to other parts of the country so everyone gets a similar chance to exchange ideas with the 'Bot community. If not, we can go for a "threepeat"in New Jersey next year...

[jerryk]

I want to give a hearty thanks to Bill for hosting this great event. I really appreciated the opportunity to exchange ideas and visit with others that sharing a great common interest. I particularly appreciated the opportunity to visit with Ted and Bill of shopbot fame. Thanks Bill for all your time and effort. I hope we can contunue this next year. Now I need to implement some of the new ideas that I gained this past weekend.

[bill.young]

Let me second that thank you to Bill Palumbo. He did an amazing job of organizing and getting things setup! It was fun putting faces with names that you see on the forum, neat to see other people's projects, and a great chance to just network.

I've started working on a "Bill's Camp" article for Bill's Corner which I hope will be ready in the next week or so. If anyone has digital pictures from the camp that you're willing to share, please email them to me at billyoung@shopbottools.com (mailto:billyoung@shopbottools.com) and I'll get them posted. Include any names or other details in the pictures that you can think of; it will be a big help.

There were also a few video cameras there, and it would be neat to post some video clips. If you took video, please email me and we'll figure out a way to get them posted.

Many thanks again to Bill P,

Bill Young

[superior@compworldnet.com]

I don't think there are enough "huzzah"s for the work and time Bill put in on this project. Those of you that have never undertaken one of these meetings simply don't understand the time and effort required. So, again, Huzzah to Bill.
It is always interesting to meet new folks, especially those of a like mind. The camp gave us the opportunity to do so. It is amazing the different ways the shopbot system can be used. I know we will certainly never look at the system the same again.
John Forney made a very powerful statement regarding the "holy grail" of shopbotting as being the vacuum system. If we add to this list the software questions, then I feel we are on the right path. I for one am searching for just the "right one". Hope to find it soon.
Thanks to Bill, Ted, Bill Young, John, David and all who gave of their knowledge and time to us "pups".
I will be forwarding some video footage to Bill Y. this week. Hope it will be of some value.
Thanks again...
Doug & Eric Strickland, Bob Richardson, and Gary Norman.

[paul ace]

very rarely does someone go the extra yard for someone else anymore. Bill Palumbo went the extra 5 miles for us!!! i cannot thank you enough for the time and effort you put into fixing our problem. there still are some decent people out there for you doubters and Bill reaffirmed that that fact for me!!! Thanks again Bill, Paul