Some examples of what it can do please!

[slarya@albany.k12.wi.us]

I teach high school and this coming June I will be addressing the school board in the hopes of them allowing me to purchase a shop bot. I was hoping that some of you could send me some ideas and pictures which illustrate the range of the machine. I want to be able to pass around a book of all kinds of different projects that were made possible with a shop bot.

I specifically want to use it in wood, plastic and metal so anything at all you can send me would be great!

My principal also wants me to present it in terms of ability of the maintenance department to utilize it as well. Therefore any pictures of furniture or signs or anything in that regard would be helpful.

Please email any pictures to me at my school account which is slarya@albany.k12.wi.us (mailto:slarya@albany.k12.wi.us)

[hines]

Ryan, in case you haven't seen the examples from Shopbots web page, you can show them the Education Page (http://www.shopbottools.com/education.htm) and the Applications Page (http://www.shopbottools.com/applications.htm). Also you can see if there is any related material in the Shopbot in Schools forum (http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/messages/936/936.html?1146583042)

[phil_o]

I teach high school woodworking in Massachusetts. We bought a benchtop shopbot 3 years ago. It's been a great addition to our program. My students are very excited about the work they can do with it. Here are some samples. http://home.earthlink.net/~moobage/Shopbot/
I try to use it to extend our capablilities, to do work that we wouldn't be able to do otherwise. We also bought V-Carve Wizard. I highly reccommend it. The discounted price for the benchtop PRT is a great buy.

[paul_z]

Ryan,

Suggest that you download the trial version of V Carve wizard from Vectric.com. Not only can you generate some pretty convincing predictions of what can be made, you will also me learning how to create cut files. (The trial version won't let you save the cut files but it will allow you to save the predictions.) The interface is so simple that there is no need to read a manual. (I have V Carve, I've been using it for several projects, and I don't even know if there is a user manual; I just started using it.)

Another thought ... If you can find a shopbotter (or bot'ette) near you, you might be able to get them to cut something like the schools name to bring with you to the presentation. There's nothing like touching the "real thing" to convince someone. If you can't find someone near by, email me (click on my name to the left) and I'll see what I can do.

Yet one more thought … If they have digital projection capability, you could run Shopbot in preview mode. Simulating the cutting of an existing file (the shopbot demo file) is very low risk with a potentially high payoff.

You might also mention the shopbot forum where help is just a few key strokes away, virtually 24 hours a day. The people here are a treasure trove of experience and innovation (and they are seldom contentious).

Anyone else have any ideas???? Some of us had to convince our wives to get a shopbot; In comparison, convincing a school board should be a piece of cake!

Paul Z

[mikejohn]

Ryan
Don't overlook the money making possibilities to enhance school funds


..............Mike

[burchbot]

Hi Ryan
You will find a ton of examples of what a ShopBot will do on this forum http://vectric.com/forum/
Good luck and please keep us informed
Dan

[billp]

Ryan,
Don't forget to check with your administration as to the availability of Perkins funds. A number of other districts have used their yearly allotment of funding towards the purchase of a machine or software. This minimizes the expenses "out of pocket" for your district..