100 K Garages

[angus_hines]

100Kgarages.com is now half live the rest to be live after San Mateo

For those who don't know this is a collaborative effort between ShopBot and Ponoko.

THe site is here: 100kgarages.com

THe blog can be found here:
http://www.100kgarages.com/wordpress/

[rhfurniture]

Fascinating. I guess it will start with covering USA/Canada. Any idea if it might extend to Europe at some stage, as I would love to take part.

R.

[angus_hines]

Ralph I have no idea how they plan to roll it all out but I would go ahead and throw your name in the hat on the sign up page. That way you'll be there when thyey decide what's next.

[rhfurniture]

Yeah, ,,,I contacted Ponoko as an interested provider a while back when I first heard of them, but they listed me as a buyer and I got so many special offer emails I labelled them junk.
This does sound a lot lot more positive with a wider scope, and with Ted involved, it should work out well for us botfolk.
R.

[seana]

This sounds pretty interesting.
Is it only available to shopbot code i use g gode?

Sean

[bill.young]

Hey guys,

We're still pretty early in developing 100kGarages so don't consider any of this etched in stone, but here are some tentative answers:


Ralph,

We would love to see this grow world-wide, and since 100kGarages stays out of the transactions in the lowest levels...the Fabbers Map and Job Board...there hopefully won't be any complications. As long as you have all the required business licenses for your location, we're thinking that it should be like any other business relationship you enter into with a customer...100kGarages just acts as a matchmaker of sorts.

Things will be quite a bit different when the EasyCut system comes online, because at that point 100kGarages will be involved in the transaction which will complicate things. We just don't know what issues we'll come across with that but will keep everyone informed as that time gets closer.

Sean,

At least to get things started we feel like consistency is pretty key to the success of 100kGarages, so the files that we'll be supplying will all be sbp files...it eliminates one variable. There is a sbp to g-code convertor available, however, so you won't be left out.

Just as an FYI, we've just gotten a forum up and running at www.100kgarages.com/100kforum/ (http://www.100kgarages.com/100kforum/) which is the best place to ask questions about 100kGarages or let us know what you're thinking. And if you're going to be at the Maker Faire next weekend in San Mateo, stop by the ShopBot booth and talk to us in person.

Bill

[rhfurniture]

Bill,
Just noted on 100k forum that you said to acecnc that was only for shopbotters - but there is a sbp to gcode converter as you point out above - is this only available to shopbot users or can it run via the converter on gcode machines? (didn't raise this on 100k forum in case this was an issue - but then they are both public forums). Oh well, confused as ever.
R.

[bill.young]

Hey Ralph,

You'll need to be a registered ShopBot owner to participate in 100kGarages and we'll be supplying files in sbp format (for a lot of reasons). There are a few ShopBotters like Sean that run g-code on their ShopBots, though, and as long as their ShopBot cuts accurately then theoretically they should be able to convert the sbp files to g-code using the convertor in the FC command.

Not all available ShopBot commands have g-code equivalents, though, and sometimes conversions can be problematic so it may turn out that there will be issues...if so we'll have to re-think things.

Hope this answers your question,
Bill

[rhfurniture]

Bill,
Thanks, that is much clearer. I am going to a furniture makers gathering in a few weeks and was wondering in what way to enthuse about it.
It really sounds like a very positive initiative, as I have been wondering for a while about how we move on into the digital age regarding communicating with customers.
R.