[SML] ShopBot Advice

[Duncan Mahoney]

Tracy Nunnally asks:

"I am about to buy a ShopBot for the scene shop at NIU, and I have no experience with one.  This purchase is part of a very large FF&E package we have for our new 13,000 sq. ft. shop, so I want to get everything we need in the first order.  I will not have any money in annual operating funds to buy attachment A or fixture B later on down the line (thank you, Illinois).

For those of you who have one, what would you recommend I not forget in this order?

Thanks :-)"

We have a CNC Shark, rather than a ShopBot, but I can say that a CNC router will have an impact on the annual operations budget even without buying attachments.  CNC grade tooling is more expensive than mere mortal router bits, sooner or later a spindle will wear out, or a stepper motor will die, etc.  And then there are the annual V-Carve software upgrades and a new computer to run them on every few years

The items I would suggest to not forget would be lots of dust collection (which you probably have covered given a new shop build), a full set of tooling and clamps/vacuum bed, and whatever enclosure/light curtain/guarding your safety officer wants, to ensure students don't get into the moving machine.

Duncan Mahoney
Head of Technical Direction
Associate Professor of Theatre Practice
University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts

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