Greetings, tinkerers! We’re excited today to update you on all the progress we’ve made at Sprocket over the last few months.
Workstations Happened
On February 10th, we hosted a Maker’s Meetup. Tilghman students working alongside industrial engineers and tech professionals got their hands dirty building our computer workstations in our makerspace! Special thanks to Michael McVicker, Mark Poole and Richard Hall for their hard work and direction. Our workstations house the thirty computers donated by our friends at Toyota in Georgetown, a company we are thankful is committed to seeing the culture of innovation grow in our region.
Equipment is Up and Running
Along with the computers and station build-outs, we continue to amass both low and high-tech equipment and tools for our tinkering space. Pictured above is our 3-D printer. Thanks to a generous grant from United Way of Paducah-McCracken County, we have acquired a robotic arm that will be instrumental in helping us kick off our after-school education program. Also important to that program is animation software which is on order. We are very grateful to Paducah Public Schools and especially to Troy Brock, for the donation of surplus shelving that has proved invaluable in housing the tools and smaller equipment we’ve collected.
At our Maker’s Meetup on February 7th, we determined our next important equipment need is a laser engraver. The laser engraver works not unlike a quality printer. Using similar technology, the images one might normally print to paper can be engraved or cut on a wide variety of materials using a CO2 laser beam. This technology will allow students and teachers to quickly and easily complete projects and create in-class teaching aids. It will also allow artists and makers to produce all kinds of high-quality, one-of-a-kind products with a limited amount of training. This key piece of equipment is essential to our mission. Contact us if you’d like to help by donating toward its purchase or have input or ideas on how we might acquire it.
Jimi Gwinn and Sprocket Featured in Paducah Life Magazine
Our own Jimi Gwinn is profiled along with other young, creative entrepreneurs in the latest edition of Paducah Life. We’re excited about the creative class in our region and eager to provide a space for even more collaboration and innovation.
Tech on Tap – 3D Printing & Prototyping February 26th 5:30 to 7:00
If Make magazine, Popular Mechanics, and Industrial Arts threw a party, it would be this month’s Tech on Tap!
Join us at Dry Ground Brewing, where Dr. Rudy Ottway will discuss the processes and equipment used for 3D printing and rapid prototyping and will provide practical resources to launch your creativity and start making. Rudy will present technologies that will take your ideas from concept to production.
Dr. Ottway is an Assistant Professor in the Institute of Engineering at Murray State University and serves as the program coordinator for the Engineering Graphics and Design program. Rudy teaches AutoCAD and SOLIDWORKS computer-aided design (CAD) programs as well as computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) using 3D printing, CNC machine tool technologies, and laser engraving/cutting.
Networking and pizza start at 5:30 pm.
The FREE program starts at 6:00 pm.
Want to join Tech on Tap? Sign up here.