MN Woodshop
Band Saws
Drill Presses
Jointer
Lathes
Miter Saw
DeWalt 12" Sliding Compound Miter Saw
Mortiser
Powermatic PM701 Benchtop Mortiser
Planer
Router Table
Sanders
- Drum Sander
- Belt & Disc Sander
- Spindle Sander
Scroll Saw
DeWalt DW788 20" Variable-Speed Scroll Saw
Table Saw
SawStop Professional 3HP Table Saw
A good video on one aspect of table saw kickback safety.
CNC Router
A 4x4 ShopBot
We have a license to the makerspace edition of Vetric V-Carve. To activate your copy use the license key found in this document on our GSuite file share.
Q: What is the max feed rate of the ShopBot?
A: Depends on bit, pass depth and material. 1.5 IPS (90 IPM) is a good starting point for most use cases. If you are cutting very soft foam you could go much faster but anything over ~250 IPM would lose steps.
If your material is thinner than 0.25 inches you might consider using a spiral down bit.
Q: The Shopbot "Feeds and Speeds" doc talks about "soft plywood" and "laminated plywood". But isn't all plywood laminated by definition?
A: They mean veneered ply, different feeds will leave cleaner cuts.
Q: The Feeds and Speed doc doesn't list any settings for '1/4” Downcut Carbide End Mill'
A: The doc is far from comprehensive. The ideal tool is a 3/8" compression for small projects but the 1/4” Downcut Carbide End Mill is 90% as good for less than half the cost.
Q: I have a 1/8 inch bit but the collet is larger than that.
A: Put the bit in and squeeze the collet in one hand. Try yo lightly pull the bit out of the collet, if the bit is in snug, then you can use that collet. Many collets have a range of about 1mm, or 0.04“
Q: How do I run an air pass on the MN ShopBot? A: If you use the special MakerNexus post processor it’s pretty hard to do an air pass. Two strategies come to mind, both requiring a second output of your shopbot code. First, lie to VCarve about the thickness of your material by an inch or two, (e.g. set it to be 2.25" thick when it is really .75" thick) and write a file using the zero-ing post processor. Second choice - create a separate output file (or files) and use the “no-zero” post processor, and manually set Z-zero to be somewhere above the actual surface of the material, run that file and when it is all good run the one with the z-zero code baked in. Anytime I post any tool paths out, I make a folder for auto zero and a folder for no zero. That way if I need to manually correct something on the fly or do an air pass, I just go to the no zero folder
Hand Power Tools
- Drills
- Drivers
- Routers
- Plunge Router
- Fixed Base Router
- Trim Router
- Sanders
- Random Orbit Sander
- Belt Sander
- Sawzall
- Skilsaw
Personal Protection
Faceshield with airflow TREND AIR PRO Airshield Faceshield
Dust Control
Many woodworking tools produce fine dust, which can be both a breathing hazard and a potential fire hazard. Sawdust and other debris on floors can also be a slipping hazard. At Maker Nexus we employ a number of measures to mitigate these hazards.
Hoses from our central dust collectors connect to various machines in the Wood Shop to suck up dust as it is created and filter it out of the air. When using machines connected to the dust collectors, aways check to see that the air intakes are drawing effectively.
Our air filtration units can continuously circulate the air in the shop, filtering out dust not picked up by the dust collectors. A home-built air quality monitoring system incorporating multiple particle counters will control the air filtration units and also allow us to keep a record of air quality in the shop.
We have several shop vacs (as well as dust cloths, brooms, and mops) for members to use to clean their work areas and the surrounding floor. When using tools that require reservations, remember to stop work in time to use the last portion of your reserved time slot—not the beginning of the next person's time—for clean-up.
Finally, when you are using a machine that generates a lot of dust, or when particularly dusty operations are going on in the shop, we recommend—and may sometimes require—that you wear a dust mask.
Dust Collectors
Air Filtration
Jet AFS-2000 Air Filtration Units
Shop Vacs
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