The Maker Mom

Helping parents raise STEM-loving, Maker-friendly kids

  • Home
  • About
  • Work With Us
  • When Geeks Grow Up
  • Gifted Kids
  • Videos
  • #STEMchat
  • STEM
  • STEM Girls
  • Chicago
  • Maker Projects
  • Gifted Ed
  • Product Reviews

Growing Skills at mHUB

November 17, 2017 By Kim

laser cut keychains made at mHUB in Chicago.“So,” my friend Tania approached me in the laser cutting lab at mHUB the other day, “Have you been learning new skills.”

Ack.

I admitted that I’d been working with what I knew in recent weeks. You know, cutting circles (with hearts, stars, or dog bones) and positive sayings, or, as I’ve started calling my pieces, Scrappy Affirmations.

{Pauses to secure www.scrappyaffirmations.com.}

{And Facebook page. And, sure, Twitter. Okay, fine, Instagram. Why not?}

Mostly I send my little gems off to friends. It’s amazing how often I cut a design and then see a faraway friend on Facebook who seems to need that message. Maybe I’m a pre-cog?

At any rate, about those latent skills. I knew that I needed to try something different the next time I used the laser cutter. I had picked up some glass salad/dessert plates at Goodwill with the thought that I’d use the sandblaster again. I decided to fancy them up by etching them in the laser cutter instead.

This process involved two new skills:

  1. To engrave the bottom of the plate (the part that would come into contact with a table and not food) I’d have to flip or mirror the text.
  2. Because the plate was not entirely flat, I’d have to make sure the laser was properly focused on the z-axis (height, as opposed to length and width).
  3. (Bonus: I’d need to measure more carefully to make sure the design was centered.)

So how’d it go?

Well, it felt like it took forever to figure out how to mirror the text. I Googled for info. I tried to put the tips into action. Googled some more. Failed some more. But eventually, I figured it out. Success!

As far as the z-axis thing. I didn’t break the laser cutter, but I did take it out of service temporarily because I goofed. (I should have asked for help to begin with. I hadn’t wanted to bother the shop staff, but wound up taking more of their time than I would have had I just asked for assistance.) On the bright side, I now know two ways to adjust for the z-axis.

As for centering the text, I misplaced my tape measure and used a less suitable measuring tool. I ran a test carve on wood and thought I’d done a decent job of eyeballing it. But apparently not. Which is fine, because it’s also a really boring design, so now I have a test plate ($0.99 at Goodwill).

The Maker Mom makes glass plate with a laser cut design

It’s a plate though, so it still works and when it’s covered with food, you can’t see the design anyway!

 

Comments

  1. Elizabeth Jones says

    November 17, 2017 at 7:50 am

    Love your Scrappy Affirmations!

    @chaplaineliza

STEMchat 3 gears

About Kim

Kim headshot Summer 2012 I’m a Chicago-area mom of teen boys who is passionate about sharing ideas and resources to raise kids who love Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). I’m a blogger, vlogger, baker and maker, as well as the founder of #STEMchat. I also write about parenting gifted kids, girls in STEM and the Maker Movement. [Read More...]
" "

"

"

Read Me Here:

blogger

Ads and Affiliates

Archives

BLOG TOPICS

#STEMchat (42) apps (5) Big Hero 6 (5) book review (14) books (37) Chicago (56) coding (30) coding for kids (5) computer programming (17) computers (6) contests for kids (14) DIY (46) engineering (13) family fun (101) geek camp (22) gifted education (19) gifted kids (6) giveaway (5) guest post (12) how to (20) kickstarter (6) kit (10) maker projects (31) makerspace (18) math (16) parenting gifted kids (9) product review (55) projects (65) recipe (5) robotics (11) robots (29) science (14) special STEM day or week (40) sponsored (16) STEAM (22) STEM (111) STEM at work (6) STEM camp (11) STEM competitions (8) STEM gifts (6) STEM Girl Friday (38) STEM Girls (92) technology (33) video (13) Women in STEM (6)

Copyright © 2021 THE MAKER MOM, SITE DESIGNED BY RK RESPONSIVE DESIGN