My understanding is that all tools need a committee to ‘sponser’ them. As it stands we don’t have any committee that seems willing to take responsibility for plastic specific tooling. To me, if none of the existing committees are willing, then we need a new committee.
That is if we need plastic specific tooling.
Space is a whole other issue.
Some items are very specific: Vacuformer, the bender etc. The others will greatly help avoid cross-contamination of other tools and could be set-up with the proper blades/cutters, etc. Also things like sonic welders are great.
If there are Makers interested in supporting a Plastics committee, let me know. I can set up an exploratory meeting the first week of November after all the elections to see: what it’s goals would be, what interests/projects it serves, and how much real interest there. If sufficient interest exists we can put together a proposal. It seems there is equipment out there ready to be donated, most is compact and/or portable/rollable. Some other items are easy to build, like a Hot Wire Cutter for use on foam and other thin material. (I bought 10’ of the wire from Tanners a month ago for use in cutting foam, need an appropriate transformer). I don’t see Plastics as needing much in the way of funds, just the hardest thing to come by: some space to store it when not in use.
So if interested or more comments or items that might be donated (thinking small scroll saw maybe)
I’m not sure a completely new committee needs to be formed; and, I’m not opposed to the 3D Fabrication Committee becoming something along the lines of “The 3D Fabrication and Plastic Prototyping Committee” (aka: 3D Fab cuz the other is a mouthful! haha…).
Just as I have specialists in the 3D Fab Committee already (Mitch over Classes & Curriculum, Shaun over the 3D Scanner, Matt & Matthew over the PrintrBot…), IF we try to expand 3D Fab to encompass tooling for acrylic/plastics, I would need specialists willing to take ownership of the particular tool(s) they have expertise in…
Additionally, we would need to have a dedicated area in the general workshop to store the tools. We would need an area large enough for the vacuformer, plus the equivalent of about two “Allen Tables” to put the tools on during the use (with shelves built under them to store the tools).
If there are members who want to:
Then let’s do this!
BTW… Here is the current org chart (for lack of better description) that I’ve been working on. I hadn’t printed/posted it yet, because I need to update the wiki to better reflect some of the changes in who trains on what, etc… 
Edit to add: Arg. I just realized I hadn’t updated the colors on that chart… The three specialist on the right side will most likely have a light orange background when I get ready to print/post it…
Sounds great to me, fewer committees are easier to manage.
The saw already has a stand that shelf could easily be added to hold another small tool, such as a small scroll saw or Hot Wire Cutter. If there’s anyway I can help, let me know.
Facebook has kept adverts for plastic saw blades on my screen for the last week. It actually looks like a good idea. These particular blades are designed to leave smooth cuts, so the edges of the plastic are ready for polishing. It makes me think that we might expand our selection of blades and plastic-forming equipment.
Plastic forming should be useful to the members, and I’m glad that Walter suggested a committee for it. I considered making it part of Science Committee, but it didn’t seem like the best fit. Even so, we could certainly use it for several of our projects.
It also would be nice if we could work with glass. Just throwing that out there…
That is correct, sir! 
This, however… not necessarily the case. 
Anyway, I am just popping in to see if there is any new activity on this thread… I had replied that if I could get members who are willing to offer their time and expertise to be specialists, etc… I would be glad to bring plastic tooling under the 3D Fab Committee umbrella…
(I just cannot do it all alone! )
I see that David (@Tron) has withdrawn his message about him feeling it would be better served under the Science Committee; and, I don’t see any responses from Richard (@Opcode) to David’s post, so I don’t know if David reconsidered or ??
That being said, there is still potential for it to happen… We just need to hear from those most interested, in how they plan to help make it happen!
If it comes under 3D Fab, then please step up as a “specialist” if you have the desire/motivation to do so! (being a specialist just means you will be the primary point of contact for any particular tool that you are a specialist for… )
Thanks!
Lisa
No. Tron hates having any public record of his existence, so he always deletes all his posts within a few hours. I thought about responding to his very good points, but decided I would wait to see if anyone else had any replies to them.
I think that a Plastics Committee would have been a great idea, just like a Wood Shop or Metal Shop would be. When I create my own makerspace, I’ll have to include that in it. As for us… I wish I could be more help, but I don’t know a thing about crafting plastics. I think those of us in Science Committee who are building the nitrogen laser are learning quite a bit about crafting plastics in the process.
If all these plastic tools fall under 3D fab’s realm I will definitely have to learn how to use and teach all the tools, I’m not opposed to this. Will we be responsible fixing and maintaining the vacuum former, acrylic bender, etc?
Also I hope maybe this could open us up to other plastic tools like desktop injection molding, rotocaster, plastic recycling/extrusion, etc
I’d even like to see a class on polymer science.
We need a better name than “The 3D Fabrication and Plastic Prototyping Committee”, maybe something like the Melted Plastics Committee
I assume you saw this?
I know nothing about it, but…
Yes It would take up floor space and we would need to have a class on how to make use of it. We could make one as well.
Time will be tight this weekend, but Science Committee could discuss at our next meeting what we could offer for a plastics forming group. I think that Science Committee has the better location for the equipment than 3D Fab does. Much of the equipment in question is only a few feet from our area, now. 3D Fab is already crowded just with the demand for its four 3D printers. Science Committee opens out to the workbench area. It would be natural for people to borrow tools from Science Committee, then use them on a nearby workbench.
The vacuformer requires 3-phase, 230 Volt electricity. Any kind of serious industrial equipment is going to require more than the 110 available in the front of the building.
Vacuformer
Vacuum pump/chamber for degassing resins & during casting
Frame for rotocasting
Line heating element for bending plastics
We may want to also create a SIG that specializes in the cross-committee uses of multiple pieces of equipment. Examples of such would be:
I think I saw the acrylic bending table behind Lasersaur tonight.
That’s great that Science Committee agreed to take on this task, but I emphasize that we must have floor space outside of our standard 210 square feet to hold at least the larger pieces of equipment. Science Committee is willing to take on the task of maintaining this equipment, such as Vacuformer, and providing training, provided that we have a place to put it.
It would be nice if @Ian_Jaeger, @Collin or other interested in composites would let us know what they think of this.
Love the idea of dedicated and posted cmte specialists!
I could help with occasional training, but sadly my schedule these days runs on a 24-48 hour notice, which is making my involvement tough if possible at all.
As far as another committee… I’ve seen that debate before and I’ll defer 
Yeah, I know how that is. My boss tells me on Friday afternoon where in the country I have to be on Monday, and then I have two days to make all the arrangements and get out of town. It’s very exciting! I try to do what I can at DMS, but I never know where I’ll be from week-to-week. Fortunately, Science Committee is a passionate group interested in pitching in and keeping us running.
Just know that any time you get the urge to teach a class, we will try to have the appropriate equipment available.
I think it makes a lot more sense that the 3D Fab crew take on these tools, since their established forte is the making of things from non-metallic/non-wood materials, and are already carrying a significant tool inventory. Since Lisa has expressed an interest in carrying them, and since the members of that committee are more likely to develop and maintain a permanent interest in tools for the fabrication of plastics, I think it would be better for the long-term health of the tools to locate it there.
3D fab should take on the tools as the nature of their current role is “Plastic Fabrication” after all
3D Fab’s established forte is 3D extrusion printers. That has nothing to do with acrylic, or bending tables, or silicones, or thermosetting plastics. It doesn’t even have much to do with polymer science, as they are just the end users of that product.
What’s 3D Fab going to do with any tool that isn’t a 3D printer? Store it under a table? Put it on a table in the middle of the room while everyone else is printing away on the half-dozen 3D printers that are also in the room? Just as a practical matter, how is 3D Fab supposed to expand into other fabrication tools, when it doesn’t even expand into other types of 3D printers? I agree with Lisa’s decision to focus on ABS (with some Ninjaflex), and just use standard-sized 3D printers, but if they want to expand, they have lots of areas in 3D printing that we all would like to see expanded. Mitch apparently is expanding into PLA, but we’ve also asked about SLA resin machines or large-bed machines. Also, I have to wonder how much more current drain they can place on that room’s electrical outlets.
I think that 3D Fab should concentrate on 3D printers, regardless of the material they are fabricating in those machines. They are skilled at 3D printers, not so much the materials run through those printers or other fabrication methods (though, Lisa and Mitch do know a lot about laser cutters).
I think that plastics fabrication generally would work better in the warehouse. That has space, electrical power and direct access to other machines. Indeed, one of the reasons we don’t have an SLA 3D printer is that it is messy. Well, messy is what a warehouse does. Plastics can get messy, so a warehouse is a better area, especially when you need more than 3 square feet of work area.
