Posted on July 24, 2021 by Gavin Schermer
We are a makerspace: we build, we design, we tinker and we create. And we LOVE to show off our projects! But sometimes we don’t know who something belongs to, or what’s being done, or maybe even don’t quite understand what a particular project IS. And sometimes there seem to be so many projects that there isn’t room to work. To address these issues we have made new Project Label cards, they are available on the round table in the lobby. There are cards for projects “In-Process” and, cause we like to show off what we’ve done, there are “Completed
Posted on May 18, 2021 by Gavin Schermer
Hey everybody! As an outgrowth of the Co-Lab cleanup last weekend, we have accumulated several piles and boxes of scrap metal in the Auto Shop. First and foremost, members have first dibs. If you see something in one of those piles or boxes and know that it’s what you’ve always been dreaming of, please take it, and just drop some change in the donation jar on the lobby counter, whatever you feel it’s worth to you. But since there’s probably more in that pile than we can all use in the foreseeable future, we’re going to send whatever’s left to
Posted on August 27, 2020 by weeklyr
You may have noticed that the QC Co-Lab website has a number of changes to the top menu and the content that is directly accessible. Below are some of the changes that can be seen on the site! We have added an “Announcements” section to the top menu. This section will contain posts, articles, and important announcements for all members of the QC Co-Lab. This is now the go-to place for information about current events at the lab. The main reason for adding this section is to pull items that might have been buried in other forms of communication or
Posted on May 20, 2020 by weeklyr
The QC-Colab is still working to both keep the membership safe during the Covid-19 pandemic as well as continue to provide services. We are continuing to follow Iowa’s guidelines and are working to keep the lab clean, minimize any grouping of members via social distancing, and asking our members to do their best to follow the CDC guidelines for public spaces. As of last Friday, the state lifted a number of its mandates. Due to this, we will resume giving tours to outside guests or and allowing new membership signups effective immediately. We will continue to monitor the situation and
Posted on April 8, 2020 by weeklyr
The Effort. As many of you know from the last post we have been printing and manufacturing as much PPE for front line medical workers as possible these last few weeks. The process has been full of both challenges and rewarding successes. Production Capacity. This effort is continuing and scaling up where possible. We have switched from printing the ear relief straps for masks to cutting them out on the laser cutter from 4×8 sheets of PETG. This has taken us from 7 straps per printer per 1.5 hours to 20 straps every 6.5 minutes. This means that all of
Posted on March 26, 2020 by weeklyr
The QC Co-Lab and its members truly believe in the power of makers and the movement that they have started around the country. The Co-Lab and its members have started a joint effort to print and outfit face shields to be distributed to local hospitals and clinics. During this trying time in the country, it is evident, more than ever, that the small, agile, and motivated maker movement can play a critical role in keeping the hero’s that are working on the front line of this pandemic as safe as possible. We currently have all available 3D printers running 24×7
Posted on March 23, 2020 by weeklyr
The QC-Colab is taking steps to both keep the membership safe during the Covid-19 pandemic as well as continue to provide services for our existing membership. Following Governor Reynolds’ advice, we are working to keep the lab clean, minimize any grouping of members, in any capacity, and limit the amount of outside traffic into the space. Due to this crisis moving forward we will not be giving tours to outside guests or starting new memberships until further notice. This is to ensure that new members will be able to receive adequate training and access to the facilities in case of
Posted on January 21, 2020 by weeklyr
At the Co-Lab often times we find ways to utilize our machines in strange and amazing ways. We are makers so modifying and inventing is in our DNA; However, we also know that we are working against the clock when an idea pops into our head. It is only a matter of time before the next great idea comes along and starts to divert motivation away from our current project. This is why the Co-Lab is so perfect for makers, we have the ability to take an idea from conception to creation quicker than our brains can think up the
Posted on January 16, 2020 by weeklyr
The Qc Co-Lab is growing, and so are our tool offerings! The months of December and January marked some big milestones for the Co-Lab. Below you will see how we expanded our offerings in 3D printing, CNC routing, and metal fabrication. All of these projects wouldn’t have been possible without the amazing support the lab receives from our membership! We would like to give a big thanks to everyone who helped make these upgrades a reality and success! The Co-Lab decided in late November to purchase and stand up 3 new Ender3 Pro 3D printers to revitalize, revamp, and reimagine
Posted on December 3, 2019 by weeklyr
The Plan These tables had no plan and were 100% a child of creativity and necessity. In the Co-Lab’s old woodshop we used the rickety out-feed table for the table saw and a cobbled-together, very light, and unlevel table for assembling all of our projects. Needless to say, all of our members that utilized the woodshop were eager for a change. When I started this project I knew we didn’t have much of a budget, The QC Co-Lab is a non-profit; however, we did have a large number of 2x4s and some very heavy Formica tabletops that we had inherited
