and math); however, I want to incorporate history and other subjects as well to create programming that will benefit everyone.” Lackner says that as an artist and an educator, she loves being able to come in to the lab every day to make something. “I get to see and be inspired by what people are making here, and I get to inspire kids to come here and become makers, too,” Lackner says. In addition to Pritchett and Lackner, the lab staff is rounded out by lab manager Dan Moran and lab technician Andrew Harmon. Pritchett says that the staff has no idea from week to week what projects will come through the door. “We see everything, from small, personal projects to rapid prototypes for global corporations, and everything in between,” he says. “We have members from a very large spectrum of backgrounds, skills and experiences.” Since the lab opened in 2011, Pritchett adds that it has seen an explosion in the scale and sophistication of projects as lab members’ skills have grown. Fab Lab member Derek Tarvin says that he first received his membership as a gift because he has always enjoyed tinkering with things and needed a creative outlet. “I have used the lab to create things that I use with my gaming group as well as explore ideas that I have always wondered about,” Tarvin says. One project example of Tarvin’s was a small, edge-lit LED sign powered by a watch battery, designed and constructed in one afternoon. “Most recently, I have been working on 3-D prototypes for some jewelry designs that I hope to cast in metal in the future,” he says. Tarvin advises that once a member joins the Fab Lab, he or she should start and execute a project, no matter whether the idea is perfect or not. He also says that members shouldn’t be intimidated by the equipment. “Or, just come by the lab on a Saturday afternoon and see what everyone is making,” he says. “In one corner, people may be working on a quad-copter while someone else is making stickers on the vinyl cutter.”
Fab Lab Tulsa equipment includes a ShopBot CNC router, an Epilog Laser Cutter, a Roland Mini-Mill, a Roland Vinyl Cutter, an electronics workstation, two MakerBot 3-D printers and a commercial-quality Object Eden 3-D printer. The lab provides basic
materials, but advises members to bring their own things for larger projects. “Becoming a maker is really pretty easy,” Pritchett says. “You just need to come in and get started.” MEGAN MORGAN
Fab Lab caters to everyone from creative professionals to hobbyists.
THE REAL DEAL
The most coveted machine available to members of Fab Lab is the 3-D printer. The 3-D printer operates very similarly to the way an ink jet printer operates, but instead of ink, it prints liquid plastic. 3-D printing uses an additive process, where multiple layers of parts are laid down in different shapes. As a result, with a 3-D printer, a person can make anything from kitchen utensils to small engine parts. The public access to such machinery signifies the transition from the digital revolution to a revolution of digital fabrication. The hope is that fab labs would continue to spread throughout the world, and become even more accessible. While this is certainly a lofty goal, the essence of fab labs validates this goal. Never limit what the imagination can create. – Nathan Porter MAY 2013 | WWW.OKMAG.COM
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