FUSE – The CNM Chronicle

Story and photos by Nasia Jones

Staff Reporter

The FUSE Makerspace is now open to CNM students looking to step foot into becoming entrepreneurs for the discounted price of $50 a month said, Operations tech, Juan Delgado.

This Makerspace is specifically designed so you can come start up your own business and be provided with resources you may be lacking, said Delgado.

It’s providing equipment to people that really don’t have access to it without having to take a full 16-week course to be able to utilize it, he said.

You can use the equipment here, create some income in-order to get out there, and buy your own equipment to continue running your business, said Delgado

We have different types of equipment such as woodworking equipment, metalworking equipment, screen printing, and 3D printing, he said.

There’s a big difference between CNM equipment and our equipment, CNM equipment can be utilized for educational purposes only, he said.

You can come and utilize our space, take some classes, get certified in the equipment, and then use our equipment for your purposes during any of our business hours, Delgado said.

One thing we are trying to expand on becoming is a Fabrication laboratory, you can become a fab lab by having certain pieces of equipment in order to be considered and we are in the process of getting these pieces of equipment, he said.

We offer discounts to CNM students, general memberships start at $70 a month, but with a current school schedule present it is $50 a month, he said.

We also have a Business membership that allows 24-hour access of the building, he said.

We have been around for about 2 1/2 years previously located on Main campus in the TC building, Delgado said.

We currently have a 16-week jewelry making CNM course that is held here at the makerspace, he said.

Anybody can come utilize this space, we are more than happy to give a tour to anyone that walks in, said Delgado.

HAAS VF-0 CNC MILL

Webb 3 HP Manual Mill located at the FUSE Makerspace.

Radial Arm saw available for students to use at the FUSE Makerspace.

3D printed ring positive designed to be used in making jewelry molds.

Marty Bonacci adjusts a router for finishing the guitar bodies he manufactures at Makerspace.

Wooden guitar body made by Marty Bonacci at CNM Makerspace.

A quadcopter drone built in the Makerspace lab by student employee Odaro Ehiman.

Photos and story by Wade Faast

Staff Reporter

Open to CNM Students and the public through membership, Makerspace offers advanced equipment and training for inventors and hobbyist who could not otherwise afford the tools necessary, CNM instructor James Berry said.

Students and members are currently working on a wide range of projects including skateboards, snowboards, guitars, signs, guitar amps, and drone quadcopters, he said.

The Makerspace offers most of the tools needed for modern fabrication including a CNC mill, CNC plasma cutter, laser cutter, 3D printers and more, he said.

Part of the program focus is Made in America, Berry said.

Member and instructor Marty Bonacci makes custom snowboards and wooded guitar bodies that are sold to enthusiasts looking to build their own guitars, Bonacci said.

Bonacci used to manufacture large quantities for major snowboard companies, unfortunately he could not compete with Chinese companies on price, he said.

Now Bonacci makes custom one of a kind snowboards using the tools at makerspace, these single order custom snowboards are something that Chinese manufacturers can not do, he said.

CNM Student Employee Odaro Ehiman, is currently working on a quadcopter drone for personal use, he said.

Using CNC water jet cutter for the aluminum chassis, laser cutter for the wooden arms and soldering tools for electronic connections Ehiman has built a working drone at a fraction of the cost, he said.

Ehiman is a second year Radiologic Technology major, as such is routinely exposed to x-rays and other radiation, personal dosimeters and exposure indicators can be very expensive costing between $300-1400 a piece, he said.

For less than $5 in parts and the tools available at Makerspace he was able to build a small battery powered x-ray exposure indicator that flashes when exposed to x-rays, Ehiman said.

CNM’s makerspace opened in the fall of 2015 with a $100,000 grant from Intel and an additional $40,000 in grants from other sources, James Berry said.

Monthly membership fees are $75 for the general public or $50 for CNM students, he said.

To use the equipment in Makerspace members must attend workshops hosted by Makerspace that teach members how to safely use the equipment he said.

CNM students enrolled in Rapid Prototyping classes will have more in-depth instruction on how to operate the equipment and create using the tools available, Berry said.

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FUSE Makerspace

CNM Makerspace offers opportunity to inventors and entrepreneurs.