Members

Aug 14 2018

FUSE Makerspace Instructor: Steve Lee

Steve Lee has been a Fuse Makerspace member for the past 2 years, since when he was brought on as an instructor for screen printing. He owns, Thin King Press, a custom graphics and screen printing company he run since 1989. The company name references the brain behind all the production and showcases a wonderful play on words. Before joining as an instructor, Steve managed his storefront and production on Central Ave. His production has since moved into the Fuse Makerspace and not having to manage a storefront has created more time to explore his creative endeavors.
Steve’s desk is set up next to the laser cutter behind the screen printing area, where he showcases a varity of different works he’s prouduce. It is a display of various mediums: posters, stickers, skateboards, and magnets to name a few items. He stated,” being here has allowed me to diversify the things that I make. There is a certain satisfaction in the brain when making things”
Throughout his entire life Steve has been surrounded by art and makers, which has led to his path to being one. He has been drawing since he was a child, photographing since the 1970s, and screen printing for over 30 years. Now in the makerspace he has been able to add to the knowledge with the tools and equipment he uses within the space.
At Fuse Makerspace he was able to build a custom guitar with a beautifully etched plasma cut fretboard and it is sounds incredibly serene. He was able to consult Matt Barbato, another member and employee, when creating his electric guitar. “The community of Fuse is the best part of it. These guys are all super cool. There’s things I get from picking their brain.” -Steve said.
Steve said, “ I don’t relate my practices to each other but they just do. If your files aren’t set up right then they just aren’t going to look good.” Here he references his use of photoshop to both create within and bring over the art from print to a digital file. This skill he has been able to share with multiple people through the pre-pressed graphics course he teaches.
Billy the Squid, the outlaw, is a character that Steve has developed; like most of his work it started as a drawing that has been converted and iterated through various mediums. The laser cutter has been the machine of choice for Steve where he’s made things from fridge magnets to custom etched skateboards. He has also created magic boxes with etched designs and business cards, all have the aesthetic of Steve Lee.
You can find out more about Steve Lee, his creations, and his business on https://thinkingpress.bigcartel.com/ or by following him @thinkingpress and @l.ter3go on Instagram.

Jul 23 2018

Featured Member: Michael McDonald

Meet Michael McDonald, he has been using the Shopbot to create custom Japanese style shoji sliding doors. You can see the project coming together more and more with each time he comes in. He first heard about FUSE at 1 Million Cups. He had previously become familiar with the concept of Makerspaces after hearing about one up in Santa Fe. Upon learning that there was one closer to home and that we had a CNC router he decided to check us out. For Michael his work is mostly a hobby which he uses to build design elements for his home. He recently retired working for Sandia where he worked in several departments manufacturing, robotics, and cyber security. Michael is trying to recapture that same spirit of design development learned at Sandia through the items he makes at FUSE. “Making things is fun. If you’re making something interesting.” He sees one of the benefits of FUSE to be the people as well as the low cost of entry. He cites that buying his own CNC router and a place to store it is way past the price of membership. Also, if the machine broke “I would be responsible to fix it.” Luckily FUSE has a Marty”. Outside of FUSE Michael enjoys salsa dancing, is an officiant at his church and attends the previously mentioned 1 Million Cups meetings. After he is finished with his shoji doors he will be moving on to create a desk and cabinet of his own design. Next time you see him at FUSE say hi.

Jul 10 2018

Rutgers Rocket Propulsion Lab at FUSE

Alex Sanducu, Zack Clark, and Michael Mahoney from Rutgers University, Rutgers Rocket Propulsion Lab were on their way to Spaceport America Cup, an annual event called Intercollegiate Rocketry Engineering Competition, when they landed at FUSE Makerspace. All three have found makerspaces instrumental in making rocketry within their grasp. Michael stated that makerspaces reduce the barrier of entrance for amature rocketry. Places like FUSE allow people to access tools that they could not otherwise afford on their own. The team had been working on their rocket for months that they launched on June 22 at the IREC competition at Spaceport America. Their entire project is student designed and fabricated and they planned for the rocket to reach 10,000 ft and hit Mock 1.07. All electronics, 3-D printing, CNC routing, and laser etching were used to create the rocket. They also worked with industry grade materials from a fiberglass manufacture in Colorado Spring, CO to fabricate body structure of the rocket. On June 19th at FUSE Makerspace the team fabricated the bulk heads. They were unable to be obtained the parts needed at their local makerspace due to calibration of machine and time allotted before they had to hit the road to the competition. Driving across country Alex started researching makerspaces along the road. They found the FUSE website when they were passing through Missouri and decide this was the most comprehensive makerspace the fit their needs. It was a bonus that FUSE was not far from their final competition destination. The team decide to spend the day in Albuquerque to make the final adjustments to the rocket before launch. Marty Bonacci, FUSE Program Manager, was the first person the guys met as they walked in the door. He gave them a tour of the space and asked them what their interest was in making. Within 15 minutes Marty had the guys signed up for memberships and testing out on the ShopBot to make the improvements on their rocket. By coming to FUSE the team was able to make their rocket with the right materials, right tools, and the right way for research purposes. The Rutgers Rocket Propulsion Lab team ended up winning the Sprite award for their enthusiasm and ingenuity towards reaching their goal of launching their rocket at Spaceport America.

Jun 26 2018

Featured Member: Steve Hall, Beekeeper

Steve Hall has been raising bees for three years. He began working at FUSE when we were still located at CNM’s main campus. He’s made several different types of hives in a variety of colors to attract the bees which go beyond just the ones at his home. He has established a system of others hosting hives in exchange for honey at the end of the season. The fact that the bees are raised in Albuquerque gives their honey a unique flavor. “You can taste the juniper” Steve says. A flavor Steve describes as piney, proving there is more than one way to experience Albuquerque. He is also trying to rear queen bees here in New Mexico as opposed to having to get them from California. Currently Steve is not looking to start a business around the hives, although that is not out of the question in the future. He describes what he does as an “advanced hobby” Steve says he’s been a maker, building and creating, since he was a kid. At one point He was involved with building Earthships up in Taos. He helped build other Earthships and one day he traded fixing a truck for a piece of property of his own. He created the drawings, got his plans certified, and lived out of an Airstream trailer while he built his own Earthship. “It’s nice being a part of a community” referring to the local maker community. He doesn’t describe himself as extraverted but says it’s nice to have human contact rather than being stuck alone in your garage. Next time you see Steve ask him what all the buzz is about. Outside FUSE Steve enjoys salsa dancing.

Sep 25 2017

Featured Member: Matt, Rt 66 Guitar Works

Makerspace Classes He Teaches: 3D printing, Laser etching, Vinyl Cutting
Matt moved to Albuquerque in August of 2014 in order to return to school, and ended up getting a job at the CNM STEMulus Center as a student employee, which also housed the beginnings of the FUSE Makerspace.
Matt was living in New York and decided it was time to go back to school. He researched many cities and schools to find an affordable place to live while pursuing has education and found Albuquerque and Central New Mexico Community College (CNM). He was involved in FUSE Makerspace since it grew from a few 3D printers at the STEMulus Center, to the workshop at CNM’s Main Campus, and now at its new location at Innovate ABQ.
“As the space grew I began to recognize equipment I had seen in tours of guitar factories. Guitars have always been my passion and since I was a teenager; I was the one doing repairs and modifications on them for other local musicians. Now I had the opportunity to make my own guitars, amps, effects, etc.”
Matt began collaborating with other members of FUSE, particularly those who knew more about CAD, to start Route 66 Guitar Works, and soon found that other people wanted to make their own guitars as well.
“Our first big seller was a series of guitar templates which allowed anyone to make their own guitar with tools the likely had in their garage.”
They’ve also made vintage inspired guitars that are modular and can easily be customized with modern electronics, neck shape and a variety of preferences. They’ve also made vacuum tube amplifiers at a price point less than other builders and are very durable to stand up to the demands of working musicians.
“I am currently working on a series of fuzz pedals, a classic guitar effect that can be heard on thousands of recordings, that use new old stock parts in order to get the most accurate to original sound with the benefits of modern construction.”
Matt co-owns this business with a few other local makers.

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