Tinker Lab

Tinker Lab header showing lab with equipment

Tinker Lab Activities

3D Printing

Print your 3D design on our 3D printers ($0.07 per gram for PLA, PETG or ABS plastic filament). Not sure what to 3D print? Find designs to print at Thingiverse.com (we prefer .STL files). 3D printing is available on a first-come, first serve basis, and the time to print varies by object. We can give you a fairly accurate estimate of how long an object will take to print and how much plastic it will use before you print.

Laser Engraving

Use our Epilog Zing 30-watt laser engraver to cut or engrave your design or photo on wood, cork, paper, mat board, granite, acrylic, anodized aluminum, cotton, denim, twill, fleece, glass, or vegetable-tanned leather. The laser engraver can be used for $0.05 per minute (bring your own materials to engrave). Results vary depending on material and engraving/cutting settings. When engraving on a new material, we encourage testing on a small area before engraving your full object.

Cricut & Klic-N-Kut

Use our Cricut or KLIC-N-KUT machines to cut out your designs on vinyl, paper, or cardstock. Use our machine for free. We charge a small fee for materials (it’s free if you bring your own materials to cut).

Littlebits

Learn about electronics with our littleBits sets of easy-to-use, color-coded, magnetic, electronic building blocks that empower you to create inventions, large and small. Ages 8 to ∞. Price: Free.

Perler Beads

Arrange colorful Perler beads on plastic pegboards to form patterns, then fuse them together with an iron ($0.50 per large pegboard; $0.25 per small pegboard).

Dash and Cue Robots

Dash and Cue are intelligent robots that provide hours of creative play and educational opportunities. Dash is designed to grow with your child, with everything from remote control and ball launching to obstacle courses and block-based programming challenges. Ages 6+. Price: Free.

Raspberry Pi and Arduino

Explore the internet of things, computing, programming, and microcontrollers by building projects with our Raspberry Pi and Arduino kits. Price: Free.

Shaper Origin

Shaper Origin is an easy-to-use handheld CNC that combines computer-guided accuracy with hand-held familiarity. Cut with precision, flexibility and efficiency. Origin locates itself in a workspace using shaper tape and makes continuous real-time adjustments to keep your cuts following your uploaded design file.

Inventables X-Carve

CNC carve your designs out of wood, plastic, or aluminum using our X-Carve CNC machine. Inventables’ Easel software makes it simple to design a project from scratch, or to import an existing sketch or file.

Tinker Lab Information

From 3D printers and laser engravers to CNC machines and STEM supplies, we have a wide variety of tools and equipment available to provide a rich learning environment and enable you to make your ideas come to life.

  • Epilog Laser 30-Watt Zing Laser Engraver (with rotary attachment)
  • Full Spectrum Laser 40-Watt Muse 2D Vision Desktop Laser Cutter
  • Creality Ender 3 Pro 3D Printer (single extruder)
  • Makerbot Replicator 2 3D Printer (single extruder)
  • Lulzbot TAZ-5 3D Printer (dual extruder)
  • FlashForge Creator Pro 3D Printer (dual extruder)
  • FlashForge Inventor 3D Printer (dual extruder)
  • da Vinci 3D Pen
  • Cricut Explore
  • Klic-N-Kut Force
  • Sewing Machines (Brother and Singer)
  • Brother SE-400 Embroidery Machine
  • X-Carve
  • Shaper Origin
  • Soldering Stations with fume extractors (4)
  • Cue Robot and Dash Robot with Launcher
  • Button Maker (1.25-inch and 2-inch)
  • Laminator (laminates up to 8.5×11 inch sheets)
  • little Bits
  • Raspberry Pi 4 Model B kits
  • Arduino UNO R3 kits
  • Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a responsible caregiver.
  • Certification is required to use certain equipment independently. Speak with the Makerspace staff if you are interested in learning to use any of the equipment.
  • Please ask before touching any equipment unless you have previously been certified to use it.
  • Clean up your work area when you are finished.
  • Report any broken equipment to the Makerspace staff.
  • Equipment MAY NOT be used to make weapons or weapon-related objects (real or fake) or objects deemed inappropriate by the Makerspace staff.
  • The Makerspace staff reserves the right to deny use of equipment if it is being used in a dangerous, abusive, or inappropriate manner.
  • Anyone acting in a threatening or disruptive manner may be asked to leave the Tinker Lab/Library.
  • All CCLD Code of Conduct Guidelines apply to the Tinker Lab.