by Sam Kapral

Every year, I struggle to find the perfect gifts for my loved ones, regardless of the occasion. Some people can be incredibly hard to shop for! Fortunately, we are art students, and there is a creative solution within your reach. If you’re in need of a gift for someone that’s unique and has a personal touch, look no further than RMCAD’s very own FabLab.

The FabLab - or Fabrication Laboratory, if you want to sound fancy - is a place where students and alumni of all majors can converge to make some pretty awesome things. The FabLab offers a variety of cutting edge technology capable of bringing your dream projects to life!

The FabLab is located on campus on the second floor of Texas, in room 207. Anyone is welcome to walk in during open hours to look around and ask questions. Please keep in mind that you must consult the FabLab employees before beginning a project, as several of the machines can only be operated by them.

THE VINYL CUTTER

The vinyl cutter is a neat machine that uses a blade to rapidly makes cuts into sheets of vinyl. A vector-based design is required in order to create shapes or letters on the surface of the vinyl. The vinyl sheets function very similarly to stickers, as the shapes cut into the vinyl can be removed and adhered to a variety of surfaces, such as plastic, metal, glass, walls, etc.

THE LASER CUTTER
The laser cutter uses a strong laser to make clean, precise cuts through a material, and can also be used to create detailed engravings. Only certain approved materials may be used in the laser cutter, as some materials are inherently more flammable than others. Always double check that your desired material is compatible before using the laser cutter!

The laser cutter in action. Thanks to student Sean Barragan for letting me photograph his work in progress!

THE VACUUM FORMER

Commonly referred to simply as the vacuform, you may want to bring earplugs if you plan on using this machine - it gets pretty loud! The vacuform functions by taking a sheet of plastic and heating it to the point where it is flexible enough to create a mold, and then forces that sheet of plastic overtop of an object of your choice. This is a great option if you need to create molds of something fast.

This mold of Majora’s Mask was created by first 3D printing each half of the mask using plastic filament, and then using the whole mask as the object that the vacuform molded the sheet of plastic to.

3D PRINTING

This is my personal favorite tool in the FabLab’s arsenal. 3D printers allow you to print digital models of anything you can find online, or sculpt yourself if you’re familiar with software like Maya and Zbrush. 3D printers work by building up your design layer by layer starting from the base, similar to how a 2D image is printed on a paper printer. The type of plastic used for the print is superheated as it is fed into the printer, and extruded through a small nozzle that moves back and forth to build up the print.

Anything you want to print must be submitted as an STL file along with the desired dimensions in an email to either Ian Southwell or Cooper Owen (their contact information is provided at the end of this post). After receiving your email and calculating the volume of your print, you will be sent a link to fill out a simple google form that is then sent to the Spectrum Store (located on the second floor of Texas in the student lounge), where you can ask the employee there to forward that form to the FabLab employees for documentation. Then they can begin printing your project!

Those little spikes holding the print in the air are called supports, and they serve as a sort of scaffolding that can later be removed and sanded down.

There are two kinds of prints you can make in the FabLab: filament prints, and resin prints. Filament prints are available in a variety of colors, and are 100% free. That’s right, free. The only downside to these prints is that they cannot capture extreme details due to the nature of the material, but they work best if your print does not have microscopic details, or if you want to create an inexpensive prototype.

These little filament bees were printed by RMCAD staff member Tya Anthony!

Your other option is to print your model using resin. I find that resin prints make great gifts for friends and family. Acrylic paint adheres well to these prints if you want to add a further personal touch. While these prints are not free, they are capable of capturing a much higher level of detail than the filament prints can. The price of these prints are calculated by the volume of your print, so if you plan to print something rather large, it may be beneficial to hollow out your model in order to save time, material, and money. If you choose to hollow out your model, be sure to leave a hole so that any resin trapped within the hollow part of your model can flow out. Remember, you must pay for your resin print at Spectrum before it can begin printing!

On the left, an example of a resin print by RMCAD professor and lord of the FabLab, Ian Southwell. On the right, a couple of things I modeled, printed, and painted as gifts for friends.

You don’t have to be fretting over finding a gift for someone in order to use the FabLab. You can use the FabLab for class, or for personal projects, too. Or maybe just try something new simply because you can! The FabLab is a wonderful resource available to all students, so be sure to take advantage of it!

In addition to providing access to all these marvels of technology, the FabLab hosts a large format printer as well as a laminator available for student use. The FabLab also frequently holds workshops throughout each term involving demonstrations of these machines, as well as interactive workshops involving activities such as glass etching. The schedule of workshops for each term can be found on the door of the FabLab.

The FabLab’s hours may change as we move into the Spring semester, but the hours will always be posted on the door of the FabLab. For this last week of the term, the hours are as follows:

Monday, 12pm - 4pm

Tuesday, 9am to 1:30pm

Wednesday, 12pm - 4pm

Thursday, 9am - 1:30pm

Friday, 12pm - 4pm

For further questions, feel free to contact:

Ian Southwell, isouthwell@rmcad.edu
Cooper Owen, cowen@rmcad.edu
Jaime Carrejo, jcarrejo@rmcad.edu

For more detailed information about each of these services and technical documentation, please refer to the FabLab LibGuide: https://rmcad.libguides.com/fablab

Over the years I have become more and more of a plant enthusiast. It all started when I was around 10 years old; I bought my first prickly cactus at Home Depot and took it home. I was unsure of how to take care of a plant. I knew plants needed water and sunlight, but I didn’t know just how much joy they would bring me in return. Plants don’t talk, they don’t even really move all that much, and yet I seem to feel a certain energy from each plant I encounter. It’s almost as if they have their own personality or spirit. They also make great listeners, and although I don’t currently have any herbal varieties, plants can heal many ailments and they can provide us with sustenance. Plants are amazing. Since taking home and caring for that cactus, my love for plants has grown to a near obsession. I picture myself in a home resembling a thick, overgrown jungle the older I get. I hope one day I have more plants than I can count. For now, I have only 12 plants, 7 of which I will introduce you to now. Each of these plants has its own, shape, color, needs, and personality. I've illustrated images of three of them as a way to practice Procreate on my new Ipad!

Sheldon

Oxalis Triangularis | False Shamrock

Meet Sheldon. Sheldon is an Oxalis Triangularis. Otherwise known as a false shamrock. He has green leaves with purple undersides. He is the oldest plant on this list. I received him as a gift from my mom on Saint Patrick's Day because I was always admiring her shamrock plants. Sheldon is one of my favorite plants. I do play favorites. I like him because he is quite the drama queen. When he needs water he’ll be sure to let you know by slumping down in his pot and looking pitiful and depressed. Of course, you’ll think he’s dying but once you give him what he requests he’ll drink it up and become perky within a matter of minutes. He resides on his very own glass shelf above the kitchen sink. He enjoys the extra bit of humidity and the direct sunlight in the mornings. He does not like it when you turn on the overhead light and will immediately let you know by slumping down in his seat. When he’s happy he’s the most delightful of all the plants in the house and will express his joy throughout the year with dainty white flowers that look like trumpet bells. 

Lilla

Aglaonema ‘Silver Bay’ | Chinese Evergreen

Lilla is the second plant I received as a gift. Lilla is relaxed and easy to please. When I first got her, however, she was not well and had many yellow spots all over her leaves. Since then, I have helped her recover and grow new, healthy leaves. She’s been moved around often but I have found that she enjoys being in my bedroom the most since it gets bright, diffused sunlight all day. Although she would appreciate much more humidity, she doesn’t complain as long as she gets water on a schedule. She sprouts a new leaf nearly every month. I love watching the baby leaves unravel and expand over the course of just a few days. I’ve seen older Chinese Evergreens produce large flowers and I’m hoping I get to see her bloom one day! 

Eros

Anthurium andraeanum | White Anthurium

Eros is my handsome cupid plant. He received his name, inspired by the Greek god of love, due to his large, waxy, heart-shaped leaves. He is another one of my favorite plants because of his leaves and the strange, waxy white flowers that were in bloom when I got him. Eros was recently relocated to my bedroom and has since shown his appreciation of all the sunlight by producing several new leaves. Eros is a calm, slow-growing plant. He does not like to be over watered but loves the humidity from my diffuser. His leaves are so large and flat that I have to dust them from time to time. 

Luna

Saintpaulia | African Violet

Luna is an African Violet and was a housewarming gift from my grandmother. Luna is a beautiful plant because her velvety leaves and purple flowers sparkle and glow silver in the sunlight, much like the moon- the inspiration behind her name. I haven’t researched much about this plant yet, but I do know that she thrives in bright, indirect sunlight and is similar to a succulent because she does not like too much water. Luna has a deep blue, self-watering pot. So, rather than pouring water directly on her soil, I put just a few inches of water into the base of the outer pot. The inner pot, which is made out of Terra cotta, is great for succulents because it absorbs the surrounding water easily and releases the moisture into the soil when it’s dry. It’s an amazing way to water plants because it ensures they won’t get over watered or under watered.

Stella

Calathea Makoyana | Peacock Plant

Stella is one of the most alluring plants I have ever owned. I spotted her at my favorite boutique and I was immediately compelled to bring her home. This was a risky decision because I had no clue what she needed to be happy. After bringing her home I researched everything about her. It turns out that she is one of the most challenging plants to take care of. She does not like a lot of sunlight because she is a jungle floor native where there is very little sunlight and lots of humidity. Now she’s living in Colorado, one of the driest and sunniest places in the world. However, I’m thinking she will do quite well in my bathroom where she can enjoy daily steamy showers and very little sunlight. Stella is a bit of a princess because she also requires distilled water or fresh rainwater. She is already turning brown in some areas because I’ve watered her from the sink. Stella is often called a prayer plant or a peacock plant due to the fact that she will raise her leaves at night and lower them during the day, much like a peacock’s feathers. There are countless videos on YouTube showing time-lapses of Calatheas dancing and moving with the light. 

Faust

Ficus Lyrata | Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree

Faust. What a poor, dreadful soul. Faust is a finicky fiddle leaf who does not know what he wants… or perhaps he does, but he certainly has no plans for telling anyone any time soon. Faust has been doing a little better over the last few weeks, though. Before that, I was sure he was on his way to a sudden and dramatic death. He lost several of his large, pear-shaped leaves quite rapidly during the first few months of being in my care. Each of the leaves turned black at the tips before getting crispy and falling off. I watched thousands of YouTube videos seeking tips and I could not figure out whether he was under watered or over watered. I transferred him to a new pot TWICE. I’m sure this stressed him even more, but I had to because the first time his roots were growing out of the bottom of the pot and the second time the top of his roots weren’t fully submerged. If roots are exposed to a lot of air for too long the plant can die. My aunt Michelle, who has a very green thumb, recently told me that I was over-watering him. So, now I water him half as much and presently he no longer appears to be dying. Although, he still does not appear to be flourishing either. Just the other week he lost another leaf. When that happens it is like a small creature tumbling to the floor. It frightens me and startles the cat. Faust is dramatic and unhappy. I have always wanted a fiddle leaf fig tree, but now I am wondering why. Hopefully, patience and persistence will be enough to save him.

Izzy

Epipremnum aureum ‘neon’ | Devil’s Ivy/Pothos

Izzy is a happy little devil. I always thought there was a sinister reason for Pothos receiving the name Devil’s Ivy but it turns out they’re called that because they’re impossible to kill. Pothos are one of the most popular house and office plants because they are very easy to take care of and add a beautiful pop of green with long, trailing vines. There are countless varieties of Pothos, some have stripes, some have spots (also known as variegation), some are solid and dark green. I’ve only had Izzy for a few months and so far she seems to be satisfied with life. It is for that reason I’ve placed her next to Faust in my living room. I’m hoping she can cheer him up. She is bright enough to lead a mole through the darkness.