Silver Bullet in a classroom?

[sbarclay]

I am responsible for setting up a new middle school course in design for next September. I was looking longingly at laser cutters, knowing that we could never make that sort of investment. Luckily, I happened to find cutting machines instead. The Silver Bullet looks like an excellent option - it appears to be top-of-the line, but has the price tag to match. Because I am in Canada, I will have to pay duty and the exchange rate is not on my side right now In the end, it will likely be double the price for me.

However, I am still considering this... I teach at an all-boys school with one-to-one laptops and the opportunity this brings to integrate the computer technology with fabrication is so exciting.

Has anyone used this in a classroom environment? How do you manage it... do you let your students manage it? How often do you have to replace blades and/or mats? Please describe your experiences and convince me.

Thanks for your help!

[Gigi]

Hi Sarah -

I know I just emailed you but wanted to answer your basic questions. As far as replacing blades and mats, that is all based on how much you use the blade, what you are cutting and how cautious you and others are with the blades. It is not unusual for new users (we have all been there!) to nick a blade on the edge of a mat for instance - or cut too deeply into the mat which hurts both the blade and the mat. Those mistakes you only make once and it is all part of the learning process! With normal use and normal cutting media the blade can last for months. And the mats last a VERY long time as long as you watch your force and do not cut into the mat. Regular cleaning of the mats (super easy to do) reactivates the adhesive, and when the mat is no longer sticky, you can apply the ReNu adhesive and it feels like a fresh mat. I have known many users who, once the primary side of the mat is used and "old", they cover that side, apply adhesive to the other side, and have a brand new mat! There are ways to extend the life of the mats and the blades and it is mainly about taking good care of both.

I don't know what age boys you have in the classroom, but that would certainly determine if you want them to use the machine or not. There are lots of things they probably could do - like set up the software with a design, brayer the material onto the mat, and you could supervise. I will let others address that. I do not know of anyone who actually is using it in a classroom. I do know we have a LOT of teachers and schools with this machine, but not sure if they are in a classroom setting or in more of a "work room" setting.

I hope you get the answers you need to help you make the decision that is right for you. Good luck!

[MeFlick]

Welcome Sarah to the Forum. Like Gigi, I don't know of anyone who has a cutter in the classroom that the kids are given access to. As Gigi noted, the first question is what age group of boys are you working with. The older, the better BUT we are also talking about boys - I have one of those - so I know how "groups" of boys can be. LOL Certainly the boys can be taught the proper use of the machine and the accessories but I would venture to say that even then, accidents happen and you would get more "wear and tear" in that environment especially with the blades and the mats.

If you really want to get one and give it a try - I would suggest that perhaps you might find one in the Items for Sale section of the forum. I just looked at I see at least one "deal" on a 24" SB. There are others probably listed there as well but I didn't look through to see what. You could work out the shipping if the seller is willing to work with you. You can find that forum here: viewforum.php?f=32

[sbarclay]

Thanks to those that have already replied. The boys range from 11-13 years old. I find the younger they are, the more responsible As part of the course, they will be taught proper usage of a variety of tools - hammers, drills, scroll saw etc. This is one more piece of equipment they would have to use properly. Since they would all be using the same material at the same time, I would be able to set any required settings ahead of time, but I know there will be unusually high wear and tear from this age group.