Digital Fabrication

Open Source Tractor Prototype III

Sparks are flying in the workshop, and the Torch Table is ready for computer-aided manufacturing (CAM). Will is producing CAD and CAM files for the Tractor, from across the ocean, so we can cut tractor parts automatically:

CEB Machine Controller: Fabrication Recursion

We have built the complete automatic controller for The Liberator Open Source Compressed Earth Brick (CEB) press a year ago, and have demonsttrated up to 16 brick per minute brick pressing rates. Now we move on to technological recursion of the open source...

Going Digital: CAM Files for the Open Source Tractor

Last year, we didn’t use any automation in our fabrication procedures. For example, check out the LifeTrac II build. We’re moving to digital fabrication this year. Our work this year will be a test case for optimizing production – to...

Homebrew Industrial Revolution, Political Ponerology, and Kymatica

Kevin Carson, Research Asociate at the Center for a Stateless Society, just published a book called The Homebrew Industrial Revolution: A Low Overhead Manifesto. This is a progressive review of industrial history, culminating in the present option of...

RepTab – Open Source Torch Table in MAKE Zine

RepTab, our open source torch table – was featured in the January edition of MAKE Zine. Read the full article online at MAKE. You can follow the history of this development in former blog posts. Read more about RepLab – the Open Source Fab...

Lawrence of Factor e Farm

Meet Lawrence. Lawrence arrived two days ago, and is collaborating as our first Dedicated Project Visitor. He is here developing a Replicable, Low Cost, High Performance, Open Source, Multipurpose, CNC XYZ Table based on our previous work. We are making...

Torch Table: Day 1

As we go about finishing the CEB workshop addition, we are setting up our open source torch table development in the greenhouse. It’s been a long time since we started this development – but building the open source tractor and other details...

Populating the CEB Addition

We have moved a 1600 pound battery bank and a 500 pound stove into the workshop addition: Now, how about some walls and a roof? Please contribute – we are short on the building materials, and the month is coming to an end:By the way, our blog views...

Factor e Live – Episode 9 – Rototiller, More Solar Panels, Biodiesel Reactor + Crowdsource Funding

Here is the continuing saga with the open source tractor. We built a quick attach plate for rapid interchanging of implements. We built an open source rototiller as the first such implement. Now we can switch readily between the tiller and loader bucket...

Rapid Prototyping for Industrial Swadeshi

There is a significant set of open source technologies available for rapid prototyping in small workshops. By combining 3D printing with low-cost metal casting, and following with machining using a computer controlled Multimachine, the capacity arises...