Flexible Fabrication

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...

Workshop Addition

We have just built a 750 square foot workshop addition: Workshop Addition from Open Source Ecology on Vimeo. Rosa from Los Angeles is an early adopter who invested in our Tractor-Soil Pulverizer-Compressed Eearth Brick (CEB) Press package – to start...

Open Source 150 Ton Hole Puncher

Our infrastructure for flexible fabrication along the lines of the Open Source Fab Lab, RepLab, is evolving nicely. We reported recently on Prototype I the heavy duty, open source, drill press, and here we are reporting on Prototype I deployment of our...

Fabrication Ergonomics Continued

Here we continue to document the fabrication ergonomics from where we left off on the Compressed Eearth Brick (CEB) press. Transfer punch and drill holes for frame – 3 hours. Mount the arms – 1.5 hours. Build soil-loading drawer – 3...

Fabrication Ergonomics

We’re now in production of the open source, Compressed Earth Block (CEB) press. Here we document the fabrication ergonomics for the first steps in the build. This is for those of you considering replication. It took 11.5 hours to cut the steel for...

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...

Open Source Torch Table

Lawrence has finalized the open source torch table design, after 11 days at Factor e Farm. Today, we are preparing the workshop space and he’s putting together the frame. Our goal is to complete the prototype in the stated 30 day period. The design...

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...

CEB Proposal – Community Supported Manufacturing

We have released v0.1 of the OSE CEB Proposal, which is a summary of our product release plan for the CEB press. This helps put the entire CEB project in perspective to supporters. The abstract reads: Herein we provide a short overview of the Open Source...