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OPERATING HOURS
Fall 2024 Hours
Sandbox Hours
Sandbox will be open during finals but may have modified walk-in hours. Please check here for updated hours.
| day: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| hours: | 4pm-7pm | 3pm-7pm | 4pm-7pm | 3pm-7pm | 4pm-7pm | Closed | Closed |
We are also open by reservation for researchers, graduate students, and others working on long-term projects.
Contact Gordon Crago for reservations. If you need emergency access to Sandbox, please contact the UMIACS Help Desk (updated 24 August 2024)
Sandbox: The Jagdeep Singh Family Makerspace
Getting Started
If Sandbox is new to you, it's natural to have questions about how things work here. For a quick overview, check out our page Getting Started at Sandbox
Tools
Sandbox provides free access to a wide range of tools and equipment for making things: wood working, crafting, electronics, sewing, laser cutting, 3D printing, and prototyping. The full list of tools is under construction but for now, check back often. You'll find our list of tools on the left side navigation menu.
Training
We encourage you to use all of the tools in Sandbox, but most tools require you to complete a short, self-directed safety and usage training class. These classes are hosted on ELMS / Canvas, UMD's Learning Management System.
- You can self-enroll in this Canvas course here Once this page opens in Canvas, click on the button labelled Enroll in Course
- The home page for our Canvas course is: https://umd.instructure.com/courses/1274047
Once you've completed the training module for a particular tool, you can complete your learning by working on projects to hone and improve your skills. Our volunteer managers are available to give you advice.
The ELMS/Canvas training modules provide a foundation for you to learn more about and master the use of a particular tool. This wiki prides additional tips and tricks to improve your knowledge of many of our tools. These are linked from that tools wiki page.
Suggested List of other Online How-To Videos
There are a seemingly endless number of web videos and how-to instructions available online that show how to use different maker tools. Some of these can be very good, others are incorrect and can be outright dangerous. None of these videos are a substitute for completing the ELMS training but they can be helpful after you've done the required training.
We've begun a new section of pages on this wiki where we provide an annotated list of online training material. This list will include software training from LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com) since all UMD students and faculty receive free access to LinkedIn Learning.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
- Sandbox works with TerrapinWorks and UMD's Department of Environmental Safety, Sustainability & Risk (ESSR) to provide training and standardized operating procedures for tool and equipment usage and to ensure a safe lab environment in our maker space. It is important that all makers using Sandbox take and understand the training, follow all SOPs, and adapt their work to ensure compliance when any new SOPs are released.
Studios
Sandbox has several individual work studios dedicated to specific types of making. These are:
| Electronics Studio | Digital Media Studio | Woodworking Studio | Crafting & Sewing Studio |
| CNC Studio | Prototyping Studio | Project Studio | Other Facilities |
Management
Sandbox is largely managed by student volunteers. See our Management Page to learn more
Supplies
Sandbox is fully committed to providing open access to maker technologies and training. As part of this commitment we not only provide training at no charge but also supply the materials you will use while learning to use a tool.
As you learn more and expand your skills you will want to take on more complex projects and probably become interested in using more exotic materials. To help you find these materials we've provided a listing of local and online suppliers. Please note that we are not able to sell materials directly to students at this time.
About
Sandbox is …
- a free resource for everyone on campus, including students, staff, and faculty from all departments and disciplines.
- a space where you can use and master a wide range of tools from hammers to laser cutters.
- a welcoming workshop available for personal and group projects ranging from serious research to whimsical entertainment.
- largely volunteer run; the majority of our managers are undergraduate student volunteers.
- moderated as safety-first with self-directed training modules for many tools presented in ELMS/Canvas
- part of the campus-wide “Makerspace Initiative”
Etc.
Be helpful, be courteous, make cool things.
To contribute to this wiki, please create an account. Please provide your .umd or terpmail.umd.edu email address to make confirmation easier. You will then need to be approved to edit by an admin. If you've never worked on a WIki before, consult the User's Guide for information on using the wiki software. Start by creating a User Page for yourself.
This is a public facing, publicly editable wiki for the Singh Sandbox makerspace, located at IRB 1231.
Under construction. Click here for an index of all pages. M!