FAQ

The Makerspace is open to all MSU students/faculty/staff and members of the community. For some lending technology, community patrons will need a community patron card which can be acquired from Circulation.

Only Makerspace staff can operate the 3D printers and laser cutter. Patrons are welcome to utilize our Makestations. Additionally, we have a wide range of equipment that can be checked out.

Take a look at our workshops and events. Is there something else you would like to see? Send us an email and let us know!

There are plenty of cool 3d models on Thingiverse and Printables, many of which are free for personal use, but you should always check the licensing to make sure you are not infringing on anyone’s intellectual property rights.

If you are new to 3D modeling, TinkerCad is a great place to get started. It is very intuitive and easy to learn. If you need something more advanced, we highly recommend learning Fusion 360. There are free personal use licenses and educational licenses for Fusion 360 and it has a wealth of different functionalities. Check our workshops, we often run Intro to 3D Modeling workshops!

Free or freemium programs: Meshmixer, Mesh Lab, Blender, Fushion 360, OnShape, SculptGL ZBrush Core Mini (Previously Sculptris.)
Paid programs: AutoCad, Inventor, Solidworks, ZBrush, Rhino.

Also see the software available in the Digital Scholarship Lab.

We love to help, submit a consultation request and we will figure out if your project is something we can reasonably accommodate.

If you would like to take your class on a tour of the Makerspace or for other questions, please email the Makerspace Coordinator, Jamie Moriarty.

If more than 10 students will be submitting files or you are using a department account, please contact us at least 2 weeks before students submit files. We will set up a specific MakeAtState submission for your class.

Please submit your class request 2 weeks before files will be sent and allow for 2-4 weeks for jobs to be completed. That means the form should be submitted a minimum of 4 weeks before students receive their prints. Depending on the size of the class and size and complexity of each student’s design, printing may take more or less time. Need help planning our timelines in your class syllabus? We are happy to help with that too!

If you are using a department account you will need to provide the following information:

• Account # (sub account and sub object code if applicable)
• Highest amount the student can charge
• Name of all students authorized to use the account (can be sent when files are submitted)
• Authorized personnel for the account
• Their department
• Their campus address
• Their campus phone
• Their email

All equipment checkouts, returns, or renewal requests must be completed in person at the Hollander Print and Production Center (formerly called the MakeCentral: Service Desk.) All checkouts are due back based on the hours of the Hollander Print and Production Center, be sure to check their hours of operation to plan your check out and return.

If you want to see what equipment is currently available, please go to the lending technology page, locate the item, then click the "Availability" button.

Most of our equipment is either a 72 hour, 14 day, or a 21 day loan. Check the lending technology page for more information. Renewals are subject to demand, renewals can be requested in person and are subject to staff approval.

Renewals cannot be done online. Please return items in person and at that time, request to check the item back out. Most of the time we can accommodate your request, but as renewals are subject to demand and availability. We may ask you to wait 24 hours before checking out the item again so that all patrons have a chance to use our services. We are rarely able to offer renewals on cameras, tripods, and audio equipment towards the end of the semester.

Yes, most loans have a fine of $1/day for each item that is checked out. Loans with a 4 hour overnight policy have a fine of $1/hour. Your due date is written on the checkout tag, please return items before the Hollander Print and Production Center closes. See our full lending policies.

The Makerspace is open to all MSU students/faculty/staff and members of the community. For some services, community patrons may need to get a community patron card which can be acquired from Circulation.

Reservations must be made online. If you are more than 15 minutes late for your reservation we may let other patrons use the equipment. If you arrive to use a MakeStation without an appointment, we can make one for you if the equipment is available.

Online training is available for most equipment. Use our MakeStation libguide to access the training content. 

Please note that we are in the process of revising the MakeStation training, you may need to complete the new training at that time.

Check the MakeStation page for the most up to date information on what is and is not provided.

Button makers - 2 ¼” buttons are $0.18 each and 1” buttons are $0.11 each.

Plastic for use with the vacuum former can be purchased as well, we have a variety of sizes and materials to choose from. See the vacuum former page for more details.

Please submit your files on MakeAtState. We will not accepting files in person or via email. If you need help using MakeAtState watch our tutorial. If you need more assistance, please call or email us and we will gladly walk you through the process. After submitting a file, we will send a price estimate in 1-3 business days. You must pay for your job before we can begin your job. 

Please email the Makerspace Coordinator, Jamie Moriarty, if you are submitting files for a class.

We are a prototyping facility, not a production facility. If you are unsure if your project is production level, your needs will be best suited at a more industrial facility. We may be able to accommodate several copies depending on how busy our queue is and the size and complexity of your job. Please contact us if you have any questions.

There are lots of companies online that can print with higher resolution machines, faster production level machines, and print with different materials. Some of these are Shapeways, Protolabs, Stratasys, CraftCloud, and Makerstock, but there are many more.

When you submit your file online through MakeAtState, we will send you a price estimate. If you agree with the price, submit your payment, then we will get working on your job. We do not print anything until you have paid. If the price does not make sense, is not feasible for you, or you have any other concerns with cost, we would love to help! Often, we can help find small changes to the design or switch to a different technology to help make your order cost effective, submit a consultation request and include your order number in the notes.

3D printing - We charge by the gram, including the weight of support material, using the estimate provided by our slicing programs. See our 3D printing page for details on each printer.

Laser cutting - We sell material by the half sheet and full sheet and charge by the amount of time that the laser cutter needs to complete your job. This time is dependent on the settings required for the material you choose, and the size and complexity of your design. See our laser cutting page for more details. 

If you wish to provide your own material for laser cutting, you must provide an SDS, it must be staff approved, and you need to provide extra material for us to test with and find the correct laser settings for your material. This takes additional time and is dependent on supervisor availability. We recommend scheduling a consultation with us before purchasing any materials for laser cutting.

We operate on a cost recovery model meaning the money that we make goes to covering the cost of supplies, maintenance of our equipment, and our student employees. We do our best to keep prices as low as possible.

We are currently not offering in person payments for all MakeAtState jobs. We accept credit card payments through CashNet and MSU department account payments. When a price is set for you job you will get an email with more information.

Orders can be picked up at the Hollander Print and Production Center (formerly called MakeCentral Service Desk). If using a department account payment, you may opt to have your order sent through campus mail. Please note that you will be able to pick up your order at the library faster than you would receive it by campus mail.

We do not allow refunds with the exception of patron over/under payment errors. Refunds will be processed within 10 business days. The Makerspace is not responsible if a project is damaged due to thin parts or inappropriate use, does not print correctly, or does not work. We have hobbyist level machines and 3D printing tolerances are subject to variability and subtle warping. Please prepare your design files accordingly.

We do not accept patron provided materials for filament 3D printing or resin 3D printing. 

If you wish to provide your own material for laser cutting, you must provide an SDS, it must be staff approved, and you need to provide extra material for us to test with and find the correct laser settings for your material. This takes additional time and is dependent on supervisor availability. We recommend scheduling a consultation with us before purchasing any materials for laser cutting. We are not responsible if your material is damaged.

You can bring your own materials for all MakeStations, however, many have specific requirements. Check our MakeStation page for additional details. If you don't see what you are looking for, let us know!

Any vector based program such as Illustrator. Inkscape is a great open source free alternative. If you are using AutoCad or Solidworks you will need to export your file as a drawing in a pdf format.

See our laser cutting libguide for more detailed instructions and tutorials!