FAQ

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.

Only Makerspace staff can operate the 3D printers, laser cutter and CNC router. Patrons are welcome to utilize our Makestations. Please note that the self-service 3D printer is intended for learning the entire 3D printing process and is available for short prints. 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, send us an email 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 special 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 MakeCentral: Service Desk. 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.

Most of the time, yes. Renewals are subject to demand and must be requested in person. We are rarely able to offer renewals on cameras, tripods, and audio equipment towards the end of the semester.

Yes, 72 hour loans have a fine of $1 per hour. 14 day and 21 day loans have a fine of $1 per day. Your due date is written on the checkout tag. 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.

When you make a reservation to use the MakeStation, you will receive a link to access the training. If you do not see the link, you can self-enroll. Community patrons will need to make a guest account.

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.

Filament for the self-service 3D printer can be purchased for $20.

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 fill out our online form 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, please pay first and then we will get working on your job. We do not print anything until you have paid.

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.

CNC routing - 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.

MakeStations - There is no charge for the soldering or cricut maker station. We do charge for our button makers. 2 ¼” buttons are $0.18 each and 1” buttons are $0.11 each. To use our self-service 3D printer, you may only use PLA filament. You can purchase a roll from us for $20. See our MakeStation page for more details on what is and is not included for each MakeStation.

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 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 MakeCentral Service Desk. If using a department account payment, you may opt to have your order sent through 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 CAD file accordingly.

3D printing, laser cutting, and CNC routing - Materials for 3D printing and laser cutting will require a Safety Data Sheet, staff approval, extra material for testing, and extra time to complete your job. Please email us if you absolutely need a specific material. 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!