Cool Jobs: Rob Todd, Maker

How would you like to use an Epilog Laser Cutter? How about the Scotchman 45 Ton Ironworker? Do you even know what these things are? And if you do, would you know how to use them and keep all your body parts intact? Enter Rob Todd.  

For over two years, Rob has operated a business called Robotodd Industries. He specializes in 3-D fabrication, including outdoor signage, furniture, and detailed metal fabrication. Additionally, the company contracts with a large, international retail chain to provide display furniture and floor fixtures. And that isn't even the half of it. Rob sat down to chat with Concentrate about the wide-range of projects he's involved with. 
 
Your business is operated out of Maker Works. How important is it to have a space like this in our community?
Without Maker Works, I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing. The overhead costs of opening my own shop are enormous. I looked into it and I couldn't even find a place to rent that was affordable and that doesn't even include tools, utilities. Having a space like this is absolutely critical.

In a more general sense, things like maker spaces are huge benefits to a community. They democratize the means of production and the ability to create prototypes for your business and hobbies, and give people more consistent use of tools that you couldn't afford on your own. For example, one of our Epilog Laser Cutters runs $25,000. It would be cost prohibitive for most people to get something like that.

Besides running your business from Maker Works, how else are you involved?
 Even though I don't work for the shop anymore, I still teach whenever I can. I teach classes on the CNC router, Shop Bot, the CNC Plasma Cutter and the (Scotchman 45 Ton) Ironworker. 

I've heard of the others, but what does the Ironworker do?
The Ironworker does jobs that other machines do but does them much faster--you can punch holes, sheer various types of metal, that sort of thing ...but at a much faster pace.

Where would someone like me - who tends to get drill bits stuck in her walls - get started if I wanted to become more of a maker?
Instructables.com is a good place to start. Pick a project from there or elsewhere online - just something that you like and that isn't too complicated. We get a lot of people who come to Maker Works just to get some hands-on experience and that is where the brain trust at Maker Works comes in very handy. We might see someone doing something in not the best way and offer to teach them a new and better way. 
 
Have you been involved with our local Mini-Maker Faire?
Last summer, my friend and I made an 18 foot tall polystyrene installation foam stick figure. Since then, we also got it into Art Prize, and have been trying to get into other public sculpture events. We set that up last year at the Mini-Maker Faire and all the kids tore it apart because they were like "it doesn't do anything!" and we're like "it isn't supposed to!". Kids are just super honest...the disappointment in their eyes was just crushing! These 8 year olds are brutal!
 
Speaking of "kids", vocational tech (vo-tech) is quickly disappearing from our schools. When it does exist, it is often looked upon as inferior to traditional academics. How do we change that perception?
I think it's tragic...we are doing a massive disservice to young people by saying that their options are drop out and see what you can do, or finish high school and go to a community college. That's kind of all that is left as far as a real trade school system. Trade school systems still exist, of course, but they aren't as pervasive as they used to be.
 
I always look at the German system (Ed Note: Rob studied in Germany between high school and college). Their school system still contains more options. Everyone goes into the high school system but if at any point in those years you either voluntarily want to go to a trade school or you are academically made to go into another tier, then that's fine! People aren't looked down upon. 

I knew plenty of kids who were 14 or 15 and they had already tried out many different trades. One friend of mine had apprenticed with an electrician, a plumber, and a mason before he was 16 years old. You can just keep trying different things until one sticks. Then after so much experience, you become a master and then you can take on apprentices. It was refreshing to see that they still have such an intact system for making sure that everyone was able to find their place and find something that they enjoyed.
 
What are your thoughts about the local maker scene? 
Most of my clients are based in Ann Arbor, whereas my volunteer projects tend to be in Ypsilanti. In the ten years that I've lived in Ypsilanti, I have watched both cities change a noticeable amount. Ann Arbor is getting more and more disappointing. The Gallery Project shut down, Selo/Shevel shut down and then the Performance Network just announced that it is shutting its doors. 

At the same time, I think that Ypsilanti has gotten more interesting and has filled in some of the creative hole left by Ann Arbor. After the Gallery Project closed, it was hard to find space to show your art, especially for students. I just started working with a group called the Ypsilanti Art Incubator. It's made up of current and former art students mostly from EMU. In conjunction with the Riverside Art Gallery, we opened up a gallery called Riverside Off-Center. The Off-Center is involved with First Fridays, which is pretty much a free art gallery crawl around Ypsilanti. These happen every first Friday of the month, except it will be on July 11 during that month. It's a great thing for our community. 

Back to Ann Arbor…I was driving down Main Street in Ann Arbor and saw this chain store that has a slogan that says something like "your neighborhood store." It is the antithesis of a locally owned, neighborhood store! Walgreen's took over the book and art store on State Street…now there are no art stores in Ypsilanti or Ann Arbor. 

All photos by Doug Coombe except where indicated