The construction dust is finally starting to settle.

We are super excited to be in our new shop. Our equipment is back up and running and things are getting back to normal, which is very exciting. The shop is located on the first floor of the new Lyric Building, just ten blocks from the Wisconsin State Capitol.

One of our goals for the shop was to create personal work stations for our Prototype Specialists. Now each of them has a bench with overhead bins and a cabinet with four drawers to store all of their tools.

We also wanted to do our best at containing the dust that is created from the woodworking equipment and other dusty operations. We have a dedicated room for all our woodworking equipment and a few benches so people have a place to work.

One of the challenges of the shop was the venting of the paint booth. The final solution was to run the exhaust out the top of building. Which meant running over 100 feet of ducting!

Being more organized was also high on our list of goals. Everyone in the company is welcome to use the shop, so having a home for everything is huge. We have a handful of new cabinets that will store anything from hardware to reamers, gage pins, taps, hand tools, tape, glues and more. Being organized makes everybody’s life easier and more efficient.

Another cool feature is the grand staircase that goes up to the second floor with a landing half-way up that allows you to overlook the shop. This will be very helpful with the shop tours we frequently give to guests. We have also allowed space for another piece of CNC of equipment.

Our space will continue to evolve, just like the first prototype you build of a promising concept. There are always changes that could be done to make it better. That’s an integral part of the process. I’m looking forward to creating some wicked models and prototypes in our new work space.