Baltic Birch Plywood, also known in the industry as Russian birch, originates from trees sourced in the Baltic Sea region, and is produced most commonly in Russia and Finland.  It is available in many thicknesses, as well as in different grades, with B/BB and BB/BB among the most popular for lasering and furniture making.  Baltic Birch is graded with letter designations for the face/back side of a panel, ranging from A (best quality) to C (utility grade).  At MakerStock, we stock B/BB and BB/BB grade Baltic.  B: Typically uniform light color, with no plugs/patches (football shaped oval patches about the...

Scrap. Isn't it what we all love to hate? Great when we need just a tiny piece to complete a project. Terrible when it clutters up a MakerSpace or workshop. We all face the same dilemma.

Check out MakerStock's tips on reducing scrap in your MakerSpace!

BEST PRACTICES FOR OPERATING A MAKERSPACE We have the privilege of visiting hundreds of maker labs each year in schools and colleges, libraries, communities, and corporate run spaces.  We have talked to students and lab managers of 1,000 to 50,000 square foot spaces in all stages of makerspace operations from planning to labs that host thousands of makers each year. Here are some best practices we wanted to share: Orientation and Training - While safety training is critical, we consistently hear that getting certified on each machine rapidly lowers the learning curve. Many labs do this by having a project...