Northwood Fab Lab Helps Minong Community Learn and Create

Lab has 3D printers, a plasma cutter, and CNC router to help any adult or student

MINONG, Wis. – The fabrication laboratory or “fab lab” at Northwood School in Minong is a place where students and adults can work on their own projects for free.

“Depending on what people are interested in doing we can build anything, almost literally anything in here,” said Ben Sorensen, Northwood Technology and Engineering instructor.

The fab lab started in 2016. Since last year, it’s been open to the community weekly.

“Every Thursday night, any community member can come in and we’ll help them make whatever idea they have turn into a reality,” said Sorensen.

The lab has 3D printers, a plasma cutter, and CNC router, making it a big help for any project.

“If there’s a problem locally or regionally, you can solve it in the fab lab,” said Sorensen, who teaches robotics, construction, welding, and other classes to Northwood students in the lab.

“We got kids like Josh building an electric guitar on his own,” said Sorensen. “He’s in independent study doing that. Last year he built a cedar strip canoe on his own.”

“This is cool. If you look at my grades, this is what I excel in, construction and metal fab,” said Northwood sophomore Brady Rolson.

A lot of students have more than one class in the fab lab, and many spend time there outside of school hours.

“I love working with computer technology,” said junior Boden Morris. “I want to go into a field like that.”

IT and manufacturing careers are in demand everywhere.

“I actually pretty much started off welding here and it’s really excelled my career and that’s pretty much what I’m thinking of doing,” said Rolson.

But the lab isn’t just for kids. Adults travel from Hayward and Superior to use the equipment.

“Fab labs are popping up all over the place and they’re supposed to be a spot that is open and free to the community so people can learn, they can prototype, and they can just have some fun,” said Sorensen.

The Northwood fab lab is open to the public every Thursday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.