Bill Young. Maker, boatbuilder, designer, programmer, craftsman, hacker and ShopBotter.
At Seaside Small Craft in the coastal town of Willis Wharf, Virginia, boatbuilder Bill Young’s work consisted of "putting odd-shaped pieces of wood into odd-shaped holes in boats." That Was before he read about ShopBot’s first CNC machine. That first tool was slow compared to today’s high-performance ShopBots, but it allowed Bill to design and cut those odd-shaped pieces more quickly and with less error than if done by hand. It also allowed him to design new boats that were easy to make with CNC.
More than ten years later, Bill’s still a boatbuilder, and a ShopBotter. Bill still cuts those odd-shaped pieces, but now his work also includes creating new CNC applications, like his stepped scarf method of designing, cutting and joining plywood parts - a method that has revolutionized kit boatbuilding. And, when Bill isn’t using his ShopBot for "work," he’s cutting projects for local schools. From boat parts to alphabet puzzle blocks to rubber band racers, Bill’s creations are helping to build a love of thinking, designing and creating in a generation of future Makers.
See Bill’s regular column, Bill’s Corner, on the ShopBot website - www.shopbottools.com/bill’s_corner.
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