On March 18, the Fab Lab hosted a laser engraving workshop, where students had the opportunity to create wooden art pieces.
During the workshop, participants brought their ideas to life by designing and engraving custom keychains.
Eric Bustamante (Junior, Business) talked about how easy it was to follow the workshop instructions, as well as working with open-source programs like Inkscape to lay out his keychain design.
“The instructions for the workshop were very clear and super easy to follow. I loved it. I’m genuinely impressed because I didn’t know anything about the process, and I learned a lot in less than an hour, ” Bustamante said.
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Eric Bustamante finding his design for his laser-engraved key chain at the Fab Lab on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Turlock.
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Picture of the example that a Fab Lab assistant used to show us the steps on how to make a wooden key chain on the Laser Engraver in the Fab Lab on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Turlock.
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Nickolas Murillo, a Fab Lab assistant, teaching students the steps of operating the Laser Engraver in the Fab Lab on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Turlock.
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Nickolas Murillo finishing up a design for the wooden key chains on the Laser Engraver in the Fab Lab on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Turlock.
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Eric Bustamante in the workshop in the Fab Lab on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Turlock.
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Picture of the wooden key chain panel being placed into the Laser Engraver in the Fab Lab on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Turlock.
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Image of one of the Laser engravers they had in the Fab Lab on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Turlock.
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Nickolas Murillo and Eric Bustamante discussing the Laser Engraver in the Fab Lab on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Turlock.
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Picture of wooden coaster beginning to be engraved by the Laser Engraver in the Fab Lab on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Turlock.
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Picture of wooden coaster being in the middle of being engraved by the Laser Engraver in the Fab Lab on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Turlock.
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Picture of Nickolas Murillo talking about the Laser Engraver machine in the Fab Lab on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Turlock.
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Picture of finished Stanislaus State wooden coaster from Laser Engraver in the Fab Lab on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Turlock.
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Picture of 2 wooden key chains depicting the Warrior Fab Lab Logo in the Fab Lab on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Turlock.
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Picture of the finished key chains in the Fab Lab on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Turlock.
Nickolas Murillo (Senior, Computer Science) shared his experience of how he found some of the difficulties with working with the laser engraver. He also shared it’s more difficult than a photocopier, but less difficult than a 3D printer.
“Being mindful of working with burning and that you have the ability to grave and cut, those are the things that you have to keep in mind. That’s why it’s more difficult than using a photocopier, but it’s not as intensive as using something like a 3D printer, where you have to make the design in 3D space,” Murillo said.
The workshop offered students a hands-on introduction to laser engraving, allowing them to turn simple designs into wooden keychains. With clear instructions and easy-to-use software, the event made digital fabrication accessible to beginners while showcasing the Fab Lab’s tools and resources.
