Friday 31 July 2015

Knee Deep in PLA: Our 2015 3D Fabrication Shootout Kicks Off

Photos: Hep SvadjaThe fourth annual Make: 3D printer test is officially underway. This weekend we'll test printers, CNC machines, and laser and vinyl cutters.

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Free Tickets to Maker Faire New York: Join the Street Team

the-ups-store-montclair-nj-dsc08073Join the Maker Faire Street Team and earn two free tickets to the 2015 World Maker Faire New York

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Don’t Be a Drone Jerk

Screen Shot 2015-07-31 at 11.10.24 AMThe FAA is considering rules for drone flight, but we can do a lot as a community to ensure their proper use as well.

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Props to the Maker of These Fifth Element Candle Holders

fifth element stone candle holdersThough The Fifth Element has quite a cult following, it has never become popular enough for companies to come out with easily-available memorabilia, making it a perfect candidate for a homemade prop project.

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Install a Pressurized Water System on Your Car Bumper

jeep-water1Self-trained "hobbyist engineer" Ed Zarick added running water to the outside of his jeep with a reservoir he installed in his bumper.

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Bike Contraption Whistles with the Movement of the Tide

All photos: Nathan Hurst/Maker MediaThis art project at the San Francisco Exploratorium uses an old Huffy bike, a shipping container, and the tide to imitate Bosun's whistle.

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Amateur Craftsman Creates Professional Looking Watch

4Maker decides to combine his love of making and love of watches to create a watch with impressive, professional-looking results.

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New Project: How to Build a Mission Control Desk

playA kid's homework table lifts up to reveal a NASA-inspired mission control center. Follow along for help in building your own.

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MRMCD 2015: Ende von CfP und Vorverkauf rückt nahe [DE]

Liebe Sportsfreunde,

Auf den MRMCDs gibt es traditionell nicht nur die besten Veranstaltungstassen, die meisten coolen Gadgets, die beste rund-um-die-Uhr Frühstücksverpflegung inklusive leistungssteigernder Substanzen sondern auch ein reichhaltiges Vortragsprogramm inklusive Workshops, Lightning Talks und dieses Jahr zusätzlich Wettkämpfe.

Um das alles planen und anbieten zu können sind wir auf Deine Mithilfe angewiesen: Wenn du einen Vortrag halten oder einen Workshop / Wettkampf anbieten willst aber ihn noch nicht eingereicht hast begib dich bitte ins Planungssystem frab. Gehe sofort dorthin, gehe nicht über Los und streiche nicht 400k€ ein, dafür bekommst du aber Zugang zu unserer exklusiven Speaker-Lounge. Dort kannst du entspannen, deinen Vortrag vorbereiten und diverse Leckereien genießen.

Der CfP endet am 09. August, am 11. August geben wir den Speakern Bescheid und wenig später veröffentlichen wir das Programm.

Wenn du noch kein Ticket hast hast du noch bis zum 16. August Zeit, dir eins zu klicken. Es wird zwar eine Abendkasse geben, aber an der Abendkasse gibt es voraussichtlich keine unserer wie immer großartigen Tassen oder Gadgets. Wir möchten euch bitten, den Vorverkauf so schnell wie euch möglich ist zu nutzen, da wir zur sinnvollen Planung auf ihn angewiesen sind. Die untenstehende Grafik aus dem letzten Jahr zeigt, warum: Die meisten unserer Ausgaben müssen wir im Zeitraum vor der Veranstaltung tätigen. Das macht uns die Arbeit im Vorfeld ziemlich schwierig, und ein aktiv genutzter Vorverkauf hilft uns sehr.



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MRMCD 2015: Submission and presale deadline arrives soon [EN]

Dear sports fan,

traditionally, the MRMCD provide you with wonderful conference cups for your daily coffee as well as cool gadgets and an all-day breakfast, but also with a comprehensive set of workshops, talks and (this year) competitions.

In order to plan all these things, we need your help. If you’d like to give a talk or organize a workshop, please tell us via the frab system now!

The submissions deadline is the 9th of August. We will inform all speakers whether their talk is being accepted by 11th of August and we will publish the program soon after.

If you do not have a ticket yet, you can buy one until 16th of August. There will be a ticket sale on site, but there are probably no awesome cups or gadgets at the door, as well as no t-shirts or hoodies.

We kindly ask you to make use of our ticket presale, as we need that data (and money) to plan properly for the event. The graph below shows why: We need to spend most of the money before the event. This makes our work harder – and it can be solved by you buying your ticket in advance.



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Vintage Electronics 2

Following the build of our 1978 Metal Detector, next up in our Vintage Electronics series will be a Digital Bicycle Speedometer.  In the March 1977 issue of Popular Electronics, they published an article for a digital speedometer complete with red LED displays. This will be a build from the original magazine which we have in TOG.

 
You can get an LCD digital bike speedometer nowadays for as little as 5 euro. These multi function devices can do much more than speed. Back in 1977 however, this thing must have been space age…..  red LED displays and all!

We think it will look suitably retro on a modern carbon fibre road bike Vintage Electronics 2 We will be building the speedometer over the next few weeks. Come in and join in the build, or keep in touch with the build online.



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Thursday 30 July 2015

Intel-Instructables IoT Contest: Enviro-Ag Kit

Maui Makers has been selected to participate in the Instructables​/Intel Internet Of Things (IoT) Edison competition. We are being sent the Environmental and Agricultural Kit and will have until Oct 5 to complete documentation (an instructable) on the project(s) we build.
We need some members to step up and help on this. I will be off island for most of September, but we have August to get things going.

If you are interested, PM/email me and/or show up at next week’s public meeting (Aug 6) at the makerspace

This page gives the basic details with correct dates: http://ift.tt/1KCtNbz
This is the instructables post that gives details on the kit etc: http://ift.tt/1DTK6ZD

Intel-Instructables Internet Of Things Environmental-Agricultural Kit

Environmental & Agriculture
This kit is designed with agriculture in mind. The 7 sensors in this kit can help you determine light, UV and dust in the environment and based on that information one could rinse a plant off with the water pump and/or water the plant and not waste any water because a flow sensor is included. There is an LED bar for visual output and a dry reed relay to turn things on and off.

Included in this Kit:
6V Mini Water Pump
G14 Water Flow Sensor
Grove Digital Light Sensor
Grove Dry-Reed Relay
Grove Dust Sensor
Grove Gas Sensor(MQ5)
Grove LED Bar
Grove Moisture Sensor
Grove UV Sensor
Grove Water Sensor

 



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Ludum Dare 33: August 21st 6pm

Come to crashspace and see the theme announced for Ludum Dare 33!

Ludum Dare is a weekend competition to make a video game (however simple) based on a theme in 48 hours. You can work in a team or by yourself.

At 6pm local time, the theme will be selected, and international brainstorming on #ludumdare will begin. Here at crashspace locals will decide whether to go it alone or make a team, and come up with the best ideas for games based on the final theme.



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Ticket system re-opens Friday, 2015-07-31, 22:00 CEST

  • Unpaid tickets ordered before July 16th are dropped now. Do not pay for those anymore!
  • There will be 250 tickets made available on Friday, 2015-07-31, at 22:00 CEST sharp!
  • Please pay for your precious ticket immediately after you have ordered it! Ask friends to help you out!
  • Once those 250 tickets are gone, you can create a verpeiler-friends-request.
  • We all need to move closer together to have enough space for everyone.

Verpeiler-friends-request? If you don’t get your ticket on friday, you have one very last, very tiny chance: Go to the ticket system and convince us that you are one of our dearest verpeiler-friends. There won’t be many of those tickets available. Also you need to be very patient waiting for a reply. Please try really hard to order your ticket on Friday, 22:00 CEST!

We had a pretty difficult time now: so many messages from so many people wondering if there are any tickets left.

We felt we couldn’t break all those hearts and have managed to increase the number of available tickets a tiny bit. That way we won’t have to turn as many of you away; but this also means we’ll need to share the resources amongst more people – less camping space, less time in the shower, less electricity for everyone at the camp. Please keep this in mind – especially once you arrive – build your tents as close together as possible and consider merging spaces. Sharing is part of the Camp spirit!



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DiResta: Book Binding

IMG_3664In this edition of DiResta, Jimmy uses a mix of old techniques and new shortcuts, including some from YouTube, to bind his lab notebook.

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Make for Those in Need at the Bay Area Makeathon

Screen Shot 2015-07-30 at 8.25.06 AMThis makeathon will unite Makers and people who understand disabilities to develop prototypes that could address the challenges presented.

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Wacken? Woodstock? Pah, CCCamp 2015!



flipdot fährt mit ca. 12 Leuten zum Camp und ist mit einem gemeinsamen Zelt in der eigenen Village vertreten. Wir haben schon gemeinsam Eurokisten bestellt zum Packen!

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Rockets, Robots, and Board Games: An Interview with Sherman Lam

Sherman Lam board game rocket robotsSherman Lam is an engineer at Harvey Mudd College who typically juggles six rigorous courses, a research position, and several clubs.

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Let’s have a camping Fahrplan!

There are only a few days left and we are late but finally it is here: the Fahrplan for the Chaos Communication Camp 2015. Due to circumstances we had some lags, but finally we made it!

Please note this safety advices by going through the Fahrplan to pick your sessions:

  1. There is a new track: Failosophy. Read more about it in the Call for Papers.
  2. Mind the gap between 12:30 and 16:00. This is siesta-time where no lecture will be held in the lecture-tents. We decided to do so as this timeframe will be incredibly hot and we do not want to constipate you in tents while the heats is rushing over the campsite. (However, there may be a self-organized session going on elsewhere)
  3. There are still other gaps which will be filled magically within the next days till camp. Please come back on a regular basis to get the new talks.
  4. There are Fahrplan Apps. Please move on to the Fahrplan-App wiki-page to see which are available.
  5. For our pleasure and your curiosity we have a naming scheme for the releases of the Fahrplan. Maybe it is to easy, maybe to hard to figure it out. Let’s see what you can do with it.

Enough said – have a look at the first public available Fahrplan (Version 0.8 first and last and always) of the Chaos Communication Camp 2015.

We will meet each other in Mildenberg!

 



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Brick, Steak, Phones, & Bitcoin: How Tech and Design Intersect to Shape Our Future

Knotty Objects curatorial team Joi Ito, Paola Antonelli, Kevin Slavin and Neri Oxman open the proceedingsWe attended design summit "Knotty Objects" at the MIT Media Lab to talk about technology, design, and the future of humanity. Here's how it went.

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This Nixie Tube Speedometer Gives Retro-Futuristic Life to a 70s Motorcycle

nix-bike1Nixie tubes are interesting pieces of equipment. They have a "retro-futuristic" look that has great appeal to electronics hackers.

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Create Retro Art for Your Tiki Bar in a Weekend

featured image witco artPhilip Bradley shows how he created two mixed media works inspired by the mid-century WITCO furnishing designs of the '60s.

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New Project: Spruce Up Your Workshop with These Laser Cut Dinosaur Safety Gear Holders

Each dinosaur head holds one pair of safety glasses and one set of earmuffs.This tutorial will show you how to make dinosaur safety gear racks for storing your earmuffs and safety glasses. When not in use, they still look cool!

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Power Your Project: How to Choose the Right Battery

m46_Skillbuilder_Battery1-2-featuredThere are many types of battery chemistries, and each one has its own different characteristics. So which one to choose? We’ll cover the basic features for each battery type in order to help you decide which one is right for you.

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“Stop, Look, Art” at Hennepin County Library

Today we have the pleasure of talking with Christy Mulligan, Coordinating Librarian, Community Connections, at Hennepin County Library in Minnesota. She tells us about the fabulous Stop, Look, Art project at Hennepin County Library, which takes “art in the library” a step further by carefully documenting the art and artists, in partnership with community institutions. Read on! ~Laura

StopLookArt_banner

Library as Incubator Project (LAIP): How did the Stop, Look, Art project come to be? Where and how did the idea originate?

Christy Mulligan (CM): Our goal with Stop, Look, Art was to highlight the many notable, publicly owned, freely accessible art pieces across Hennepin County Library locations. The program, developed by Coordinating Librarian Michele McGraw in collaboration with community partners, had two major components. The first was to develop a searchable database on hclib.org featuring notable art from our buildings. For this piece, we collaborated with the Minneapolis College of Art & Design (MCAD). Interns from the school were paid to take professional photos of art in libraries. Second, we created a documentary in collaboration with tpt (Twin Cities Public Television) that highlighted art pieces featured in the database.

StopLookArt_DVD_DiscImprint

LAIP: Who were the partners on the project, and how were artists/experts identified to do the video interviews?

CM: The two major partners were MCAD and tpt. Artists featured in the documentary are living artists who created public art found in Hennepin County Library locations. Hennepin County Library is proud to regularly work with staff like Jack Becker, Executive Director at Forecast Public Art and Mary Altman, Public Art Administrator, City of Minneapolis on public art projects and art funded through the library’s One Percent for Art program.

Stop Look Art postcard

LAIP: How is the project funded?

CM: Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund, and in-kind support and ongoing maintenance by Library staff.

LAIP: What makes the library a good partner/home base for this project?

CM: The library has a longstanding commitment to public art, and this project was a natural extension of that. We recognize that art contributes to the library’s mission to nourish minds, transform lives and build community together.

We work with artists and arts organizations across the community to select the art in our libraries, and this project allows people to learn more about the art and artists they see when they visit our libraries. It enhances that experience, and also allows people to share that experience without visiting a library building. Libraries are unique venues for art, because patrons visiting the library are likely to see pieces over and over, and often throughout their lifetime.

LAIP: Are there plans for future Stop, Look, Art activities?

We are always adding new pieces to the database, so it remains an active project. We are also adding new signage in our buildings to draw attention to notable pieces featured in the database. For some buildings, these signs will include visual cues, information about a piece, a description, and statement from the artist.

Additional files:



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Bieg’ den Schaltkreis!

Modifizierter Fernseher: Magnete auf die Bildröhre geklebt, Audio über Verstärker einer Aktivbox auf die Y-Ablenkspulen gegeben.



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Wednesday 29 July 2015

Five Excellent Jimmy DiResta Shop Tips (and Nine Nifty Tips Videos)

DiResta_2Have you seen Jimmy DiResta’s Jimmy Tips videos? I’m a DiResta fanboy, so I watch every video and show that he does, but also being something of a tips collector, I particularly love this series, which is now nine episodes long. You probably already know Jimmy from his popular and […]

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How Henry Bessemer Helped Forge the Age of Steel

image thingyWhile looking for a way to strengthen cannon barrels, Bessemer discovered better ways of making steel.

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New Review: Review: Sculpey Medium Blend Oven Bake Clay

galaxySerpentPolyform released a new addition to their line of sculpting clays: Sculpey Medium Blend. Read on to find out what we thought.

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New Project: Board Game Box Organizer to Keep Pieces Tidy

board game settlers of catan box organizerThis board game box insert is an easy way to organize all the pieces while still using the original box. It's perfect for all Settlers of Catan fans.

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The Quest to Build a Simple Air Quality Monitor

box thingy pictureWhen I asked Bernie War how he liked living in Shanghai, the Miami native said he liked everything about it, except the air. He’s been there for three years. First, he started work on an open source air purifier. Then, he looked at building an air quality monitor. His most […]

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This High-Performance Electric Vehicle Kit Can Be Built in a Week

Photo by Sam EustonWhat started as an idea to produce our own simple, fun, affordable electric vehicle has evolved into a DIY project easily assembled by nearly anyone. The Switch defines a new class of auto — a lightweight, high-capacity, versatile electric vehicle (EV) that requires minimal resources to construct, assemble, and drive.

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Failed Rocket Launch a Huge Success for University

Photo: Courtesy of the SDSU Rocket ProjectA look at the tech inside a mostly successful high-altitude rocket launch

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Artist Draws All 100,000 Objects in Grandpa’s Shed

workshop shed drawing tool shedAs we all know, a well-stocked workshop is a beautiful thing. It’s the place that keeps and collects all the tools and hardware you may someday need to fix something you love or make something new. When Lee John Phillips’ grandfather passed away, he left behind a tool shed packed with […]

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Exploring Public Art at the Forest Park Public Library

Today’s story (and project kit) comes to us from Elaine Luther, an artist whose work with libraries we’ve featured on the LAIP before, and Alicia Hammond, Community Engagement Librarian at the Forest Park Public Library in Illinois. Elaine and Alicia give us the scoop on the process of installation a major public art piece at a library. Enjoy! ~Laura

The finished EXPLORE installation at Forest Park Public Library. Photo by Elaine Luther.

The finished EXPLORE installation at Forest Park Public Library. Photo by Elaine Luther.

by Elaine Luther and Alicia Hammond

Interactive public art projects are risky, but they work like magic to bring people together, activate spaces and bring energy and excitement to the library!

As part of the Summer of Exploration Summer Program, the Forest Park Public Library’s Community Engagement Librarian Alicia Hammond enlisted artist Elaine Luther to create a very special interactive art installation.

Both of us are very inspired by the work of Chicago artist Matthew Hoffman whose “You Are Beautiful” installations are popping up all over the Chicagoland area and beyond.  These outdoor installations feature freestanding or fence mounted letters that spell out a phrase.  Elaine had experience creating installations including part of a “You Are Beautiful” installation as well as building the word “LOVE” for a Valentine’s Day themed gallery show.

We selected the term “EXPLORE” and found an open area on the library’s front lawn.  However, we didn’t just want to install art in front of the library.  We wanted to create an event that encouraged the community to have a hands on opportunity to get creative.  After Alicia secured permission from the Library Director, it was all systems go.

Elaine decided on creating four foot tall letters out of wooden boards.  The letter “O” was selected to be three dimensional to play off the exploration theme and create visual interest and variety. She concentrated on creating letters that would be able to weather rain, some wind and the humid heat of Chicago summers.

Letter being assembled. Photo by Elaine Luther.

Letter being assembled. Photo by Elaine Luther.

The color palette was selected to match the Summer of Exploration program’s marketing materials (designed by Yearbook Studios).

The day of the event brought a beautiful summer day. The letters were installed into the ground and we brought out a table with paint, brushes, water, and hand wipes.  The color palette remained simple with red, blue, and yellow paint in order to remain cohesive.

Letters installed. Photo by Elaine Luther.

Letters installed. Photo by Elaine Luther.

We weren’t out there long before people started showing up and painting.  We had about 15 people signed up for the event but were more than open to drop ins.  We invited anyone who walked by to pick up a paint brush and contribute.  The kids were more than happy to jump in but some of the adults took a little more convincing. Several told us there were too old to paint or were afraid to mess up our project. If an adult was hesitant, Elaine would encourage them to start small and make dots with a cotton swab. That worked. Anyone can make dots!  (Next time, we will bring smocks also to eliminate the fear of getting messy.)

Participants painting letters.

Participants painting letters. Photo by Elaine Luther.

Participants painting.

Participants painting letters. Photo by Elaine Luther.

Altogether about 30 people stopped by to paint. However, the reach of this event and piece of art is much more.  The installation will be out in front of the library for about two months.  We truly activated the space, it was so exciting! We even slowed traffic as drivers slowed down and rubber-necked! A few drivers honked and waved to show their approval. Neighbors who knew each other by sight but had never spoken before met and had conversations!

Below is the materials list, instructions for building the letters. Following that we have suggestions for variations, things we learned might do differently next time.

Below is the materials list and instructions for building the letters. We have also included variations and things we might do differently next time.

Materials for the building of the letters:

  • 9 boards – 1” x 8” by 8’ (Elaine chose 8’ boards because that’s the largest she could  fit in her car.) You can make all the letters to spell out “EXPLORE” (except the O) out of eight boards. Think about including one or two extra boards in case of errors.($64)
  • Wood glue
  • Screws
  • Electric drill
  • Screwdriver
  • 12 plastic strips for the “O”  from the Re-use store. ($6)
  • Drill bits to match the size of the pop rivets. Elaine used 1/8 and 3/16 drill bits and pop rivets
  • Pop rivets ($10.14)
  • Pop rivet tool (about $2o)
  • Exterior primer and paint.  Elaine used exterior oil based primer* which cannot be used indoors and may have been overkill.
  • Colored exterior latex. (4 quarts of paint x $16.68 each with leftovers.)
  • Plus one gallon of paint donated by the artist.
  • Garden stakes, we used steel stakes, 4’ and 5’ ones (8 x $4.99, 1 x $5.99)
  • Zip ties (for the letter O) (11.99, with leftovers)
  • Screws and washers (insignificant cost, we used what we had on hand in the basement)

Supplies for the day of:

  • lots of baby wipes for cleaning patron’s hands
  • plastic cups to pour paint into
  • a bucket of rinse water
  • paper towels
  • bottled water for patrons, esp. if it’s a hot day ($4.99 for a case)
  • paintbrushes ($0.69 each x 12)
  • table to hold paint and supplies, covered with a plastic drop cloth
  • cotton swabs for detail work and because they are less intimidating than paint brushes
  • trash can

*oil based primer can be used under latex paint and increases the water resistance and longevity of the paint job. It also makes the top coat of paint glide on smoothly. It’s recommended if possible, but is not totally required.

Variations

You could use the words for a summer reading theme, a 100th anniversary, or to highlight a new product or service at the library. For example, the Forest Park Library has wifi hot spots, they could have 4’ letters outside saying, “CHECK OUT THE INTERNET.”

Instead of painting the letters with a color, they could be painted with chalkboard paint and patrons would be invited to answer a question in chalk. The question could be made out of 4’ letters, or it could be on a nearby sandwich board.

Notes on construction

For this project, Elaine learned to use a table saw and built the letters by assembling them with wood glue and screws. While it’s very straight forward for the E and L, it was a little tricky to to figure out the angles and method of construction for the P and R.

If you aren’t able to find an artist to run the entire event, the library could break up the project and have a woodworker build the letters and an artist choose the paint colors and run the workshop.

Another option is to have the letters custom cut using a CNC router. Creating the letters was extremely time intensive and took multiple trips to the hardware store. The additional cost of CNC routing may be off-set by a reduced wood cost, as a less expensive type of wood (plywood) may be able to be used. Another benefit of CNC routing is that it could be used to draw in additional populations at the library. For instance, teens could be invited to create the digital files (perhaps using Inkscape, a free, open source program) for the letters.

A related workshop could be held where teens use a Silhouette Cameo to make vinyl cut letters to decorate an indoor section of the library (I believe the Silhouette company makes some low tack material for applying removable decorations to walls and cabinets). This would extend the project and theme to the inside and outside of the library and generate buy-in for the program with teens.

Here are some close-up photos showing the installation method.

Back of letters. Close up of back of letters. Zip-ties.

Further reading:



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Tuesday 28 July 2015

Can’t Go to Maker Faire Tokyo? We’ve Got Your Lights, Slimes, Noises, and Bots

maker faire tokyoThis year's Maker Faire Tokyo, taking place on August 1 and 2, will held at the expansive Tokyo Big Sight. If you can, don't miss out!

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New Project: Build a Sturdy Notebook with Coptic Book Binding

1H1A0135In this weekend project, we'll make a tough traveler's notebook using the Coptic binding method, which allows the book to lay flat when opened to any page.

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Oooops, falscher Parameter

Bei Software kompiliert man halt nochmal, aber hier: Ratschpeng.

Oooops, falscher Parameter

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Labor23 (Wuerzburg): labor23 goes CCCamp 2015

Alle 4 Jahre organisiert der CCC ein gigantisches Camp in der nähe von Berlin und auch das labor23 ist wieder mit dabei. Ob wir uns nun dem franconian village anschließen oder doch autark was eigenes machen entscheiden wir dann spontan vor Ort, je nach dem wieviel Platz da so für uns ist...

 



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New Project: Build a Burly Wooden Scooter That Can Haul Hundreds of Pounds

2011121214525D0428ryangoebelBuild the Congolese workhorse that can haul hundreds of pounds of cargo.

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Controlling a Robot with a Wearable Lego Exosuit

robot-lego-exosuit-slower-and-smallerUsing a combination of Lego bricks and other electronics, Danny built a robot that is controlled wirelessly by a wearable Lego "exosuit."

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New Project: Build a Mortarless Stone Retaining Wall

Wall Building - 28This post will show you how to build a stone wall using a traditional method which doesn’t require any mortar or cement. I learned this ancient technique on a recent trip to the Scottish highlands, where I spent several weeks rebuilding walls and maintaining the land. Stone walls dot Scotland’s countryside and can […]

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You’re the Designated Maker for this Drunken Cutting Board

checkered cutting board wooden featured imageNetwork engineer Peter Brown decided to make a cutting board that resembles a swirly chess board out of two sheets of maple and walnut.

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Gaming on a Giant Playable Wooden Game Boy Advance

wooden game boy advanceThis wooden Game Boy Advance created by Ryan Bates of RetroBuiltGames is the solution to hipster gaming on the go. Its 9″ screen is 300% bigger than the original Game Boy Advance. Bates has named his creation the “GBA XXL.” Bates says that the CAD file was an expansion of a […]

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“Unbinding the Library” at NYC’s Elastic City

This post was originally published July 30, 2013. 

Elastic City is a Brooklyn-based non-profit arts organization that commissions emerging and established artists to create participatory walks throughout New York and around the world. These walks tend to focus less on providing factual information and more on heightening awareness, exploring senses and making new group rituals in dialogue with public space.

As part of its educational program, Elastic City now offers “ways”. “Ways” are experiential workshops that explicitly engage participants in *how* to generate poetic moments in public space through exercises, tools and techniques, whereas walks provide an opportunity to participate in a narrative series of poetic moments.

One of these upcoming “ways” is particularly engaging for those interested in the interplay of art, information, and public space. Here are the event details:

“Unbinding the Library” by Andrew Beccone
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Unbinding the Library will consider the physical, historical, and ecological relationships between the Reanimation Library and Gowanus—the neighborhood in which the library is situated. Starting at the Reanimation Library, participants will reproduce images from the library that correspond to one of the above categories and then, as a group, we will post these images at sites in the neighborhood that resonate with the categories and the individuals on the walk. Unbinding the Library will prompt the library—itself an imperfect attempt to codify, organize, and control information—to spontaneously release some of its contents into the more loosely structured organization of its immediate urban setting.

This way holds 6 people and is presented in partnership with the Reanimation Library.

Times Available:
Tue, Aug 6, 2013, 7:00pm
Tue, Aug 13, 2013, 7:00pm

Starting Point:
Please meet at 543 Union Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215.

Duration: 2 hours

unbinding-book page

unbinding-fence unbinding-exterior

Learn more about Elastic City.

Read “The Library as Platypus: On the Dual Nature of the Reanimation Library,” an essay written for the Library as Incubator Project by Andrew Beccone.



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MacroFab Eases Path from Prototype to Production

macrofabMacroFab builds prototype circuit boards uploaded with a slick online tool and then lets customers order a full production run.

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Monday 27 July 2015

Inside Blade Runner’s Model Shop

This weekend, I happened upon the recent re-release trailer for Blade Runner (The Final Cut). The Final Cut version of the film, the only one where director Ridley Scott had full artistic control, was first released in 2007, but this spring, theaters started showing it again and this new trailer […]

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