Makerspaces: Aotearoa New Zealand: January 2015

Saturday, 31 January 2015

Zallus Reflow Oven Controller

A few months ago we noticed a Kickstarter being run out Milwaukee for a pretty nifty looking reflow oven controller by Marquette student Nate Zimmerman. We love to support makers in their endeavors and as it happened none of our members had ever gotten around to converting a toaster to reflow. This, despite the fact that a number of us regularly design and build surface mount boards.

So, a few of us got together and backed Nate’s Revision 2 controller kit. The kit came in last week, I picked up a cheap toaster on clearance, and this past weekend we installed the kit into the oven.

From the kit installer’s perspective Nate’s kit couldn’t be simpler. A supplied SSR is inserted in series with the main AC line, and a K-type thermocouple is fed into the oven cavity. Both items connect up to a preassembled circuit board and LCD touchscreen.

We fired up the oven and ran it through its paces right from the touch screen. It performed great right away. There were no real issues. I did manage to install the display upside down, but that will take 5 minutes to flip when next I’m at the space. I just plain ran out of time this time. Next time I’ll also be able to play a bit with the PC software, but it was great that the controller fired up and ran right away without having to mess with the PC at all.

So now the space has a nice profiling reflow oven! I am looking forward to using it! I know one member already has a board lined up to go this Tues (Feb 3rd, ’15). So if you’d like to see it run in person stop on by the space on Tues. at 7PM!

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Build-Your-Own Quadcopter Class

Tomorrow (Saturday, January 1, 2015), Brian Pappas and Tyler Crumpton will be teaching a class on how to build an RC quadcopter from off-the-shelf components. A few sets of parts have been purchase by some individuals, and we’ll be assembling those while going over how the machines work and operate.

The quadcopters can carry small action cameras like the GoPro for recording some pretty amazing aerial footage! The class starts at 1PM and there is no cost to attend. For more information on the class or the parts used in the builds, check out the wiki page for the event.

Here’s a teaser video of the quadcopter we’ll be building (slight differences):

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From Pantry To Paint: DIY Watercolors For The Family

Looking for an awesome family-friendly weekend project? If you’ve got creative kids who love painting, surprise them with an afternoon of color-filled DIY fun! Make your own set of homemade watercolor paints using ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen with this easy-to-follow tutorial from Amy Vowles on […]

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Weekly Maker Spotlight #5 – Lance Lamont

How did you first find Milwaukee Makerspace?

I saw a blog post on some “Pot ‘O Gold” parade buggies that some cool guys made. I watched the video a few times, then noticed that it was in Milwaukee – where I was! Too Cool. From there, I searched out the group and introduced myself.

Why did you decide to join?

I decided to join because I love the combination of meeting new people and learning new skills. I, like many other members, am a skill collector and really enjoy having a ton of experiences and skills.

What do you do at Milwaukee Makerspace?

I’ve used many of the tools in the space – anything ranging from the laser cutters and sewing machines all of the way to the wood shop, metal shop, forge and welding areas. Essentially anything and everything.

The most impressive thing that I’ve made at the space was a giant 30′ diameter UFO “crashed” in front of Maker Faire Milwaukee 2014. I’ve made cases for projects and modified a trailer to carry kayaks and bikes behind my Mazda Miata.

What would you like to tell others about Milwaukee Makerspace?

The Makerspace is a great place to learn new skills and become a member of a vibrant and creative community. The people involved in the group are great, and the projects that are done at the building – be they solo or as groups – end up being amazing. It’s a great place to be a part of when you run into challenges on your project – TONS of creative individuals to help solve them.

What do you plan to work on in the next few weeks?

Through Maker Faire Milwaukee I have started a relationship with the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum. I am working with a couple of other members of the ‘space on two different projects – a large array of touch sensitive full RGB LED buttons, and a kinetic art sculpture using almost 500 stepper motors. I’ve been focused on the firmware development for both projects.

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Friday, 30 January 2015

Masterpiece Of Soldering: You Won’t Believe This Handmade Electronic Clock

The collection of components that you see above is actually a clock, masterfully constructed by Gislain Benoit, who has been working with electronics for as long as he can remember. According to the description, this clock not only displays the time, but all of the components you would see in […]

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Manual Log Splitter

A simple wood splitting machine that lets gravity do all of the hard work.

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Level Up: These 3D Printed Thumbsticks Help The Disabled Play Xbox

sample configuration with horizontal loop

Since the beginning of my hobby of producing 3D printed parts to help people with physical disabilities play video games, the thumbstick has been an issue. Unfortunately, it was an issue I didn’t really have an elegant solution for. After some brainstorming, I believe I’ve come up with a useful […]

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