Author Archives: Adrian Volden

Merry Christmas Maker Space!

Posted on by Adrian Volden

A few weeks back, at a Tuesday night meeting, a topic was brought up about projects that needed to be done for the Milwaukee Makerspace (MMS). Things like general cleaning, sorting the trash for cash recycling box, machine wiring and putting windows in the doors leading out of the main meeting room to the shop. What a great gift this would be, for the members that complete these tasks to the MMS as a whole.

After a meeting, one night, I didn’t have anything I really needed to work on so I took a project that was a little out of my comfort zone. I put a small window, in the door leading from the lobby/ greeting area by the laser room to the East warehouse. I say it is out of my comfort zone because it deals with wood products and I’m a metal guy. Put me in front of a mill or lathe and I feel right at home, but wood is not my strong suit. I’m still picking slivers out of my fingers and palms, that stuff is nasty! Well the first window went in so well that when I was back at the space the following Sunday I put another window in the door leading out of the main meeting room to the wash sink room by the alley door entrance.

???????????????????????????????

So why give a gift to the MMS you ask?

To me, the MMS is more than a place to find a machine to use that I do not have any other access to for the low, low price of $40.00 a month. Sure you could just pay your money and work on your projects, maybe complain that a specific tool was not working when you needed it or you had to clean a spot to work on your project before you can even begin to work on your own stuff (that really burns my butt when it happens to me!) but there is a lot that happens at the MMS that most members don’t even realize. The affordable price of $40.00 a month does not allow for the MMS to pay a cleaning service to vacuum the rugs, clean the bathrooms, sweep the shop floors or do regular and preventive maintenance to the environment.

The value of the MMS is worth more than the bargain price of $40.00 a month to me. To me, MMS is a place I can go to and, yes use a machine that I do not have any other access to. I can also learn new skills and pick up positive energy from like-minded people. Seeing things made on machines that, before coming to MMS thought, you needed years of training to use I.E. (laser cutter, and 3D printers). The basic skills for some of the processes, only take a few minutes or a few hours to learn.

???????????????????????????????

You will find that in any organization there is a, 80/20 rule, 80% of the needed work is done by 20% of the members. I would rather be in the 20% minority and help build a place for others to enjoy then be in the majority and only work on what benefits me alone.

I love giving back to MMS. It allows me to do and be a part of so much, so Merry Christmas Milwaukee Makerspace!

I can hardly wait for the next holiday to come along so I can give even more gifts to MMS.

Adrian

Be careful what you ask for!

Posted on by Adrian Volden

Zamboni 6 photo

Several months ago, a humorous request went out for a Zamboni that could be used on the Nerdy Derby track.

Last year the Milwaukee Makerspace held a Maker Fest and a Nerdy Derby track was made for the occasion. The design allowed the track to be disassembled in 4 foot long sections.

When the track was reassembled, earlier this year, for the South Side Chicago Maker Faire, it was found that the joints did not match up as well as when it was first put together. Small ledges, that went up and down, would cause the cars to bounce off the track or hit the bottom of the car. Both of these scenarios prevented the cars from traveling freely down the track.

As many of you know, we just had a GREAT Maker Faire here in Milwaukee last month and the Nerdy Derby track was needed again!

We produced, and ran, over 1000 Nerdy Derby cars over the 2 day event. Wow!

Zamboni 10 photo

A month or so before the event I started working on an idea for a Zamboni type of device. My first thought was of a custom contoured planer that could be used at each joint to smooth them out. This idea seemed like too much work so I proceeded forward with my second design. This consisted of a simple sled hat used a drum sander, which smoothed out the high spots. Wood putty was then used to fill in any low spots.

 

MARRIED TO A MAKERSPACE GEEK

Posted on by Adrian Volden

logo

 

I’ve known since I met my Makerspace Geek husband that he could fix ANYTHING. It didn’t always look pretty but it would work. I’m reminded DAILY just how talented he is. Unfortunately, over the years, being somewhat of a minimalist, I ran out of things to put on his Honey-Do List. I would find myself, at times, racking my brain trying to think of something he could fix or make. Because after completing a task and joyfully erasing it from the fix-it/make-it board, he was happy, contented and fulfilled. Lo and Behold he discovered Makerspace. I should celebrate the day as one would a major holiday. It has transformed my little geek into a big geek. He LOVES Makerspace and I love that he has a place to go where he can share, with other like-minded individuals, all the geeky thoughts spinning in his head. He still shares some of that with me but I know that oftentimes my head kind of goes on blank mode and I find myself just looking at him, trying not to nod off and listen. After his joining and I got over his starting every sentence with something about Makerspace, or his approaching total strangers and handing out a Makerspace card, or striking up conversations with family and friends and droning on for, what seemed like hours, about Makerspace, I surrendered. Why??? Because it makes him darn happy, that’s why. And who doesn’t want to see someone they love being happy??

 

So now when we’re eating dinner and I see him chomping at the bit because he wants to be at the club, I wish him well on his merry way and sit back to a quiet evening. If I’m awake when he gets home I get to hear all about the goings-on. I admit to crashing, often before he gets home because when he does he’s often so jazzed that I then have trouble falling to sleep .
Thanks, Makerspace, for making a space for him

Jack Manufacturing Concentrated Magic!?

Posted on by Adrian Volden

Jack Manufacturing Concentrated Magic

We had a group from Liquid Wrench and Tinkernation out to shoot some promo videos about our Power Racing Series team a few weeks ago and they dropped off some Jack Manufacturing 3 ounce samples of Concentrated Magic “The World’s Best industrial Hand Soap.”

After working in our shop one Sunday I was ready to get cleaned up and I had several hand cleaners to choose from, something in an orange bottle with a pumice, green bar soap with pumice, a bottle of blue dish soap or the Jack Manufacturing Concentrated Magic.

I used the Concentrated Magic sample. Wow did it work great! It got out all that little dirt that hides in the crevices of your skin and also it did not dry my hands out!

Thanks Liquid Wrench and Jack Manufacturing for all your great support, and for the product samples.

(Want a free sample? Check out their web site!)