Tag Archives: makers

2013 Annual Member Survey Results!

Posted on by BrantH

Feedback and constructive criticism can be great tools for planning and managing any sort of endeavor.  Gauging the interests, concerns, and opinions of our group can help us make better decision on how to spend time and money as well as working with each other and the community.  Last month we asked our members to take a survey and share their thoughts with us.  Why do people come to Milwaukee Makerspace?  What do they do here?  What would they like to see more of?  What can we do better?  44 members responded (or about 39% of the total group) and after spending some time slaving over spreadsheets, we published the results.

Two of the biggest questions we asked survey-takers were: 1) What do you come to Milwaukee Makerspace for? and 2) What is important to you?  The following results can be found in our 19 page report, available for download here:  http://wiki.milwaukeemakerspace.org/_media/2013_annual_mms_member_survey.pdf

2013survey-reasons

Image 1 of 2

 

BrownDogGadgets

Posted on by Pete Prodoehl

BrownDogGadgets

I first came across BrownDogGadgets on Etsy back in 2011, and was excited to see a kit-maker in Milwaukee. Somehow I never managed to connect with the man behind BrownDogGadgets until recently when we somehow became friends on Facebook, and I then realized that Joshua was the driving force behind BrownDogGadgets.

BrownDogGadgets makes a variety of fun electronics kits, many of which center around solar energy, and many of which fit in empty Altoid tins. (There’s also some Arduino-compatible kits which look pretty interesting.)

We’re glad to have Joshua as a new member of Milwaukee Makerspace and look forward to having someone with kit-making skills in the group.

Check out browndoggadgets.com for some awesome kit fun!

Ho Ho Lights

Posted on by Collin Britt

My Husband and I wanted to put up some kind of Christmas decorations in our apartment windows over looking the city. After talking about it for a while, I decided to make lighted letters saying, “HO HO HO” …but since we only have two pairs of windows, it would have to just be, “HO HO”.

In the wee hours on Black Friday, we got the materials: 4 sheets of wood, 4 boxes of 100 count LED lights, and extension cords. After sketching out the design…

…and cutting out the letters…

…it was time to drill the 400 holes and hot glue all the lights in place.

It only took a weekend to make and hang these and I think the end result is well worth it.

MAHRER CHRERSTMAHS

The Group (Photo!)

Posted on by Pete Prodoehl

Kudos to David (known to the group as a videographer and motorcycle enthusiast) who must have experience herding cats, because he managed to get a whole bunch of members to take a break from making and stand still long enough for a group photo.

I’m not sure which one should be the “official” group photo, so I’ve posted all three of them below. Let us know which one you like the best!

Milwaukee Makerspace Members
Option #3: “Serious”

Milwaukee Makerspace Members
Option #2: “Lighthearted”

Milwaukee Makerspace Members
Option #1: “Machete”

Note: Whichever photo gets chosen as the “official” Milwaukee Makerspace Group Photo will remain the “official” Milwaukee Makerspace Group Photo until we take a new “official” Milwaukee Makerspace Group Photo.

Note #2: This photo does not represent all of our members, just the people that were there on a Tuesday night after the weekly meeting. If you want to stop by and meet us, any Tuesday Night at 7pm would be a great time. Men, women, and robots are all welcome!