Maker Faire

[Gregg]

Guys and Gals:

This may be a little off-topic, but I really think this applies to all of us.

I met with the Associate Publisher, Dan Woods, of Make magazine the Friday before the NNL West in the Bay Area.

John Oszajca was with me, and we met Dan of Make and Jim Newton of TechShop in Menlo Park, CA.

Now, this is where things just make you go "WHAT!"

Make magazine is basically the GEEK magazine for anyone who likes to make things: it doesn't matter what it is, if you like to make things, Make magazine covers it. From robots, model airplanes, technogizmo thingees, blimps, solar projects, home movies, it really covers anything and everything having to do with making things.

And, isn't that what we do?

We make models, or, as we say, we build models.

I make a mess, but that's besides the point....

Anyway (I'm getting to the point...), John and I met with Dan and Jim at this incredible place called Tech Shop in Menlo Park.

It's a maker's paradise, and the best way to describe how it works is that it's like a gym membership: you pay x amount per month, and you get to use all of these incredible tools, machines, resources, for your monthly membership fees. There is no buy in, up front costs, or anything! You can use, if you are qualified or go through the required training) every single one of the machines they have there.

Now, what do they have?

EVERYTHING!!!!

From milling machines, to 3D printers, plasma cutters... just look at the flyer here:

Seriously, Tech Shop is worth it even for me being out here in Hawaii.

I would fly there every month, pay my monthly membership, and build some of the most incredible models, and projects, I could dream of.

But then, I have a magazine to put out.

Which brings me to the other point of this post.

I read about Make magazine on one of publishing sites I visit all the time, and I sent them an email, hoping to get more info from them.

Well, it turns out, that we have more in common than I thought!

Make magazine is about people of all walks of life making things, which is what our hobby is about.

I was so impressed with Make magazine, that I have made a 90% commitment to coming back to the Bay Area May 3-4 at the San Mateo Fairgrounds for the Maker Faire. http://www.makerfaire.com/

I really think this will open the doors to not only those who attend Maker Faire, but to us model car builders out there who want to take our hobby, passion, and art to the next level.

With the technology that's available (and with avenues such as Tech Shop which makes those tools that would only be dreams to most of us available for a monthly membership), this will push our hobby way beyond the next level.

It will also bring in others who make things to see what our hobby is and has become.

So, if anyone in the Bay Area wants to jump on board with me and help MCM get through a weekend of 50K plus people asking questions, looking at what we do, and maybe a "Make n Take" for the kids, let me know.

I am going to be working on this all through the next week or so.

I will keep everyone informed.

The site for the magazine is:

http://www.makezine.com/magazine/

It's published four times a year, and I found it at Barnes & Noble.

That's my high horse for now.

But I tell you, wait till you see pics and article I'm doing on Tech Shop: you will be amazed!!!!

I still am!

[Junkman]

Funnily enough, for 99.9% of my modelling I use

a sprue cutter

a X-Acto 11

a razor blade

sandpaper

Admittedly, my models might look like it, but all these fancy tools I accumulated over the decades were not used more than once to try them out. Then I usually revert to the 1958 way of things.

[Ron L]

My friend goes to Techshop and he's enjoying it. A bit too far for me, but I'm spoiled because I have free access to pretty much all that from home and at work combined.

The makefaire sounds great! I'll have to bring the kids to that. Too bad I just started my huge R/C project and no way I'll be done by May. I'm using gutted remains of a 49cc pocketbike to make a 1/4 scale-ish buggy - maybe next year!

I'd like to help, Gregg, but I don't know what's in my schedule yet for that weekend.