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July 2009

KWartzLab and Make:KW explained

31Jul2009

kwartzlab_and_makekw

In talking with people about KWartzLab, I'm increasingly getting questions on the difference between KWartzLab and Make:KW.  Here's a crack at an explanation...

Game On! First official KWartzLab board meeting

31Jul2009

KWartzLab_first_official_board_meeting 007

It's official: KWartzLab is incorporated!  Just got the papers back from the gov on Wednesday.  This lets us move forward on all fronts: bank accounts, insurance, leases, ...

We wasted no time in calling the first official board meeting.  Click through for deets...

Getting the word out

31Jul2009

Hear ye! Hear ye!

KWartzLab Society Inc. is here, and we need to get the word out to all makers, artists, and tinkerers.

We have a great start from Ben at http://www.makekw.org/propaganda but we need more.

Do you have ideas for fliers, posters, key chains, or business cards?

Do you have ideas on how we can reach new people, or engaging and innovative ways we can show Kitchener-Waterloo who we are and what we are about?

Then I want to hear from you!

I have volunteered to head this campaign, but I need help from you. All
ideas and designs are welcome. Contact me at bevan.lantz@gmail.com with any suggestions.

KWartzLab should enter this contest!

30Jul2009

We've already got some soldering classes starting up, why not try to earn a $100 gift certificate from the Maker Shed?

Teach your Family to Solder Contest

I guess that means we'll have to bring some kids and spouses along, too!

- Jeff

Meetup: Learn to Solder with DW, James, and Andrew - Saturday, August 22, 2009

Submitted by DW on Wed, 2009-07-29 21:37

Hey Makers! This is what we're all about:
 
What: Learn to Solder with DW, James, and Andrew
  We'll be learning from scratch how to solder.  What is "soldering" you ask?  It's the joining of two metals (often wires) with a filler metal using heat.  Soldering is used to attach electronic components (like resistors) to printed circuit boards.  It's also a very handy skill for fixing a loose wire on a toy or wiring on your car, and the same principles apply soldering copper pipes in your home's plumbing or soldering the copper foil on stained glass projects.  If you are an absolute beginner, we want you.
  
  This meetup will be light on theory and heavy on doing.  Here's the plan:
  1. 10-minute intro to your tools and materials + mention of safety (hot end/cool end of tools and the importance of eye protection and fresh air)
  2. Soldering two wires together (x3)
  3. Build a small blinking LED kit so you have something to take home.
  The safety gear listed below is non-optional --without it we will send you down the road to Canadian Tire --so be sure to check your list.  All questions and RSVPs to DW.
 
When: Saturday, August 22, 2009 10am to noon -- rain or shine, we'll be in my spacious, bright and well-ventilated garage.
 

The Maker Controller Kit

29Jul2009

For those who saw my balance bot last night and were interested in the controller, it goes for $109 US available from makingthings.com

 

A nice comparison between the Arduino and the Maker Controller and the Maker Interface is at

www.makingthings.com/arduino-comparison

I've found the free software that comes with it, adequate enough although you wouldn't want to do anything major with it. However it does have some nice libraries (all the heavy lifting is done for you) and a nice USB interface.

They've got windows and Linux versions however I don't think the Linux version is quite as polished.

I've not used an Arduino and this is my first embedded project so I can't really tell you about a comparison, only that it is usable and tons of fun.

 

KWartzLab social night

29Jul2009

KWartzLabJ_Social_2009-07-28 001

Alexandra is making a most beautiful dress with this sort of detail.  Quite amazing.  She has a digital sewing machine that can accept vector images and reproduce them in thread.  This and more at the social meetup last night at Zeke's (thanks for organizing it, Ben!)  Click through for deets...

Smallbear Electronics Order

28Jul2009

OK everyone, this time I'm placing an order at Small Bear Electronics.  If you see anything you like there, let me know and I'll add it to my order.

KWartzLab'ers at RIM eat lunch!

28Jul2009

KWartzLab-RIM_lunch_2009-07-28 001

It just so happens that 9 out of the 23 KWartzLab founders work at RIM, so I thought it would be fun to get some lunch together.  And it was!  Gus, Natalie, Katrina, Andrew, James, and I went to Mikey's today.  Cheryl, Matt, and Pawel had other commitments, but we'll catch them next time.  Katrina's pick for our next lunch was Kismet (who feed me twice a week on a regular basis --addictive naan).

Art of Sound Contest in the voting phase!

27Jul2009

At last the Art of Sound contest at Instructables has entered the voting phase.  You probably already know that my Prism Laser Guitar is entered in the contest (as are two other projects).  Naturally, I really really want to win, and I'm not ashamed to ask for your votes.  If you're a member at Instructables, take a few moments and vote for me.  You can vote more than once, so by all means vote for anything else that you think is deserving, too!  :)

The Contest

My entries: Prism Guitar, ValveLitzer Redux, ValveLitzer Trifecta

Thanks!