February 2011
6 posts
Zigduino
I’m generally more of a crafter than a maker, so things like the Arduino (which is very well known and popular in the maker scene) are still pretty new to me. So it was pretty exciting when I got to talk to Pierce Nichols about an Arduino technology that he created himself. For those of you who aren’t aware, according to the Arduino website, it’s, “an open-source electronics prototyping platform...
Survival and the Distributed Clone Factory.
Metrix Create:Space is a unique place. It is one of the very first hackerspaces on the planet to try a straight-up commercial model. It is not a non-profit, it is not academically funded, the staff does not support the place on its hobby budget. This is our job.
We survive by charging for our services.
A lot of people have asked me how in the world this place can exist.
We exist because...
Cut-out Spines (In a Good Way!)
We all know Metrix is a great place to work on school or personal projects and create just for fun. However, I recently learned of someone using the space in a more professional manner. Kelly Golob recently graduated from Southern California University of Health Sciences and is now practicing chiropractic care at Tumwater Chiropractic Center. What’s the first thing all those business blogs, books,...
Clocks!
I ran into Oskar the other day at Metrix and got to talk to him about his really neat project. He’s working on building his own gravity powered gear driven clock! For those of you not in the clock-making scene (probably most of you), this clock works just as a traditional grandfather clock would. It uses gravity to turn its gears, and then the time is derived by the position of the gears. This is...
Makeshops Galore!
We are super excited to announce some new makeshops and workshops in the coming weeks.
You’ve already heard about the Valentine’s Card Makeshop on Monday, February 7th- there is still room; we’d <3 to have you. It will start at 7pm, costs $25, and includes an quick intro to Inkscape. You’ll walk away with custom Valentine’s Cards that you have made!
Next...
January 2011
6 posts
Valentine Card Makeshop and Self-Repair
We are excited to announce the next Makeshop! Come down on Monday, February 7th at 7pm, to creating unique, laser-cut valentine cards. Allison (of Inkscape for the Laser Cutter workshop) will host and provide a crash course in using Inkscape during the first 15 minutes. After that, we’ll have various papers and card stocks, glue, and the laser engraver waiting for you to use. Allison...
Craft Night
I wrote about Hacknight a couple of weeks ago, and I’m happy to say that a craft night appears to have started as well! I found Anna, Beca, Cheri and David all hanging out and crafting at Metrix the other night, and had to find out what they were up to. What started as a spontaneous meetup last week, has (hopefully) turned into a regular once a week event led by these crafty folk. They’ve decided...
Ping Pong
Ping pong balls. What does that remind you of? The racquet sports class you took as your gym requirement in high school? Rowdy parties in college? Forrest Gump? Would you believe there was anything cool that could come from ping pong? (Sorry table tennis players, your sport will never be cool.) Prepare to be surprised! I met someone at Metrix who was working on a class assignment for making...
Fun Toys and Workshop Update
We have some fun new toys for big and little people alike. What awesome things can you think of to make out of primary-colored snap-togethers, legos, some titanium springs, and surgical tubing? Come in and show us!
While you’re here, sign up for one of our workshops. I’m re-posting the schedule for your convenient reference and to encourage you to consider one of our newer...
Hacknight
One of the great things about Metrix is its community. There are plenty of people who prefer to work alone, but for those who don’t, there are lots of events available at the shop. Besides workshops and makeshops, there are also various weekly meetups for those interested in the same kind of projects. One of the longest running such nights is Hacknight, which meets every Wednesday evening. Having...
2010 Membership Badges and the Calendar
Come on by to pick up your membership badge if you haven’t gotten yours yet. We have a bunch for those of you who signed up in 2010 (and some for those who signed up in 2009!).
You may have noticed a glitch in the calendar on our website last week. Things should be in full working order now. If you have added the Metrix calendar to your own Google calendar, please come back and add it...
December 2010
8 posts
LEDabbling
Last night was the first makeshop at Metrix, and it was really fun! For those of you unaware, makeshops are like workshops but without teachers. Everyone has the same starting materials, has access to all the tools in the shop, and are set free to create as they wish. Last night’s theme was blinking LEDs, and while I didn’t get mine to blink, I made a really cute LED firefly. Everyone else seemed...
Makeshops!
You’ve probably heard of Metrix’s workshops, but have you heard of their makeshops? If not, don’t feel bad, they’re new! In fact, the first one is tomorrow night (Tuesday) from 7-9! Wondering what, exactly, a makeshop is? Well, everyone starts out with the same hardware provided by Metrix, then you have two hours of free time to build something with what you’re given- all the tools in the store...
A New Key(less) System
I met Mark Atwood at Metrix recently and he told me about an interesting problem he was experiencing at his home. He lives in a house with several people, and they’re always having visitors. The problem with this was keeping track of keys. He didn’t want to keep his house unlocked all the time, but he also didn’t want to rekey the house. What’s his solution? Neat technology of course! He’s...
Gift Certificates!
I made some gift certificates if you still have last-minute Christmas shopping! They’re good for everything we sell at the shop, including design consultation, workshops, toolbox time, and materials.
They’re laser-cut from 3mm birch plywood, measure about 10cm by 14cm, and will withstand significant handling. We have denominations of $25, $50, and $100 on hand. We can...
Motors at Metrix!
Lately at Metrix you might have noticed some electric motor kits for sale on the counter. You may have thought they were done by a large company because they look so professional, but they’re actually cut at the shop, and put together by one of the patrons! David Cole is turning his penchant for design and tinkering into a new business for helping people learn and get creative. As someone who is...
A+
It’s been a couple of years since I was in college, but of course I remember it. Having classes so early in the morning (who expects college students to be at school by 9?), boring teachers and too much homework. Of course, looking back on it, I realize I’m one of the few lucky ones in the world who gets to attend higher education, and I should have appreciated it more while it was happening....
Metrix Craft and Project Extravaganza and...
Upcoming on Thursday, December 16th from 7-10pm, we invite you, all your friends, and anyone else you happen to run into on your way down, to come to Metrix to peruse what promises to be an exciting display of creativity during our Craft and Project Extravaganza.
We are inviting all of our Metrix community members who have Made Something Awesome (whether here at Metrix or otherwise) to display...
"Hello computer."
Have you ever seen a Science Fiction show and wanted a future device to be real today? Personally, I’m waiting on teleporters, but one Metrix patron decided to start somewhere a bit more possible- the tricorder. For those not familiar, the tricorder is a piece of technology found in the Star Trek universe. It examines geological, meteorological and biological data (hence, the “tri”). Probably more...
November 2010
10 posts
