You can pick your friends.

You can pick your beer.
But can you pick… a Lock?

Join us on Sunday, November 20th, from 2-4pm, as we embark on an ancient mechanical adventure to explore the inner workings of a modern lock, first developed by the Mesopotamians and Egyptians over 4000 years ago. Led by lockpickers Eric Michaud and Jamie Schwettmann, this workshop will cover - soup to nuts - everything you need to know about how common locks work… and how to pick them open.

Whether you’re a complete novice curious to find out what pin-tumbler really means, a homeowner protecting your family’s treasures, or a veteran lockpicker with questions about advanced locks and techniques, this event is for  you! With 2 solid hours of history, mechanical diagrams (“lock pr0n”), and hands-on lockpicking instruction… first we’ll open your minds, and then we’ll open some locks!

To properly learn this ancient art, you’ll need the proper tools.  By registering for a ticket with a lockpick set, this guarantees you a seat at the workshop, and reserves - all for you - a brand-new 10-piece custom lockpick set by Southern Specialties, hand-picked by Eric and Jamie to maximize utility for beginners and locksport enthusiasts alike, and offered for only $30.

If you already have some picks you’re itching to practice with, you can bring them along, and your workshop cost is only $50!

Register Now!

BONUS:  Metrix members get $10 off a ticket!  (Visit the Metrix member mailing list to get the discount code)

4:48 pm  •  15 November 2011 by mattw-at-metrix   •  view comments

What does November mean to you? Remembering our Veterans? Celebrating (American) Thanksgiving? Viewing the autumn colors? For many, it’s all these things and also… shopping! Black Friday is of course the infamous day when many people buy all of their Christmas items at once, causing mass hysteria around the country. I want to let you know that it doesn’t have to be that way! While I won’t preach to you about Buy Nothing Day, you can instead sleep during the time you would have spent in line waiting for your favorite store to open at 5AM, and then come down to Metrix and create your presents instead! I will be teaching a workshop next Tuesday, November 15 from 7-9:30 PM all about how to use Inkscape to design cool things to cut out on Metrix’s laser cutter!

You may be wondering what sorts of (amazing) gifts you might be able to make, and I’d be happy to give you some examples. The first thing that pops into my mind are holiday cards. I’ve taught some card makeshops in the past, and my students produced amazing, unique cards to give to their loved ones. With the laser, it would be super easy to make a bunch to send to all your friends and family at a fraction of the price of buying cards in the store. And they’d be hand-made! Here’s an example of a card I made for Mother’s Day. Just imagine the flowers as a door wreath (perhaps with green holly, complete with red berries), and you’d have a simple and one of a kind card for winter.

Another popular gift is ornaments. Whether for your tree, or just to place and hang around your home as decor, ornaments are a cute gift for close friends and acquaintances alike. Look at this example:

And this one:

If you want to put a little more time into your gift you could make a mobile, coasters, wall art, wall clocks, custom sewing projects (yes, the laser cuts fabric!), jewelry, and much more! Come to the class and I will give you all the skills you need to make a special something for the special people in your life. Remember! November 15th 7-9:30PM, call ahead to reserve your spot. If you can’t make it, don’t worry! I do private lessons! Email me allison@sweetium.com

5:31 pm  •  11 November 2011 by allisonatmetrix   •  view comments

Put Saturday, November 19th on your Calendar.  At 2PM, Peter Zatko, AKA Mudge, a hacker and Program Manager at DARPA’s innovation program, will be going over their new funding program, Cyber Fast Track here at Metrix Create:Space.  

If you saw the Blackhat Keynote (here’s the video @32:35), or read the Slashdot post about it, you may know that DARPA is looking to get lighter, faster, and cheaper by reaching out to the hackerspace/makerspace communities.   If not, consider this your notice:  

DARPA wants YOU to make cool stuff you were thinking about making already, will FUND you to do it, and you get to keep commercial rights to it.

Come down, find out from the source how this works and see if you should apply for some DARPA dollars.   I know from the projects that I’ve seen at the shop that many of you should be down here for this.

Want to get started early?

DARPA-RA-11-52 

Anyone feel like putting together a cram session before the meeting?  Drop a comment.

4:42 am  •  8 November 2011 by mattw-at-metrix   •  view comments

Want to make a pocket digital translator? Wondering what makes robots do useful or entertaining things?

The answer to all your [technical] curiosities is Arduino!

We are teaching our monthly Intro to Arduino class at Metrix Create: Space

on Broadway, tomorrow

Tuesday, October 25 at 7 PM

We’ll be going over the basics of the hardware of the Arduino board as well as getting into some of the programming necessary to get your Arduino to make fun things happen. 

If you are intrigued but don’t even know what is an Arduino board, it is a programmable mini robotic brain that you can use in all kinds of awesome projects to make things happen your way. 

All you need for the class is your computer and your awesome ideas. We provide the rest.

To sign up give us a call or just come down to our shop.

11:49 pm  •  24 October 2011 by plamena-at-metrix   •  view comments

Many thanks to all of you who came out to celebrate the Metrix Create:Space 2-Year Anniversary! And those of you who couldn’t make it: Shame on you! You missed out on a seriously fun night of drinking and making.

We know you are all dying to find out who the winners are of the very first

                           Metrix Create:Contest/Tangram Edition

It was rough out here for a Tangram creation, and a few sadly did not survive the judging process (given the somewhat impaired motor skills of our fine judges). But all were nonetheless judged…

…and here are the winners by category (as defined by the judges):

Most Creative (set of clear glass space invaders)

Tallest (blown glass bowl)

(the creation in the center-Adam)

Most Surprising (Sack of Neon Audience)

(Austin)

Simple yet Novel (Gift Certificate)

(Terence Tam-creation on right)

Most Intricate (Small blue print)

(Terence Tam?)

Most Colorful (set of three ceramic shot glasses-from our newest batch)

Best Use of Axial Symmetry (Taco Bell print)

All winners please come claim your prizes at Metrix before they get buried under our ever growing pile of things that might be useful someday.

Thanks again for sharing in the fun and we hope to see you all soon at Metrix with some awesome projects!

7:13 pm  •  17 October 2011 by plamena-at-metrix   •  view comments

Metrix’s second year anniversary party is coming up tomorrow (be there at 7)! I thought I would take the opportunity to interview a couple of people close to the shop and get their takes on how Metrix has grown and changed, and a little of where the shop is headed in the future.

The first person I interviewed was Matthew “Wilson” Wilson. A longtime friend of the owner, Matt, Wilson has “been at Metrix before it even existed”. If you’ve ever stopped by the store on Wednesday evenings you’ve probably seen a group of geeks chatting and hacking away. This is Hacknight (which I’ve written about before), and Wilson has been going to these meetings for at least 10 years. It was at one of these Hacknights that the idea of Metrix: Create Space was born.

Read More

10:09 pm  •  14 October 2011 by allisonatmetrix   •  view comments

Besides commemorating our 2-Year Anniversary with a range of apple beverages, we will be holding the very first

                        Metrix Create:Contest / 3D Tangram Edition

Contest Rules:

• each entry must use at least one 3D Tangram kit; no maximum limit
• unlimited number of entries per person
• each entry can win only in one category
• $4 per kit
• winners do not have to be present at time of judging; contestants must label creations and leave contact information if leaving before judging
• judges will not be employees of Metrix Create: Space

Categories (subject to change at judges’ discretion):

Most Creative

Tallest

Most Surprising

Simplest yet Novel

And now the best part…

PRIZES!!

Set of Custom Cast Glass Space Invaders

These awesome glass space invaders have a nice weighty feel to them and combine digital and analog fabrication methods developed right here at Metrix.

One of a Kind Ceramic Shotglass

You can own one of 10 unique shotglasses that combine centuries old techniques of ceramic casting and hand glazing with cutting edge 3D digital design and production methods. 

Signed photograph by Matt Westervelt: high quality print on canvas              (5 small and 1 large)

Matt owns many fancy cameras and he knows how to use them WELL. These are well worth getting creative with some cardboard geometric pieces.

$25 Metrix Create: Space Gift Certificates (2)

The possibilities are endless! Some ways you can use your certificate:

• 3D print a miniature replica of yourself
• laser cut a likeness of your favorite constellation 
• buy enough LEDS and electronics components to spell out your name in lights in your entryway
• embroider 2.5 hours worth of patches stating your various opinions
• make an epic sculpture for your private neon audience (see below)

Sack of Neon Audience

Whether you have visions of grandeur or like your quiet time, the Sack of Neon Audience provides you with the silent adulation everyone needs sometimes. Carry it around with you and assemble as needed anywhere anytime.

Ten Tangram Kits

Make a monster Tangram creation.

Don’t miss out on all the fun! Come down to Metrix Create: Space and help us celebrate. 

Saturday, October 15, 7 PM until….

9:52 pm  •  14 October 2011 by plamena-at-metrix   •  view comments

Metrix Create:Space opened up two years ago this Saturday.   To commemorate the event, we are throwing a party.   Just like last year, we are shutting off the laser, cutting power to the kiln and breaking out the booze.  Safety is important.

Show up at 7 to get first crack at the cider and join the Create:Contest.  There will be prizes…

10/15 Saturday night. 7pm through Midnight.

Metrix Create:Space
623 Broadway E
Seattle, 98102 

10:22 pm  •  10 October 2011 by mattw-at-metrix   •  view comments

Many of you who have come into Metrix over the last few months have wondered about the ducks. As this post unfolds, it will uncover the story of the Metrix ducks, so read on…

The concept behind our army of ducks is to have a single object as a sample of the various production and fabrication methods we offer at Metrix Create: Space. Using the same object allows for easy comparisons of texture, flexibility, strength, production time, and material characteristics such as shrink rates.

First things first: In order to do 3D production, you need a 3D model. I found a STL of a rubber ducky and modified it a bit. You can find the final file as well as the 3D files for the molds discussed below at the following link:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:12224

The files are scaled to produce a duck that fits into a cube that is about 2x2x2 inches. The mold files take the original duck 3D file and build a box around it that is thick enough to account for the strength of the material from which it will be produced.

The original duck:

The first ducky is printed in powder on a ZCorp Z400 powder printer. We use hydroperm for the powder material, which is a mix of plaster of paris, portland cement, and silica. It behaves like plaster. The binder used to fuse together the layers of powder in the printer build bed is a mixture of water and alcohol. The duck is solid throughout and takes a little under 2 hours to print.

Because the powder material tends to be brittle and pretty fragile, printed objects can be dipped in paraffin, which infuses the top layers and makes the objects stronger. The light gray tint to the duck above is due to the paraffin infusion.

We also printed a ducky on our MakerBot. This one is printed in ABS. The horizontal striation is a product of the way the machine lays down and layers the extruded plastic. The ABS ducky is very durable, waterproof, and lightweight. It takes the same amount of time to print as the powder one; a little under 2 hours.

The great thing about powder printed objects is that they behave like plaster cast object, which makes them excellent for making molds for ceramic slip casting.

The casting process starts with a two part powder printed mold. It has to be made in two parts because of the complex curvature of the object we are casting. Being able to pull the mold apart allows for the object to be pulled out as one piece. The two parts of the mold come together, as aligned by the circular registration marks. Then the casting material is poured through the opening in the mold. The mold above is actually shown upside down. The pour hole is at the top so the ducky gets cast upside down.

This is one of the actual printed molds we used to slip cast some ducks. it took 4.5 hours to print. The large funnel at the opening facilitates pouring the casting material. The initial casting tests we did were with clay slip. This method of casting is a standard one in ceramics. Clay is mixed with water to make it liquid enough to pour into a mold. The porous plaster, or in our case hydroperm, absorbs the moisture from the clay slip, pulling the solid clay particles against the walls of the mold. As more of the moisture is sucked out, the cast object starts to separate from the walls of the mold. At that point the mold can be pulled apart and the object extracted. The resulting ducks are hollow and vary in wall thickness based on how long the slip was allowed to sit in the mold before some of it was poured back out. Each duck pour was allowed to sit between 10 and 30 minutes before pouring the left over clay slip out of the mold. 

These are some of the resulting ceramic ducks. Once a slip cast duck is pulled out of the mold, it sits for a few days in order to lose more of the water still contained in the clay. Once it is sufficiently dry, it goes in the kiln to be fired at Cone 4 temperatures. This process takes about 7.5 hours and is called the bisque stage of the ceramic object. Once it comes out, a bisqued duck is bright white and can be glazed with just a clear overglaze, like the white duck on the left or it can be painted with various color glazes and then covered in overglaze. Once the glazes dry, each duck goes back in the kiln to be fired for 8.5 hours at Cone 6 temperatures, which completes the ceramic ducky process. The ducks that come out are waterproof, fairly durable, and vary in weight based on their wall thickness. Each duck loses about 18-20% of its original size in the drying and firing process.

Using different glazes and layering them produces some pretty fancy results.

We had the opportunity to also slip cast with porcelain slip, which produced a lightweight, very durable duck with a light gray tint. After firing it, even before glazing, this porcelain has a smooth, satin finish to it.

After the porcelain firing process is complete, the duck loses 25-30% in its size due to shrinkage.

Once we started casting, we figured we would use our molds for casting some non-ceramic materials.

In order to cast a urethane rubber ducky, the mold had to be dipped in wax multiple times. It’s good to space the wax dips so that the wax layers, rather than just getting absorbed by the hydroperm. The thicker the wax layer inside the mold, the easier the urethane object will release from the mold. Also, it will have a smoother texture. This urethane rubber duck is durable and quite bouncy. It sets in about 24 hours and reaches its full curing cycle in 48 hours.

We also did a silicone cast version.

We used Smooth-On DragonSkin, which is a platinum grade silicone and takes 3-4 hours to set fully. It’s strong and highly heat resistant. It is also very flexible and has a nice translucent quality. Thoroughly waxing the mold for the silicone cast is also recommended. It doesn’t so much affect the release, which is very easy due to the nature of this silicone product, but rather makes for a nicer surface texture.

Next we thought we’d try casting glass. It took a few tries to get that process right. We had to produce a fully enclosed version of the duck mold because the glass leaked out of the two-part mold once it melted in the kiln. The glass casting process is a bit different since we start with a solid state product. The trick is to weigh out the right amount of glass pieces to fill the volume of the duck. We fit all the pieces in the funnel part of the mold and everything gets placed in the kiln. The firing happens at Cone 10 temperatures. It takes about 20 hours for the whole process during which the glass is melted and flows into the mold. Once it cools off, the fired hydroperm of the mold breaks away very easily, revealing the glass duck.

The texture of the mold gives a stippled quality to the surface of the glass ducks. This can be left as it is or filed to a smoother finish.

So there you have it! Hopefully our ducks will inspire you to make some fun things of your own. Want to cast something we haven’t done? Bring your material in and we’ll give it a try.

Stay tuned for more ducks to come. 

If you have any questions about any of our processes or materials used feel free to come in and ask :)

9:49 pm  •  6 October 2011 by plamena-at-metrix   •  view comments

Unfortunately due to a number of factors beyond our control (apartment upheaval; extended family funeral) this Makeshop is POSTPONED.  Watch for it closer to the Winter Solstice holidays, and keep thinking of new and different things to do to improve on your stuffies!

Mod Your Plush Makeshop

Thursday October 6th 7pm to 9pm

Metrix 623A Broadway East  Seattle WA 98102

$25 with all materials, guidance, and inspiration included!

7:30 pm  •  30 September 2011 by snouted   •  view comments