Tag Archives: hackerspace
Fab Lab of the Week: MidSouth Makers Opens 3D Printing Workshop
This week’s featured Fab Lab is MidSouth Makers in Memphis, Tennessee.
Here is the mission of MidSouth Makers from their website:
Midsouth Makers aims to sustain the first ever hackerspace within the greater Memphis area. The goal of this hackerspace is bring in builders, tinkers, artists, makers, and doers together under one roof to form a makerspace. By bringing together these people a common place can be established to meet and discuss ideas, explore various technical endeavors, and communicate these thoughts with individuals from various backgrounds. Ultimately we seek to further our knowledge as individuals and as a group by learning what we can from each other.
MidSouth Makers was written up in local publication The Commercial Appeal:
Several members of MidSouth Makers have been building their own 3D printers in the last year. Typically, 3D printing technology, which has been around about 10 years, has been the toy of large-scale manufacturers, whose equipment costs in the tens of thousands. MidSouth Makers’ President Daniel Hess said there’s really no reason the little guy can’t get in on the action.
Hess spent about $800 on parts for his printer and bought $100 worth of plastic. However, the printer may use as little as 50 cents’ worth of plastic on each project.
Most of the printers in MidSouth Makers like it because it’s fun and they can raise some funds for their group by doing 3D Printing Build-Off events in other cities.
The group of 33 members was founded in January 2010. Members pay monthly dues to have 24/7 access to a 1,500-square-foot shop, all of the tools inside it, and the know-how of other members.
Many, like Hess, used to get in trouble with their spouses for tearing apart equipment in their living rooms. Some makers have more entrepreneurial hopes.
Fab Lab of the Week: Milwaukee Makerspace Adopts 3D Printing
Milwaukee Makerspace is part social club, part hackerspace. They held their grand opening party in April 2011 and have been growing ever since.
At its heart, [Milwaukee Makerspace] is a social club for people who like to build, invent, tinker and/or collect new skills and expand their minds. We have a wide range of skill sets in our membership and you’re likely to find someone who can talk about most any technical concept with you in a meaningful way. We are also a physical space where you can come, 24/7 as a full member, and have access to wide array of equipment you are not very likely to have at home. Plus, there are folks around the space that can give you tips and pointers on operating that equipment effectively. (About page)
The space is home to a variety of equipment and tools, from woodworking to electronics to robotics to metal working to photography. Unfortunately, their only 3D printing equipment, a MakerBot CupCake is not currently in the shop. But it looks like this is about to change.
In May, some members came together to showcase 3 different 3D printers: a MakerGear Prusa Mendel, a MakerGear Mosaic, and a Printrbot.
In June, they are expecting a visit from MakerBot to “show off their Replicator and talk about 3D printing.”
And in July, the Makerspace is hosting a 3D printing meetup:
3D Printing is getting more and more popular, and we’ve got a bunch of members who have built printers, or are building printers, or just know a heck of a lot about 3D Printing, so we figured we should meet up and discuss the topic.
So if you’ve ever wondered what in the world a MakerBot was, or heard of RepRap or Printrbot, or just wanted to see an actual 3D Printer laying down molten plastic to make a real-world object, well… we’ve got just the ticket.
We’re excited to see the Milwaukee Makerspace adopt 3D printing!
Want to learn more? Watch the video below to hear from the founding members of Milwaukee Makerspace.
