February 2023 Newsletter

Monthly Membership Meeting

March 1  7:30pm to 8:30pm

Monthly Social - March 12 MS-P

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Leesburg Workday TBD  9am - 2pm

Purcellville Workday March 4   9am - 2pm

There's something for everyone - get those volunteer hours in!

President's Message

Adam "Squirrl" McClintock

Greetings Makers,

I have very much enjoyed giving Intro to Blacksmithing classes through February. They continue to fill up rapidly so I will keep putting those up. We seem mostly caught up on Blacksmithing Red Tools as the last one didn’t fill fully but please let me know if you are looking for that class.  I will get some more Intro to Blacksmithing classes on the schedule as well.  I am looking into adding a new BS class centered around making smithed handles for drawers/charcuterie boards so keep an eye out for that one if you are interested.

We have begun creating a “Teach A Class” workshop.  The goal of this workshop is to take members from nothing to scheduling a class.  We will assist in  developing a concept into a fully fledged class plan and then assist in the scheduling of that class.  We held one round of this and learned quite a bit from the members who attended.  Once this process is formalized we will begin offering this workshop more often.

I have started a monthly Makersmiths Social at each physical space.  Always check the calendar but we will try and schedule them on the second Sunday of each month for MSP and the fourth Sunday of each month for MSL.  The first one was held at MSL this previous Sunday and I believe it was a great success.  We had excellent attendance especially considering I hadn’t given much lead time to attendees.  I’d like to thank everyone who brought in snacks and especially those that had/took the time to make us some from scratch.  Looking forward to meeting even more members in person at future socials!

We are implementing a New Member Liaison program.  This is somewhat similar to prior mentor/sponsor programs but I want this one to focus on the experienced members reaching out to new members directly over Slack to assist them in learning the organization and figuring out how/where to best ask questions and learn.  If you are interested in being a Liaison please let Squirrl or someone from the Membership Committee know.

I am creating a group build at MSP which will be a large mobile fire pit that we will weld/smith from scratch and will be used for social nights at MSP.  Please let me know if you are interested in helping.

Please keep an eye out for information coming soon on the Purcellville 4th of July Parade.  Tom Hill is checking on the town theme and will pass on some info on this soon.

If you are looking for a class that we don’t currently offer please suggest it in the #class_planning_and_requests channel in Slack.  You can also suggest a class there that you might offer to see what kind of interest there is in that concept.  Additionally you can just let us know classes that you are waiting for to become available so that we can gage interest and engage the instructors for those classes.

I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the next Membership Meeting which will be Wednesday, March 1st, 2023 starting at 7:30pm with a pre-meeting hangout starting at 7:00pm if you are interested in a little chit chat and goofing off.

Feel free to engage me with any suggestions, questions, requests for help or just a “How do you do?”

Sincerely,
C. Adam “Squirrl” McClintock
President, Makersmiths

Makersmiths Education Initiatives

Glass Fusion

Suzanne Parisi

Glass fusing is the process of joining compatible sheet glasses together in a kiln until the glass fuses at approximately 1490 degrees Fahrenheit. Disparate pieces of glass must be compatible in order to ensure they can be fused properly. Most glass fusing involves involves stacking, or layering thin sheets of glass, often using different colors to create patterns or simple images.

Generally Soda-Lime glass is used for fusion. The compatibility of glass is a significant challenge in glass fusion as different types of glass expand at different rates. Glass manufacturers will offer fusing glass with COE (coefficient of expansion) numbering.

Step 1 : Assemble materials you will need to cut glass and begin drawing out a design. Cut glass into the desired shapes and grind down edges to create clean lines and close connections between the glass. Glass crystals (frit) and glass powder can also be used to decorate the design.

Step 2: Clean and Assemble your design. The glass must be thoroughly cleaned before firing. If the design is detailed, you may want to tack down pieces with a small amount of glue.

Step 3: Assemble and fire your piece. The stack is then placed inside the kiln and heated through a series of ramps (rapid heating) and soaks (holding the temperature at a specific point) until the separate pieces begin to bond together. The longer the kiln is held at the maximum temperature, the more thoroughly the stack will fuse, eventually softening and rounding the edges of the original shape. Once the desired effect has been achieved at the maximum desired temperature, the kiln temperature will be brought down quickly through the temperature range of 815 °C (1,499 °F) to 573 °C (1,063 °F) to avoid devitrification. The glass is then allowed to cool slowly over a specified time, soaking at specified temperature ranges which are essential to the annealing process. This prevents uneven cooling and breakage and produces a strong finished product. This cooling takes place normally for a period of 10–12 hours in 3 stages.

Step 4: Optional Glass Slumping. Once your piece is initially fused you may want to finish and refine the edges by grinding and sanding. You can also choose to sand blast the piece which gives it a matte finish. Once your piece is finished and cleaned, place glass on a mold for the desired shape and prepare for an additional firing to mold the initially fused glass into a bowl or plate. The bowl I made went through 2 firings: the first to fuse the glass and the second to slump the glass into a final shape.

editors note: I did check with our Kiln Crew over in #ceramics and they are willing to try this in our MSP kiln to determine best practices, barring any unforeseen issues. Our MSP kiln is not a glass kiln, specific to this purpose, but could potentially be used for glass fusion. Please reach out on #ceramics if you want to explore this further. Suzanne Parisi created her piece at the Art Glass Center at Glen Echo MD

I Took A Sewing Class!

Tom Cotter

ZZZZZIIIP! Time flew by during the recent ‘Getting to Know Your Sewing Machine - Lined Drawstring Bag!’ class, recently held at MS-L.

This class provided a great introduction to the brand-new sewing machines at Makersmiths. During class we covered machine setup and operation, different stitches and material types, attachments, and the other sewing tools available to members. Jessee has a wealth of knowledge and did a great job teaching the class, answering our questions, and keeping us on track.

This course was unique in that it provided a RedTool overview to start using the sewing machines on your own and at the same time it was a project-based so we finished with a lined drawstring bag!

The class is also open to non-members so my wife and I signed up to learn more about our recently inherited sewing machine. Having access to the Makersmiths community and tools along with machines at home the project options have been expanded for both of us.

If you are interested in getting started sewing, enjoying the company of other community members, or looking for a fun project-based class then this is a great opportunity to make that happen.

Editors note: Have you taken a cool class recently? Would you be interested in sharing a short article about your experience? Please reach out to the #newsletter-committee channel on Slack!

Needed! Small Group for Feedback on a Potential New Class!

POC - Tom Cotter (@seaotter on Slack)

We have an idea for a new class and could use some input from the community! This new class will present the steps used to design, build and ship six duplicate kinetic sculptures or automata.  Class content will highlight various software and hardware tools, training, materials, and production workflows for five primary subassemblies followed by final assembly and delivery.

Throughout the presentation there will be discussions on how and why certain production processes were tried and which ones were finally used.  Content includes examples of the production parts, photos, screen captures and detailed workflows that highlight software, Red Tool training, tools, production steps and the different file types. The image below an example of one of the workflows, the base sub-assembly workflow

The goal for this class is to use the automata project to highlight various production workflows that you may find helpful when designing, producing, and delivering your next project. If you are interested in helping with the class pilot or in the class, please send a Slack DM (@seaotter) for more information.

Hydroponics Project Continues

Tom Pfotzer

Follow Makersmiths member Tom Pfotzer on his journey to hydroponic food production! 

I now have an operationally testable system for my hydroponic plant tower. My home printer was in 24/7 use as I printed the various tower components, with helpful advice on appropriate filament type (there’s food safe filament out there!) from fellow maker, Ed Gabb. I was able to find the component parts on Thingiverse, the ultimate make and share site for all things 3D printing.

3D printing tower components

One of each of the 3D printed tower components

I then moved on to the electrical wiring enclosure with help from maker Dave Painter. Dave showed me how to use the sheet metal bender at Purcellville to make a rectangular box from a flat sheet of aluminum. This enabled me to get exactly the size box needed without spending a fortune. Dave also showed me how to use Purcellville's sheet-metal hole punches to easily and quickly make holes in the box for entry/exit of wires and piping. Team-work made the job fast and easy.

The plumbing and electrical systems were passed and I am ready to begin testing!

Next Steps include:

• Connect robot controller hardware to the relays in the wiring cabinet
• Write the Lettuce Factory robot software, install it on the hardware, and test it
• Load the factory with nutrient solution and turn it on, and start the Factory control robot
• Move all the plants from the germination tank to their respective sockets on Factory Tower 1
• Install the new lights when they arrive

Editor's note: Tom’s blog is full of details on the entire product development cycle and this is a long-term project involving many interesting aspects. See many more details on this part of the process on his latest blog update, join the #hydroponics channel on slack, and reach out to Tom and say hey! 

Wiring cabinet and controls in the front, tower one next, gravity tank on the bottom, pipe conveying nutrient up to the gravity tank, and gravity tank at the top. 

Fabricating the frame

Wiring Cabinet after assembly

Side view of the system. It’s about 6′ long, 3′ wide, and 9′ tall. Nutrients flow from the nutrient tank bottom right, up to the gravity tank at the top, down through the supply manifold to each of the towers (only tower 1 installed now), out the bottom of the tower through the return manifold and back to the nutrient tank.

New Class Alert: Advanced Table Saw Techniques!

This class will demonstrate the use of the sled, changing the saw stop cartridge, and the use of jigs to make thin strips, finger joints, tenons, patterns, and tapers. The use of the dado stack will be addressed for creating rabbet joints, lap joints, and for making a drawer lock joint.

Attendees must have completed the Leesburg red tool woodshop class and have table saw familiarity. 

Watch for this class on the calendar

#gardening channel

Looks like community gardening at Ida Lee is back on again this year. Check out the channel to find out how to get down and dirty in the Makersmiths plot!

#watcha_make_today

Nice work by Rob Donahue!

"High res hill shade map of Loudoun county! Used some QGIS and Blender magic to pull together an old map and Digital Elevation Model files from SRTM data. Printed beautifully on Matte at the big Purcellville printer"

Heard around...

there's a need for anyone with html, framework, and basic website knowledge to help keep our Makersmiths.org website up and running! This is a great opportunity to get in those volunteer hours on your own schedule and in your PJs!

Have you seen the #hire-a-maker channel on Slack? Perfect for someone looking for a few jobs in their skill set or expanding their maker business!

Do you have a business you run using Makersmiths? Post about your business in the #makerbiz channel! We could all use some fresh holiday gift ideas!

The Newsletter could always use some new blood - share your projects, pitch some article ideas, tell me about something cool you've seen in your Maker travels! 

Did you know...

Makersmiths has a blog on their home page? 

Makersmiths is on Instagram?

Makersmiths has a YouTube page?

Red Tool Classes are an important step in your Maker journey!

MS-L

Cricut Basics - 3/4

Red Tool Woodworking - 3/6, 3/20

3D Resin Printer 101 - 2/7

Big Red CnC Operation - 3/8

MS-L Electronics Night - 3/9, 3/23

MS-P

Red Tool Metalworking Basics - 3/9

KidWind Tunnel Testing Day - 3/11

Introduction to SETI - 3/11

Red Tool Woodworking-Adv - 3/12, 3/30

Monthly Social - 3/12

MIG Welding Beginner - 3/13, 3/27

Red Tool Metalworking-basic - 3/15

Red Tool Woodworking-basic - 3/15

Makersmiths runs on volunteers!

Consider teaching a class or holding a workshop, especially in the lead up to the gift giving season!

check out the #host-a-class channel on Slack to get some help with your idea!

check back on the website - new classes are added all the time

TOOL AUTHORIZATION GROUPS

Dean Williamson

Makersmiths has lots of cool and useful tools, machines, and equipment.  Many of them require training or authorization before you can use the equipment.  The training can be as simple as an orientation, to a more formal “red tool” class, to demonstrating proficiency to the tool steward.  Such mandatory training helps ensure that all users understand how to use the equipment properly and safely, thus helping to keep the equipment running smoothly and minimize maintenance downtime as well as ensuring the safety of our members.

Below is a list of the tool groups which require training and for which we are tracking authorizations, or tool “sign-offs”. The tool steward(s) are listed next to each tool group, along with the method by which to get authorized to use the tools independently. Please contact the steward for more information about each tool. This list is not exhaustive of the tools available at Makersmiths and is updated regularly as we get new equipment or as needed.

The most current version of this list is posted on the Makersmiths wiki under “Tools, Materials & Training”.  Please check out the list.  You might discover a new tool that you didn’t realize Makersmiths had.

Makersmiths Leesburg: 106 Royal St SW, Leesburg, VA 20175

Makersmiths Purcellville: 785 S. 20th St, Purcellville, VA 20132