Makersmiths Inc. - January 2026 Newsletter

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January 2026 Newsletter

January 2026 Newsletter

Leesburg Workday: 1/31/2026 9am-2pm

Purcellville Workday: 1/03/2026 9am - 12pm

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

Monthly Membership Meeting

Meetings are the first Wednesday of every month at 7:30 PM. Log to:

http://meet.google.com/ubz-ykxr-kiu

Dial-in: (US) +1 304-609-2532

PIN: 114 333 983#

Announcements

Members Meeting Summary

Since our president, Diane Bollinger, is traveling, the BoD Member Jim Waldron ran the members’ meeting on January 7. We currently have 315 members. Here are summary notes.

In 2026, our Makersmiths revenue did not meet projections, but expenses were significantly down resulting in us ending the year in an excellent positive position.
The Board has adopted the 2026 Budget. Details can be found on the Wiki in the December Board Agenda.
We are going to have to begin collecting Sales Tax. This will likely result in a small increase in the machine and consumable fees we currently list, but this will be offset by allowing more free machine time hours per month. This is all still in flux. If you have questions or suggestions, please contact a Director.
At the Leesburg facility, Dana Eddy was appointed Co-Steward of the UV printer. Some new lights were installed, and work was completed in the transition area and slop sink. Minor electrical work was completed in the printroom and some computers were swapped out. 3D Printing is coming up with a plan for the 3D Shop (replacing old with new printers). Laser documentation was updated. We now have a new A3 size scanner donated by Ian Schue. Beginning in February, auto locking will be implemented on the front doors at Leesburg. Doors have been left unlocked overnight too many times. A doorbell will also be installed. Remember to take your phone with you if you leave the building or have your keypad code ready.

Leesburg will host a Chilli cook-off on February 28^th beginning at 10am.

The Purcellville facility reports that the Purcellville Town Council approved a new roof for the lower building and patching the main building’s roof. A new mini-split HVAC system is operational in the lower building’s ceramics studio and classroom.
New Network Gear for lower building was installed. The facility is going to need a new Air Compressor and we are exploring getting a new Plotter.
Please read in this newsletter the letters from Mike DeWan and Dave Painter about how our woodshops have been left a mess lately. Please clean up after yourself.
There is an opening for the Board of Directors. There is an opening for a seat on our Board of Directors. The term for this director will be from March 4th through June 24th.Nominations will be accepted between January 7th and January 20th. Each nominee must fill out and submit a Nomination Form which may be found at
http://wiki.makersmiths.org/display/MAK/Election+Nomination+Form%2C+Board+of+Directors
The voting will open at the Member meeting on February 4th after candidates have been given a chance to address the membership. The election will be electronic. Each member and eligible household will receive an email with a link to the voting application. The election will close at the beginning of the March 4th meeting. If a quorum of members (1/3rd of members) has been met, the elected candidate will be announced and immediately assume the role of director. If quorum is not met, the election is void. (And, in this particular case, due to the proximity of the Annual Member Meeting, there will not be enough time to hold an additional round of voting. The seat will remain vacant until after the Annual Member Meeting Board of Directors election (assuming quorum is met in that election).
Any member in good standing may run for the open seat. A member may self-nominate or be nominated by another member.

Attention All MakerSmiths Members!

Mike DeWan / Dave Painter

It has become an all to frequent occurrence that members using the Leesburg

woodshop have left the shop in total disarray.If you use the shop, please make

sure it is in "LIKE NEW" condition when you leave. Even if you only use one

machine for one process, please clean the entire shop. Here is what I found on the morning of Dec 26:

A heavy dust film over every machine and surface.
A heavy amount of dust on the Rigid sander.
The dust collector hose connections to the router table and the Dewalt planer were disconnected and hanging free.
The drum sander had massive amounts of dust inside and out.
Wood shavings from either the planer or jointer were inches deep along the wall.
Battery chargers left on the floor and covered with wood shavings.
The crosscut sled and knobs from the table saw were laying on the middle of the floor.
A heavy amount of wood dust under the table saw and miter saw.
The blade guard removed from the table saw and left on the workbench.

While this scene depicts an extreme case, it is not unusual.

THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR LEAVING THE SHOP IN THIS CONDITION. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO CLEAN THE SHOP BEFORE THEY CAN USE THE EQUIPMENT.

THIS HAS TO STOP !!!!
MSP hosted a Pine Wood Derby event on January 7 for the Girl Scouts, so I went in that morning to make certain everything was set up and ready. It’s a good thing I did that. Despite the fact that we just had our monthly workday, the wood shop was a mess! The first hint that things weren't right was that the front gate was locked incorrectly. The lights in the metal and wood shops were on; the EBF (Big Blue) was on. Slack messages said the jointer and the brand-new bandsaw were both out of commission. The router table was filthy, and tools were left out; the drill press was in the same condition. It took me an hour and a half to get the shop and machines squared away. I needed to order a new blade and throat plate for the bandsaw, replace three damaged or missing carbide inserts, and adjust the outfeed table (yes, the one you aren't supposed to mess with!) to get the Jointer back up and running.

It is time to remind folks of some of the rules at Makersmiths. The tools and machines are here for all members to use and enjoy. When you are finished with a machine, it is YOUR responsibility to return it to its normal configuration, put everything you have used back where it belongs, and leave the machine and area CLEAN. You are responsible for your own actions. If you break something or damage a machine by using it incorrectly, YOU are responsible for the repair costs. If you don't have time to clean up after yourself, you don't have time to work at Makersmiths! Use the machines and tools ONLY for their intended purpose, and don't do anything that may damage them or accelerate wear. Don't experiment with our machines. If you aren't comfortable running a machine or if you're not sure about using a machine - ASK FOR HELP! Now for some important specifics:
Jointer and Planer Rules

No recycled wood, period. No discussion, no wiggle room.
Check every piece of wood for foreign objects BEFORE using the machines.
These machines are for cutting wood, they are NOT to be used for stripping finish or paint off stuff
They HATE glue! If you can see glue on the surface of your workpiece scrape it off before feeding to either of these machines. No exceptions!

Bandsaw Rules

Wood only
Make sure the blade is tensioned properly BEFORE you cut.
When you are finished with the bandsaw, de-tension the blade so we don't wear out the tires prematurely. Don't know what I'm talking about? ASK!

Wide Belt Sander Rules

Double-check that the air compressor is on before you start, and check it periodically while you are using the machine. Especially when the temperature outside is below freezing or if someone is using the media blast cabinet. Low temperatures can cause the airlines to freeze, and the blast cabinet puts a heavy load on the air compressor, which occasionally overheats and cuts off.
No Visible Glue If you can see glue on the surface of your work, then scrape it off before sanding. Wood glue melts and sticks to the sandpaper belt and ruins it instantly. DON"T DO IT! You really want to replace a $75.00 sandpaper belt because you are too lazy to clean off your excess glue?

Material/Project Storage Rules

Do Not leave any material/supplies in the building overnight.
If your project is too big to move or needs to dry, you may leave it overnight, provided it doesn't block access to any tools or machines. That's overnight, NOT over several days.
ANY material left over 3 days, whether it has your name on it or not, is fair game and will be disposed of unless you have prior permission from the steward. In short, do not leave anything overnight that you wish to keep.

Questions? Contact me at dave.painter@makersmiths.org

Secretary Report

And another year winds down. The Board of directors met December 17th to consider the last business items of the year. The meeting was called to order at 7:03pm.

Dana Eddy joined the Stewards as a co-steward for the UV printer due to Jessee Maloney stepping down. The President will be announcing and election for a new Director position at the January Member meeting. Nominations will open on that date and run through the February Member meeting at which time the candidates will be given a chance to address the membership. Voting will immediately follow with the elected Director being announced at the March Member meeting. More details on the nomination and election process to follow.

We end the year in positive financial shape. The year end financials will be available at the January Board meeting on January 28th. Other Board business included funding for some replacement computers to accommodate tools and applications with ever expanding demands, and approving some Frame Shop and legal expenses.

The big news, of course, was the adoption of the 2026 budget. The adopted Budget meets all of our fiscal obligations, funds our Equipment Reserve and Capital Building Funds, funds our Shops at Steward requested levels, and results in positive cash flow and net positive 2026 retained earnings of approximately $10,000.00.

Open discussion items included a 3D Printer Shop development plan (removing some of the older FDM printers and maybe another new Bambu), formation of a review group on Slack to pursue a replacement plotter for MS-P, and realization that the air compressor at MS-P is on its last legs and will need replacement soon.

The Board extends Seasons Greeting to all our members and wishes for all a prosperous and project filled new year.

The meeting adjourned at 8:36.

We Now Have a CANVA Pro Account
Diane Painter

As a former teacher and now teacher-educator training folks to be teachers, I am intrigued by what CANVA can do for creating posters, letterheads, pamphlets, editing videos, and so much more. So, with the grant committee chairperson’s help (Jim Waldron), we applied for a nonprofit CANVA Pro account and we now have a Makersmiths account for up to 50 members! Jim is the owner of the account, and Rob Donahue (IT chairperson) and I (newsletter member) are team administrators. We invited people from our organization to join our team that we think will use CANVA Pro for helping to promote Makersmiths (Diane Bollinger as president, John Carter as site manager for MSL, Meaghen Flynn, newsletter editor). We are looking for other Makersmiths members who would be active team members that will help produce items for Makersmiths such as those wanting to use it to create presentations, edit images for our social media, create videos for training purposes, or prepare items for marketing. For example, I recently presented a poster session at the Virginia Society for Technology in Education (VSTE) conference to share what we do with youth at Makersmiths. My co-presenter was Christopher Archie from Lightridge HS in Aldie, VA who runs his school’s makerspace. I created a poster that shows youth activities at both our makerspaces. Please let us know of your interest in becoming a Makersmiths CANVA Pro team member.

Contact

Diane.Painter@makersmiths.org

Secret Santa Christmas Swap 2025

Diane Painter

Our annual Santa Gift Swap party at Makersmiths Purcellville on Saturday December 13 was so much fun! All the items were made by our members! Next year, Makersmiths Leesburg will host the event. What will YOU make and bring to the party? You have plenty of time to plan and make it!

MakerSmiths Community Outreach Initiatives

Diane Painter

Each year, Makersmiths initiates outreach activities that serve our community. For example, in January 2026, we have two scout derby car build nights planned at Makersmiths Purcellville. In September 2025, ladies from Makersmiths gathered together for a Cricut card-making luncheon. Forty winter holiday cards were made that went to the Legacy Elder Law Center in Leesburg that included them in goodie bags going to residents of Heritage Hall and the rehab center in Leesburg. These residents have no one visit them during the holidays. By making cards and having the law center associates write messages in them, this personalizes the goodie bags and sends a message that people care about them. If you are interested in participating in a card-making luncheon next fall, please let me know by emailing me at diane.painter@makersmiths.org. This is a great way of meeting other Makersmiths members, becoming involved in a meaningful community outreach initiative, but also learn how a Cricut machine can be used to make cards!

Woodworking Basic with Make and Take Red Tool Course

Makersmiths Purcellville is trying out an alternative to its traditional Basic Woodworking Red Tool course by offering the same course but with a make and take. The first time it was taught by Blair Marendt as a two-session course, but on December 16, Blair Marendt co-taught the class with Allen Hamlin and they had four students in one session. This time, students made a product but were given instructions to sand and stain it at home. Kiersti Esparza said of her experience, “We made cutting boards/serving trays in our red tool certification/make and take class last night. I appreciated the flexibility the instructors had. We each customized our design a little bit and as long as we were still using the tools we were being certified to use, they were good with it! This still needs a little sanding and oiling, but I am happy with it!”

The goal for Makersmiths-Purcellville is to offer both the traditional WWP-R100: Woodworking Basics Red Tool taught by John Borden for experienced woodworkers and the WWP-R101: Woodworking Basics with Make and Take - Red Tool Purcellville for those with limited woodworking experiences. Questions about which one to take to be signed off to work in the woodshop at Purcellville? Contact the site scheduler, diane.painter@makersmiths.org or the woodworking instructor John Borden at borden.john@gmail.com

KidWind 2026 is Off to a Great Start

Diane Painter

Makersmiths members Blair Marendt and Liz Clarkson are coaching the elementary wind team of six students in MSP’s lower building classroom from 9-11am on Saturdays. Tim and Joanna Pearson are coaching the Middle School Wind Team of four students from 1-3:30pm in MSP’s lower building classroom on Saturdays. The meetings began Dec 13, 2025 and will run through mid-March 2026. In the first meeting, all the wind participants created sail cars and tested them for speed and distance. They had three chances to improve their sails to determine which sail design captured the most wind (from a fan) and lessened drag. Wind energy, potential energy, kinetic energy and mechanical energy were displayed and discussed. Later on, these concepts will help the youth as they design and make their wind turbine blades.

High school and middle school solar teams began meeting at MSL on Dec 14, 2025 and will continue meeting on Sunday afternoons through mid-March, from 1PM to 7PM. Makersmiths members Jan Artz and Brian Jo will coach the middle school solar team of four students. Carol Grigg and Dan Schmidt will coach the high school solar team of seven students. Gary DuFour and Kenneth Parker are technical consultants.

Makersmiths electronics chairperson, Oliver Arend, began coaching the high school wind team off-site in Great Falls. He has three students. In January, Makersmiths KidWind organizer, Diane Painter, will work off-site as a volunteer at Lincoln ES to teach 4th and 5th graders about wind energy and wind turbines. Hopefully the school will want to form their own KidWind teams. In total, we have twenty-three youth in grades 3-12 registered in six Makersmiths KidWind teams.

On Saturday, Jan 31 (an all-day event) there will be a KidWind Expo at GMU’s Fuse Center in Arlington. Diane Painter will meet with KidWind coaches while the Kidwind wind teams will rotate to stations to learn about gears and airfoils and see for the first time how wind turbines are tested in the wind tunnel. Solar teams will learn about circuitry and microprocessors. Three of our solar team members, Soren Ogelman, Zara Ramadan and Jocelyn Ro, now seniors in high school, will serve on a student panel to share their multi-year KidWind experiences. As their current KidWind coach, Carol Grigg, suggests, our students may want to share with the youth and others attending the Expo, their knowledge gained through KidWind, and what they saw when going to challenges at the regional, state and national (now known as WORLDS) levels. What other team projects/presentations/team interactions inspired them that they then used in their own future projects? How has KidWind influenced their future ambitions such as choosing a college major and possible career choice?

New Class at Makersmiths-Purcellville: Intro to the Metal Lathe

Dave Painter will offer a new class at Makersmiths-Purcellville, Intro to Metal Lathe Class, beginning January 12. This class is for students who have completed the Makersmiths' Basic Metalworking Red Tool Class at the Purcellville location. This class is an introduction to the metal lathe, comprised of five sessions. Week one is a two-hour classroom session that introduces the parts of a lathe, basic operations, tooling, materials, feeds and speeds, maintenance, and shop practice. All learning materials and supplies for the class will be provided by the instructor.

Weeks 2-5 will be held in the metal shop. These sessions will be split into two hands-on practice sessions. Two students will attend the first session from 6-7:30 pm, and the remaining two students will attend the second session from 7:30-9:00pm. After completing the five sessions, students are eligible to prove competency to the instructor so that they can be certified to use the metal lathe without supervision.

Google Tools for Makersmiths Instructors

Diane Painter

Are you a Makersmiths instructor and would like to have a place to create, store and show presentation tools? This one-hour class on January 17 at MSP is for Makersmiths instructors. I will go over how you can use Google Sites to create a website or Google Slides for instructional purposes. I will help you set up your Google Drive to store documents for your what you teach, and you will also learn how to share URLs to those documents. Please meet in the Green Room at MSP.

Here are two examples of websites that I created. One is for my soap-making class, and the other for KidWind.

Here is an example of a slideshow presentation that I use for KidWind: What is Energy?

Pre-requisite: You MUST have a Makersmiths Gmail account. If you do not have one, prior to coming to the class, contact our IT person, Rob Donahue, and let him know you are a current Makersmiths instructor and need a Makersmiths GMAIL account. Be sure to come to this class session knowing your login and password to that email account.

Here is the registration link: https://makersmiths.org/event-6493478

Questions? Contact me at diane.painter@makersmiths.org

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

MS-L

January 15 WWL-R101 Woodworking Basics with Make and Take

January 20 3DL-R200 Resign 3D Printing Red Tool

January 20 UVL-R100 UV Printer Red Tool

January 22 3DL-R100 FDM 3D Printing (Bambu) Red Tool

MS-P

January 8 WWP-R100: Woodworking Basics Red Tool

January 11 WWP-R200: Woodworking Advanced Red Tool

January 14 MWP-R100: Metal-working Basics Red Tool

January 17 FRP-R100 Frame Shop Red Tool

Makersmiths runs on volunteers!

Consider teaching a class or holding a workshop! check out the #class_planning_and_requests channel on Slack and join a meeting to get some help with your idea!

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 link to the list of tools which require training and authorization from a Steward. 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:

Tools, Materials & Training

By clicking above, you can view the most current list posted on the Makersmiths wiki. Consider checking it out, you might discover a new tool that you didn’t realize Makersmiths had.

Makersmith Board Officers

Board Name/Officer | Position | Term

Brad Hess | Board Member | 2022 - 2025

Bo Wernick | Board Member| 2024 - 2027

OPEN| Board Member | 2023 - 2026

Evin Grano | Board Member/Chairperson | 2023 - 2026

Jennifer Chu | Board Member | 2024 - 2027

Diane Bollinger | President | 2025 - 2026

Mary Waldron | Treasurer | 2025 - 2026

Jim Waldron | Board Member/Secretary | 2025 - 2026

Mike Brady | Webmaster | 2025

Rob Donahue | IT Steward | 2025

Did You Know...

You can find the newsletters from the last several years archived on our website?

Makersmiths also has a Blog, Instagram, and YouTube!

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

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

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

Leesburg Location
106 Royal St SW
Leesburg, VA 20175

Open House Every Thursday 6 - 8 PM

Purcellville Location
785 S. 20th St.
Purcellville, VA 20132

Open House Every Tuesday 6 - 8 PM

Makersmiths is a 501(c) non-profit organization

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