December 2024 Newsletter

Bylaws and Standing Rules Committee Meeting

    MS-L December 11 6:30pm to 9:00pm


Leesburg Workday December 12 9am - 2pm

Check the white board in the main room for additional tasks


Purcellville Workday December 7 9am - 12pm

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


New Member Orientation


MS-L  12/17/2024 6:30 - 8:00 pm

register online

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Announcements

Update from the Board of Directors Meeting

Bo Wernick Jennifer Chu
Another BIG meeting is in the books. We had a long one this month. Almost 
50 motions! Many of them were to update the bylaws. It turns out that many
of the processes we have been using never got officially recorded or 

updated in the bylaws so many of the changes were just to ensure our bylaws match the way we do things. We also cleaned up some of the  outstanding accounts that had run their course and needed to be resolved as we move into the end of the year and close out our annual financials. We 


would also like to thank the Treasurer, Mary Waldron, for leading us 
through this financial process, both for the space as a whole, and on behalf 
the various stewards and chairs she is training to manage their internal 
budgets. Managing the finances of this organization is no small feat, but 
everyone working together makes this a smooth process and ensures 

Makersmiths is able to grow and continue its mission well into the future. We also have new chairpersons and stewards:

Membership Committee Chair - Ken Fuentecilla

MS-L Electronics Shop Steward - Oliver Arend

MS-L Basement (aka classroom) Steward - Oliver Arend

MS-L Arts, Crafts, and Sewing Area Co-steward - Mary Waldron

MS-L Cosplay Area Co-steward - Lane Waldron and Mary Waldron

Makersmiths Education Initiatives

Education News

Diane Painter
In 2018, Makersmiths sponsored its first KidWind wind turbine team and
had four team members. Six years later, in 2024-2025 school year, we are
going to have seven KidWind teams with twenty-six participants!
Oliver Arend will meet his middle school wind turbine team in Great Falls on
Friday evenings but will affiliate with MSL when they need to use the
facility. Diane Painter and Michael Asaro will coach an elementary school
wind turbine team and a middle school wind turbine team at the Painter’s
home on Saturday mornings from 9-11 AM where they have room to set up

the wind tunnel.


Allen Hamblin will coach a middle school solar team at Makersmiths-
Purcellville’s classroom on Saturdays from 2-4 PM in the lower building
classroom. Andrew Taylor will coach a middle school solar team on
Saturdays from 2-4 PM in the basement at MSL. Justin McMillen and Maria
Busuioceanu will coach two high school solar teams in the basement at MSL

on Sunday afternoons from 1-4 PM.


All teams will begin their team meetings the weekend of December 6-8 and
will go until mid-March when they will compete in the Northern Virginia
Regional KidWind Challenge on March 14 at Shenandoah University. Teams
winning first or second place will go on to the KidWind-VA State Challenge
on April 12 at James Madison University. First place winners of that event
will be eligible to go to KidWind WORLDS from May 18-21 at the Phoenix

Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona.


In case you missed it, PBS taped the Makersmiths’ KidWind high school
solar team and the middle school wind team last year. The episode aired in October in This American Land.

The video portion that focused just on KidWind teams in Virginia, including our teams, can be found at: https://vimeo.com/995471444


All the KidWind coaches and participants want to thank Makersmiths
members who have donated to our KidWind initiative. It certainly helps with
expenses, especially team travel. For example, our high school solar team
traveled to Minneapolis for Worlds in spring 2024, and the year before, the
middle school and high school solar teams traveled to Colorado for Nationals in spring 2023.

Questions about KidWind? Please contact diane.painter@makersmiths.org


 

12 Days of Holiday Gift-Making

Diane Painter

You may have noticed that the Makersmiths calendar is full of make-and-
take classes scheduled for November into December. Many of these classes
fall on the 12 days we set aside for holiday gift-making classes at both
Makersmiths sites. We want to thank those Makersmiths members who
gave of their time and talents to help our fellow members and community
members learn new skills, and give us plenty of opportunities to meet one
another and have a lot of fun!

Here are just a few class highlights. In the Getting to Know the Cricut Class on November 23 at MSL, the main room was really hopping. Not only did we have Shawn Bowen, Shauna Lee-Alaia, Karen Schenck and her friend, Julie making holiday cards, we had Bev Murdock and John Dubelko making paw print charcuterie boards for a vet clinic, Mary Waldron helping folks make seed packets as stocking stuffer gifts.

On Sunday, November 17, Ken Fuentecilla and Jennifer Chu hosted the
Holiday Suncatcher Class at MSP. The weather was so nice they hosted
an outdoor lunch.

Laura Nelson shares some insights and student quotes:
From newbies to experienced glass-cutting folks, plus friends, from
technology, chemical, and power tool [grinders] challenged, to those who’ve
got all their red tool certs, the class empowered us all.
“It’s so easy, you’ll love it.” That’s what everybody predicted. And they’re right.


With a safety talk, walk through of each step, and encouraging watchful
eyes of our teachers, we all finished a project in one afternoon, even with a
last days of summer picnic out in the sun.


The challenge: using 3-D beveled glass center beads in our designs,
something new that Ken and Jen had to help us figure out on the fly.
The problem: getting the pointed beads to sit level, halfway above and
below the suncatcher while laying flat for soldering.
The solution: poise the pointy bead in a small pillow of clay from next door,
and prop up the suncatcher arms with a small pile of glass scraps. Especially nice:
               - Wide choice of glass.
               - Highly organized studio, greatly facilitates the process and creativity
               - Even with a full class, other members could still use the space


work on their own projects: inspiring for newbies to watch [Russell’s
working on a large, incredible, biologically accurate and beautiful, pelagic
merlin window.


Takeaways: We learned the process well enough to continue on our own.
Livin’ up to the Makesmiths motto: treat each other well.
               
All in all, it was a great afternoon with friends, old and new. Ken and Jen are
so positive, encouraging and excited about the art of glass, even when we
were all thumbs.Truly illuminating.

Tom McHugh taught an Introduction to Pen Turning class at MSL on
Nov. 16. He states: “We had two successful Pen-making classes over the
weekend, as well as the practice class that Jennifer Chu was kind enough
to help with, so there are now five new pen-makers in our community!”

Frame Shop Coming Soon to Makersmiths-Purcellville

Diane Painter

Dawn Martin worked with Carol Grigg and Mike Keane to test out
equipment and techniques at the frame shop in the lower building at MSP.
Dawn states, "In the reframing test class, we repurposed a large frame and split it into two frames. Carol Grigg and Mike Keane helped me get a framing class put together. Dana Eddy also helped me the week before to test out to see if the frame hopper was even usable."

From #Watcha_Make_Today

Dana Eddy's Ornaments!

Deviled Egg Board by Lyle Reger!

Tim Diviney's Bookshelf!

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

MS-L

MS-L BN2-20 Red Tool Print Vinyl Stickers

12/17/2024 6:00pm - 9:00pm

MS-P

MS-P Woodworking Red Tool (Basics)

12/12/2024 6:30pm - 9:00pm

MS-P Woodworking Red Tool (Advanced)

12/15/2024 1:00pm - 3:30pm

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/Secretary

2024-2027

Scott Silvers

Board Member

2023-2026

Evin Grano

Board Member

2024-2027

Jonathan White

Board Member/Chairperson

2023-2026

Jennifer Chu

Board Member

2024-2027

Nedim Ogelman

President

2024-2025

Mary Waldron

Treasurer

2024-2025

Jim Waldron

Board Member

2024-2025

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
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