Monthly Membership Meeting
(Online) 1/8/2025 6:30 - 7:30 pm
Leesburg Workday 1/11/2025 9am - 2pm
(If you can't make it on the day, a list of lite duty Volunteer Opportunities is always posted in the Main Room)
Purcellville Workday 2/1/2025 9am - 12pm(There's something for everyone -get those volunteer hours in!)
New Member Orientation(register online)
MS-L 1/14/2025 6:30 - 8:00 pm
MS-L 1/28/2025 6:30 - 8:00 pm
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Regarding Membership Fees Scott Silvers
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We hope this message finds you well and thriving in your creative endeavors. At Makersmiths, we remain committed to providing a dynamic and resourceful space where innovation, collaboration, and craftsmanship flourish.
Over the past few years, we’ve worked hard to expand and enhance our offerings to better serve you. This includes adding exciting new machines and shops to our facilities, ensuring you have access to cutting-edge tools and resources. However, like many organizations, we’ve also faced rising costs in utilities, supplies, and maintenance, which are essential to keeping our spaces operational and well-equipped.
To address these increases and continue maintaining and improving our facilities while providing a high-quality experience, the Board has made the difficult decision to adjust membership fees.
Effective April 1, 2025, the new membership rates will be:
Individual Membership: $65/month
Family Membership: $130/month
We understand that any increase in cost can be a concern, and we want to assure you that this decision was made with careful consideration. These adjustments will help cover the growing expenses and allow us to continue offering the tools, resources, and programs that make Makersmiths a thriving community. Even with this adjustment, our rates remain lower than those of other Makerspaces in our area, reflecting our commitment to providing an affordable and accessible community space for al.
If you have any questions or concerns, or if this adjustment creates a financial hardship, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at bod@makersmiths.org. We are committed to working with our members to ensure that everyone can continue to participate and benefit from all that Makersmiths has to offer.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support. Together, we can ensure a bright future for our Makersmiths community.
Sincerely,
The Makersmiths Board of Directors bod@makersmiths.org, Membership Chair
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Makersmiths Strategic Planning Meetings John Carter
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We've passed our 10 year anniversary, and there’s no sign of stopping. Quite a bit has been accomplished in the past few years and as our community grows, we’re looking to achieve even more. With these ongoing meetings, open to the general Membership, we’ll look at what we want and need to grow onward and upward. The first meeting of the new year will be held Wednesday, January 22nd, 7pm in the Classroom at the Leesburg Makerspace. It will likely be a lot of listening
and listing, so bring your patience and your positivity. The meetings that follow will serve as the umbrella to focus on goals the Membership wants to address, tactics we will use to accomplish them, and keeping them aligned with our Mission Statement: “To provide a community workshop where people can learn, teach and collaborate on creative and technical works, and to promote the usefulness of competence in the technical arts to the public; and by serving as a center of information about the technical arts for members, schools, other interested groups and the general public.”
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Electronics Lab Oliver Arend
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We've made some great progress moving the Electronics Lab to its new location, sharing the large room in the Leesburg basement with the classroom. Shelves are up, equipment and material has moved, workbenches are in place, and the drywall is at least dry. Now we need some help sorting through the material we have and putting it in the right place so that members can find what they need. Join us on any of the Electronics Nights scheduled over the next few weeks! If you can't tell red from black or + from -, let us know, and we'll set up a class for that. If you want your maneki-neko to wave at you when you come home, let us know, and we'll set up a class for that. If you'd like to know what the fuss about Arduinos and Raspberry Pies is all about, or how to make an LED actually emit light and not smoke, we'll set up a class for that. If you need your cat flap to only open for your own cat, we'll set up a class for that. Now if you actually know about any of those things and have done them yourself, whether as a hobbyist reading a tutorial on the internet, or professionally by manually pushing bits around since the 1970s, we'd love to have you on board as an instructor! Please get in touch with Oliver Arend. We have big plans for a "grand opening" on March 20th, where everyone will get their own skill map to explore and learn about all that Electronics has to offer! |
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MakerSmiths’ Event Naming Convention Tim Cotter
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Makersmiths Newsletter: New Year, New Structure!
As Makersmiths continues to grow and expand, we are thrilled to announce an
exciting update to our classes and events management. Starting in January, we will implement a new naming convention for calendar entries, beginning with Red Tool classes and committee meeting announcements. This initiative will gradually extend to other classes, workshops, and project events over the coming months.
Why are we Changing?
The increasing demand for training opportunities and diverse classes calls for a more structured approach to course organization. This change is about more than just names—it’s about building a foundation for the future of Makersmiths. The benefits of the new naming convention include:
- Streamlined Course Management: A standardized system improves clarity and usability for all members.
- Enhanced Financial Tracking: Simplified categorization supports efficient coordination with the finance and scheduling committees.
- Data Coordination: Improved database management minimizes errors and ensures accurate records.
- Curriculum Development: A structured framework provides clear learning paths and helps track skill progression and prerequisites.
- Instructor Development: Establishing a formalized system supports the growth of an instructor pipeline to ensure long-term sustainability.
The New Naming Convention
The updated system introduces a six-character identifier (XXX-XXX) that
encapsulates vital information about each event. Here’s how it works: Format: XXX-XXX
1. Guild (First Position)
- MS: MakerSmiths
- W: Wood Works
- M: Metal Works
- P: Print Works
- C: Craft Works
- E: Earth Works
- T: Tech Works
- S: Skills Works
- O: Outreach
2. Category (Second Position) Note: When the guild is “MS,” no
category is needed as “S” occupies this position.
Example for Wood Works: (just one example, the full list is
much longer)
- M: Main Room
- L: Lathe
- R: Big Red
- B: EBF
3. Location (Third Position)
- L: Leesburg
- P: Purcellville
- V: Virtual
- R: Remote
Second Half (XXX):
4. Event Type (Forth Position)
5. Event Skill Level (Fifth Position)
6. Event ID (Sixth Position)
Implementation Timeline
- January 2025: New naming convention begins for Red Tool classes and committee meeting announcements.
- February-March 2025: Gradual adoption for additional classes, workshops, and project event.
What's Next?
In the coming weeks, we’ll share a detailed guide to the naming convention,
including a spreadsheet listing all guilds, categories, and locations. Members will also have access to training materials and Q&A sessions to ensure a smooth transition. Thank you for being a part of Makersmiths’ continued growth and evolution. Together, we’re building a stronger, more organized community to support all makers—now and in the future!
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Thanks to the effort put forth by Makersmiths volunteers, the Electronics
Lab materials and equipment got moved out of the space that will house the
forthcoming Printmaking Shop. That means we're closer than expected on
starting the new Finishing Room and Vertical Storage projects!
For those who are unaware, it has been the plan that the room adjacent to
Woodturning will become the Finishing Room. |
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It will be built out to accommodate such things as resin pour classes and 'glue-up' storage and will include a modest spray booth. The area between Woodturning and the Woodshop will be built out as a Vertical Storage area to
accommodate temporary storage of larger pieces of sheet material.
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While the base plans are well established, as the Site Steward, I'd like
to welcome input from those Instructors & Members who feel they
would find regular use of these areas. If we can install useful
features that haven't been thought of, I'm all for it. I started Slack
channels for both and feel free to add to the conversation. Please
visit:
#leesburg-classroom
#leesburg-finishing-room
#leesburg-verticalstorage |
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Makersmiths Education Initiatives
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Educational News
Diane Painter
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KidWind is off to a great start this year. Seven Makersmiths teams began meeting the first weekend in December and will continue to meet once a week until March 14 when we go to the Northern Virginia KidWind Challenge at Shenandoah University. There are three wind turbine teams and four solar teams all coached by Makersmiths members. Here are a few highlights:
On December 14, Allen Hamlin’s and Andrew Taylor’s middle school solar teams took a field trip to River Farm in Leesburg to learn about the solar fields that supply electricity to eight homes and 14 meters that provide the electricity to various barns and indoor horse rinks, an office and a building the owners use for special events. We created a presentation of the event that will show you what coaches, youth and parents learned: Please enjoy here!
KidWind Wind Turbine Coaches Diane Painter and Michael Asaro are working with their teams on what makes wind and how to harness the wind with sails and blades. To see their sail car activities: Sail Car
On Jan. 4, the teams will be visited by Captain Paul Richard, a retired American Airlines pilot who will address these questions: How are airplane wings and wind turbine blades similar? How important is the design of each to causing lift? What are lift, weight, thrust, and drag, and how do they relate to the design of airplane wings? Then the team members will begin designing their first set of wind turbine blades based on their understanding of aerodynamic designs of blades.
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Make and Take Diane Painter
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We put an emphasis on taking red tool classes when new members join so
they can learn to safely use machinery that are interested in using for
projects. Some members then take off and start making without much
assistance. Other members need some guidance and perhaps a bit of
inspiration to come up with project ideas.
This fall, we had a lot of make and take classes and we are starting to see
how members expressed creative ideas and made some fantastic items for
holiday gift giving. Here are a few examples:
Robin Schenck took a soap-making class and creatively found tiny molds
that represent persons she wanted to give soaps to this holiday season. See
the tiny sewing tools in the soaps? |
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Guess who received that soap? Hint: She sponsors Sewing Social each month! Robin also added dried flowers to clear glycerin soap and found ornament molds to make ornament-shaped soaps! What a fun day she had making personalized stocking stuffer soaps for family and friends! By the way, there is a soap-making class coming up in February, just in time for Valentines Day! To register, go to Soapin You’d Be My Valentine. Carol Grigg took a wooden snowflake class that showed her how to use
scrap wood when making tree ornaments. Who knew such scrap
could make very pretty ornaments? |
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After taking a fiber laser class, Dan Schmidt made fiber laser engraved knives for his brothers, niece and nephew. He declared that it was a “Very scary first fiber laser project!”.
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Tim Diviney states, “Made this as a gift for my parents. Used the laser
cutter to engrave the roads and towns where they lived and I grew up.
Thanks SO much to John Carter for all his help with my first laser project!
Very generous with his time to help me set it up!”
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There are many more projects pictured in the Slack Channel #whatcha_make_today. Take some time to see what others are sharing with us about their projects. Hopefully this will inspire you too to make something special and share with the membership!
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Makersmiths Christmas Family Edition Robin Hudspeth Schenck
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During the winter holiday, my aunt came down from Connecticut to join my
other family members. I prepared specially curated boxes for each family
member for each day. Below you see pictured a sampling of the different
projects we made, and different processes used. It was my goal to do a
project-based tour of Makersmiths for them. We did laser cutting, UV
printing, sublimation (thanks Amy Copley!), 3D printing, soap making,
painting, and ceramics. We came away with soaps, custom golf balls,
coasters (and holder), a mug, ornaments, interchangeable market
sign, Catan game piece holder, ceramic bowl and berry basket, fun and
great memories.
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Secret Santa Diane Painter
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A few years ago, we started a Secret Santa social at Makersmiths. This year
it was held at Makersmiths-Leesburg and just under twenty people
participated. The idea is to make a gift using all materials under $20. Then
you wrap it and bring it to our social, putting it in a Secret Santa gift box as
you enter the foyer so no one will see who brought what.
After eating hors d’oeuvres and drinking punch, the fun begins. Each
person chooses a number from gift tags that are numbered. Whoever
choose #1 goes first. That person chooses a gift and unwraps it. Person #2
may steal it from person #1, or they may choose a new gift to unwrap. This
year we had several steals and much discussion about how the items were
made!
So everyone, there are eleven months left to make next year’s Secret Santa gift! What would you like to make?
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Usual Suspects Jim Waldron
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The Usual Suspects is an ad hoc group of folks interested in discussing
ideas related to Makersmiths. It is an open discussion. Typically, we get
together to help make the space better or to solve pithy problems. All we
need is enthusiasm. Please join us online at 6PM on Jan 3, 2025 in the
Green Room at MS-Purcellville. Please register so we know you are coming:
Register Here
If you want to join us online:
The Virtual Link is Here Dial-in: (US) +1 631-729-0591 PIN: 606 302 198#
We will start at 6pm sharp. Questions? Please contact Jim Waldron
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Leatherworking Department Update
Diane Bollinger
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The new Leatherworking department is set up and functioning with the first few classes underway. In the October board meeting, Diane Bollinger with the help of Scott Silvers proposed a $2500 budget that was approved to get a leatherworking department officially set up and stocked.
While Leather projects have been done in the past and there have only been a few tools on hand to do projects, Diane wanted enough tools for most projects to get made without needing members to invest in tools for themselves unless they chose to. With the approval of the new tools and supplies, a large purchase was made including sewing kits, dyes, glues, cutting and punching tools, stamps, and even a high quality press for punching and rivets. These tools are now held on the Leatherworking cart in the Cosplay room at MS Leesburg. They are available for all members to use at no charge. Please only use tools you understand or have learned to use in one of the available classes, but as long as you use the tools with safety and care, they are not limited to the leatherworking classes.
Diane has been a leatherworker for many years and in the last 6 years, has sold almost half a million dollars worth of leather products via her leather Dog Collars. She is now teaching a wide variety of classes from beginner to advanced skills and will be offering many classes with the new year. Keep an eye out for leatherworking project including Bags, Wallets, Armor, small goods, and more. There will also be a number of skills based classes teaching topics such as stamping, dying, edge treatment, stitching, painting, and incorporating other machines like the Co2 laser and UV printer. While Leather projects can be time consuming, they make great gifts and projects you can sell. Many of the skills learned in the classes crossover to other types of projects and with thousands of patterns available online the possibilities are endless.
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Makersmiths Works of Art Diane Painter
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The Purcellville Arts Council hosts quarterly art shows in Purcellville Town
Hall. From October through December 2024, Makersmiths artists were
chosen to display their creations that represented fiber art, photography,
mixed media, watercolor, stain glass and paper art. We are invited again to
display our creations at the Purcellville Town Hall July through September
in 2025. As Sally Soles, our new Marketing Chairperson states, Marketing
is messaging. When we display our creations, we are sending messages
about who we are, what we do, and why we create. By doing so, we say to
those who visit the Town Hall art gallery, Come join us! For out next show, think about what we might make in ceramics,
blacksmithing, and welding? What can we create using the fiber laser, 3D
printers, CNC mills, leather tools, and sublimation printing? Anyone up for
making a small quilt, crochet or knitted works of art? Please do not wait until July to submit your artwork! Contact Sally Soles or
Diane Painter who will be glad to collect your creations for the summer
showing. Let’s make our next showing even bigger and more spectacular
than our fall 2024 showing!
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Red Tool Classes are an important step in your Maker journey!
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MS-L
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MS-L PLL-RB0 CO2 Laser Basic Red Tool
1/25/2025 6:00pm - 9:00pm
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MS-L PUL-RB0: UV Printer Training Red Tool
1/30/2025 6:00pm - 9:00pm
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MS-P
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MS-P WMP-RB0 Woodworking Basics Red Tool
1/9/2025 6:30pm - 9:00pm
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MS-P MMP-RB0 Metalworking Basics Red Tool
1/15/2025 6:00pm - 8:30pm |
MS-P WMP-RA0: Woodworking Advanced Red Tool
1/19/2025 1:00pm - 3:30pm |
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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!
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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: |
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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. |
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Makersmith Board Officers |
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Did You Know...
You can find the newsletters from the last several years archived on our website? |
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!
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Makersmiths Leesburg: 106 Royal St SW, Leesburg, VA 20175 Makersmiths Purcellville: 785 S. 20th St, Purcellville, VA 20132 |
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