Strategic Planning Session
(Online) 4/23/2025 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Leesburg Workday: 4/26/2025 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: 4/05/2025 9am - 12pm(There's something for everyone -get those volunteer hours in!)
New Member Orientation(register online)
MS-P 4/05/2025 9:00am - 12:00pm
MS-L 4/08/2025 6:30 - 8:00 pmMS-L 4/22/2025 6:30 - 8:00 pm
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Makersmiths President Letter Nedim Ogelman
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Greetings colleagues,
I want to recognize all of the magnificent teachers we have at Makersmiths! Through formally designed classes, by helping our youth gain applied STEAM skills for the KidWind competitions, by sharing skills with our AI community and in so many other ways, our community’s willingness to share skills and transfer technology always amazes me. Indeed this might be the quality of Makersmiths that I admire and value most.
This month I saw the KidWind teams reap the benefits of that coaching and teaching in spades at the KidWind competition at Shenandoah University in Winchester. I benefitted immensely from a discussion on retrieval augmented generation led by the Artificial Intelligence community.Special thanks to our dedicated teachers, generously sharing time and skills with the community.
Skill-sharing at Makersmiths is our greatest asset we learn best exchanging ideas.
Best wishes, Nedim |
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Board of Directors Update Scott Silvers
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The March meeting of the Board of Directors was held on March 26th at 7:00PM. No significant actions were taken during the meeting. Approved motions included some minor financial housekeeping, updates to the By-laws concerning management of shop supply budgets, and an update to Standing Rules to reflect the new membership dues. Minutes for the meeting can be found on the Wiki.
Reminder, the increase in membership dues will take effect on April 1, 2025 and will be $65/month for an Individual Membership and $130/month for a Family Membership.
Annual Elections- It's April, which means our annual election is coming soon. We will have two open seats on the board this cycle. Directors are elected for a 3 year term (2025-2028) and take their office at the start of the Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors. If you are interested in running for one of the open seats, nominations open on April 1st, and the form will be posted to the #general and #election channels. Nominations will close on April 16th, and the nominees will have the opportunity to address the membership at the May 7th Membership Meeting.
Voting will open after the May 7th Membership Meeting and conclude at the start of the June 4th Annual Meeting of the Membership, at which time the results will be announced. The newly elected Directors will take their office at the start of the Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors on June 25th.
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3D Printing Update Scott Silvers
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We are asking that members only use PLA or TPU on our 3D printers going forward. If you have a need for another type of filament, you will need to speak with one of the 3D Printing Stewards first to see if it can be accommodated.
We apologize for the inconvenience, but too often PETG or other filaments being used have caused significant clogs that have required dismantling the hot ends to remove, sometimes taking the printers offline for multiple days. In the not too distant future, we are looking to add some Bambu Labs printers to our offerings, and will be able to accommodate a wider range of filaments.
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Leesburg April Events Written by Emma Pinto
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MSL is busy this month with some very exciting events! Starting April 4th, Leesburg will be opening its doors to First Fridays. On the first Friday of the month, Leesburg will have its Open House from 5pm-8pm. This will be an opportunity for the public to come visit the space and see what we’re all about. Makersmiths is enlisting enthusiastic members to 'Shmooze-in-the-Shop' with the public for casual tours.
Also happening in April is the Leesburg Flower and Garden Show. On Saturday, April 26th (10am–6pm) and Sunday, April 27th (10am–5pm), downtown Leesburg will host their annual flower festival. “The festival showcases beautiful flowers, plants, and landscaping along with the best of gardening and outdoor living products and services”. Makersmiths wants to take this opportunity to host an additional Open House during that weekend. With such a large crowd in the downtown area, it would be a perfect opportunity to introduce ourselves to more makers and crafters!
If you are interested in being a part of the Flower Show weekend open house, please reach out to Sally Soles who is coordinating elements for that weekend. If you want more information on the Flower and Garden Festival, visit the Leesburg Town Parks and Rec site. Leesburg Flower and Garden Festival Information |
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Did you know there is an open source organization system called Gridfinity that allows you to print – or design and print – just about any size container you need to build a tailor-made organization solution? I’m currently underway printing a few dozen pieces to reorganize the tools, bits, and blades in my garage workshop to bring some order to the chaos of all those parts
Gridfinity containers are all based on a simple 41.5mmx41.5mm grid tile, and each piece snaps onto a baseplate – of which there are many variants – and on top of other pieces in much the same way Legos work which empowers users to mix and match different shapes and containers into the exact layout they need.
The maker community from all over the world has shared everything from basic bins and containers for everyday needs to ultra-bespoke pieces. There are endless bases, integration jigs, etc to make just about anything into a platform for a Gridfinity system. In addition, there are even a few online tools for generating custom pieces based on the official spec if you don’t have the knowhow to design pieces yourself with CAD. It’s a little addictive printing these. The more you explore the world of Gridfinity the more use cases you will find in your own life for it.
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New Items at the Leesburg Woodshop Mike D
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The Leesburg woodshop has several new items that woodworkers might be interested in. Please read the instruction manual for each of these tools before you use them. A drawer under the rigid bench-top sander has been provided as storage for the manuals for many of our power machines. I have attempted to locate manuals for the power units we own but may not have all items covered. If a manual is not in this drawer, it might be in a storage case along with the tool. Please familiarize yourself with the tool operation before you use a power tool.
First is a 24-inch Leigh Dovetail jig that was donated by one of our members. If you would like to add detail and strength to drawers this jig will produce tight fitting joint joints. If you are unfamiliar with this Leigh jig, please contact the Leesburg woodshop steward (mikedewan@aol.com) for assistance. Please do not attempt using this without a good understanding of its operation. |
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For those of you who like the strength of mortise and tenon joints a member has donated a tenoning jig to help you make a proper fitting tenon for your project. There are many youtube videos explaining how to create mortise and tenon joints. This jig will help you duplicate the tenon to fit your mortise.
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If you have a project that would benefit from the joint strength provided by a dowel, a member has donated a doweling jig with bits for several different size dowels. this jig will help you to align your dowel holes for a precise fit.
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The biscuit joiner that disappeared has been replaced. compliments of a member donation we have a large supply of all sizes of biscuits (0, 10, 20, FF).
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A new handheld belt sander has replaced the old unit that failed last month. You will need to provide your own belts for this sander, the proper size is 3" x 18".
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Educational News Diane Painter |
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Seven Makersmiths members coached seven KidWind teams this year. Students in grades 4-11 competed in three divisions, Elementary, Middle School and High School wind and solar divisions at the March 14 Winchester Regional KidWind Challenge at Shenandoah University. The Elementary Wind Team- Champion Charges, came in 1st place with their wind turbine. The Middle School Wind Team, Recreational Renewables, came in 1st place and the Middle School Wind turbine team, Vivacious Voltages, came in second place. The Middle School Solar Team, Home Defense Protection, came in first place with their solar project, and the team also won the Knowledge Award with a perfect score on their Kahoot quiz. The High School Solar Team,Terrasol, won first place, scored the highest on the high school knowledge quiz, and won the People’s Choice award. The High School Solar Team, Sub 4, won 3rd place. All the first through third place winning teams will now advance to the Virginia State KidWind Challenge on April 12 at James Madison University. |
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Ceramic Studio Highlights
Wedding Worthy: Melinda Gretsinger’s Cala Lily Candleholders
Written by Laura Nelson, Edited by Emma Pinto
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When Melinda innocently experimented with a new idea for a nesting set of three tall, broad-based, cala lily candle holders, she had no idea what was in store.
We all watched as she developed her design from scratch, refining shapes, making test runs, and glazing the pieces with a delicate, layered ombre blend. The candles fade from green stems to a yellow throat, and culminate in white blossoms, much like a fine oil painting, all in three sizes.
Just when we thought she was done, Melinda’s engaged daughter saw the pieces and declared them "wedding-worthy". She requested a set of three to be created for each reception table. Naturally, being the accommodating mom she is, Melinda agreed.
Hand-built from white low-fire earthenware and glazed with standard, easy-to-find glazes, these candleholders embody the beauty that can be achieved with low-fire ceramics, especially for special occasions like weddings. The real challenge, however, lies in shaping the curves just right and getting the clay gods to smile on you so the delicate height doesn’t crack.
When we joined Makersmiths, her eyes lit up when she saw the slab roller. It gave her a much easier way to accomplish such a project. The best thing about Makersmiths: it’s a place to meet with friends and share art projects. We were afraid Melinda would be rolling out cala lilies for quite some time, so several of us joined in to help her complete them all in time for this important event.
Melinda often gets sparks of ideas from YouTube, then gives them her own twist. We watch in awe as she manifests her own complex patterns from her vision. And when she’s not crafting these stunning pieces, she’s busy creating equally detailed bobbin lace—but that’s another story.
Post script: In an all-white beach front wedding venue, the candleholder centerpieces, loaded with lush white blooms and piles of greenery, were stunning. Became the visual centerpiece that highlighted the water view. The most heard comments: “Wow! Are those handmade?”, “Who made those?” and “Could you make some for me?”
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Dan Schmidt’s Ceramic Ornament Journey
Written by Laura Nelson, Edited by Emma Pinto
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One of the best things about being part of an artist community is the opportunity to share ideas and inspiration. Dan Schmidt is one of those cool artist people we met after admiring the various animal ornaments on the shelves, waiting to be fired. He’s the type of artist who enjoys giving handmade gifts to others. Excited about his creations, I asked Dan to share how he came to pottery, and here’s what he had to say, in his own words:
“I participated in Bo Wernick’s ceramic ornament workshop in the Twelve Days of Holiday Making series. This was a very fun and casual event where we used the slab roller to roll out sheets of low-fire clay, then used cookie cutters and various finishing tools to create Christmas ornaments. I really liked the patterns from using the textured rollers.
I made seven ornaments, most given to friends and relatives - a couple of Greyhounds for friends, a black Angus calf for the farmer who leases my pasture, a bird for my niece, and a few others for myself.
As a complete beginner, I greatly appreciate the support I received from our growing ceramics community in helping to understand how to undercoat and glaze them. I’ve taken our basic pottery wheel class, and I’m hoping to take a molded plate class in the future. Every time I’m in the ceramics studio, I admire some of the amazing creations our members are making, and truly appreciate everyone’s generosity in sharing their talent and knowledge.”
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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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UV Printer Red Tool 4/07/2025 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Big Red CNC Red Tool 4/09/2025 9:30pm - 9:30pm
Sublimation Printer Red Tool 4/14/2025 6:00pm - 7:00pm
BN-20 Print Vinyl Stickers Red Tool 4/28/2025 6:00pm - 9:00pm
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MS-P
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Woodworking Basics Red Tool 4/10/2025 6:30pm - 9:00pm
Woodworking Basics Red Tool 4/16/2025 6:00pm - 8:30pm
Fiber Laser Red Tool 4/22/2025 7:00pm - 9:00pm
CNC EBF Red Tool 4/27/2025 9:00am - 12:00pm
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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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