UptownMaker

In part three, I'll show off my mechatronics tools and parts kit.  Part four will be my workbench and parts storage; that'll probably follow pretty closely on the heels of this since I'm so totally snowbound I really can't do anything else.   It's bigger than it looks.  I had a hard time with this box- it was one of those tool boxes that new homeowners who fancy themselves "handy" buy, which are inexpensive, totally lacking in adequate internal division, and end up full of things like rusty hacksaws, dull chisels, ruined putty knives and inexplicable sheet metal items with flanges and numbered mounting holes. As always, mouse over for labels. Mostly self explanatory; I'm going to mention a couple of things by name.  First, the Pocket Ref on the left side.  My copy predates Make but you can get it from the Maker Shed.  If you don't own this, you should  It has ALMOST everything you'll ever need to know- from the density and chemical com...

Of course, the world is replete with articles like this but I recently had cause to write down my thoughts on the issue and I feel like a little more on it couldn't hurt. Why did I get involved in Twin Cities Maker back in 2009, before there was a space?  Simple- I wanted to be part of a MEATSPACE community of people that likes to make stuff.  It didn't exist, so when I found the group, there was no way I could NOT get involved.  I think people who worry too much about virtual space replacing "real" interactions should look at hackerspaces as a dynamite counterexample.  By definition, the people who are involved in these groups are the most likely to be tech savvy, the most likely to participate in online communities of informational interchange about their hobbies, the most likely to be creative basement hermits, AND YET, increasingly, they are seeking out face-to-face interaction as an adjunct to their online work. The tools, the workshop space, the raw mat...