Phoenix DIY

What: Phoenix DIY meeting

When: Thursday, January 24th, 2008, 7:30pm

Where: 901 N 5th St., Phoenix (NE corner of Garfield and 5th St.) (map)

$$$: $5 for kit of parts

Thanks to Conspire Phoenix for hosting us at their gallery!

The meeting will be a workshop, and space is limited to 15 participants. Please email becky[at]sternlab.org to get on the list. Please bring snacks to share.

The workshop: Learn to solder while building a small circuit with a 555 timer to blink two lights. Don’t worry if you don’t know what a 555 timer is, or if you’ve never soldered before, that’s what the workshop is for! A kit of all needed parts will be provided at a cost of $5. If you have a soldering iron and/or any electronics tools (small pliers, wire strippers, and the like), please bring them to share.

Thanks to Lisa Jacobs for the lovely writeup in Java Magazine! You can read the article online here: Link.

Since I’m unable to leave something half done, on Saturday morning I took the liberty of fixing and improving my prototype Magic Duct Tape Wallet from the December meeting. I had incorrectly installed the horizontal straps - they were too far apart - so I fixed them and added a couple pockets to each side, in a stylish red and black scheme! If anyone else feels like adding pockets to theirs, the final step of the Instructable tells you how.

Thanks for a great December meeting!! We had a great turnout of over 30 people. A special thanks to Kathy Cano-Murillo for her inspirational talk (she blogged us here), Matt Mets for his super cool laser harp, and Matt Mechtley for the duct-tape magic wallet workshop, door prizes, and for hosting us at Flashbang Studios. We’d also like to thank everyone who brought door prizes and snacks! Matt has a nice photoset on Flickr of the event. Post it up in the comments if you have pictures, too!

What: Phoenix DIY meeting
When: Thursday, December 13th 2007, 7pm
Where: 209 E Baseline Rd Ste 201 in Tempe [map]
$$$: Free!

Thanks to Flashbang Studios for hosting us at their office!

The meeting is free and open to the public. Please bring snacks to share. There will be door prizes! Parking is free.

Featuring presentations from the lovely and talented:

Kathy Cano-Murillo: Crafty Business
http://craftychica.com/
Kathy will share with us some tips and tricks for marketing the things you make, online networking, and blogging for makers.

Matt Mets: Laser Harp
http://www.cibomahto.com/
The laser harp is an electronic harp-like instrument that is played by breaking beams of laser light, which are arranged vertically. A microcontroller monitors each beam on the other side of the instrument by measuring a light sensor, interprets the results and sends a corresponding MIDI message to the computer, which turns this into actual sound to play back. Matt will talk about how he built this laser harp, from idea to functional prototype.

Matt Mechtley: Magic Duct Tape Wallet Workshop
http://biphenyl.org/blog/
Matt will walk us through this instructable by EthanGibson to make an awesome magic wallet. Black and Red tape will be provided, but bring your own if you want a different color. We will also be short on scissors, so if you have a pair, bring ‘em.

See you there!

Mark your calendars, the third meeting of Phoenix DIY will be held on Thursday, December 13th at 7pm, on Baseline Road in Tempe. Check back soon for details.

Mark was kind enough to export his Google Presentation as a web slideshow. It includes lots of helpful links! - Link.

Thanks to all those who attended the very successful second meeting of the Phoenix DIY group. We had three great presentations from Chris Coleman, Mark Rehorst, and Kelly Bedson. Some pictures:

Link to Flickr set.

Video one, and video two.

Thanks again to Brandon for hosting us, and to all those who attended and brought snacks and door prizes. Our next meeting will be in mid-December.

Phoenix DIY is, so far, a nomadic group. We’d love to find a permanent monthly home. Do you run a gallery, art space, workshop space, or other facility? We’re polite and don’t make too much of a mess…

We are in need of a space with:

-space for about 35 people (preferably with some seating)
-a wall or other white surface to project on
-a projector (optimal, not necessary)

Please email becky[at]sternlab[dot]org if you can help.

What: Phoenix DIY meeting
When: Tuesday, November 13th 2007, 7pm
Where: 60 East Rio Salado Parkway (at Mill, in the Hayden Ferry complex) in Tempe [map]
$$$: Free!

Thanks to Brandon Wright for hosting us at his awesome office lounge/kitchen space!

The meeting is free and open to the public. Please bring snacks to share. There will be door prizes!

Featuring presentations from the lovely and talented:

Chris Coleman: Self-Balancing One-Wheeled Skateboard
http://chriscoleman.com/stuff/?page_id=5
Inspired by similar Segway-esque contraptions, Chris will tell us how he made his electric one-wheeler, from the electronics and motors to the custom frame construction.

Mark Rehorst: Carbon Fiber Recumbent Bicycle
http://mark.rehorst.com/CF_Bike/index.htm
Mark used his wits, enthusiasm, and CAD skills to design and build his own carbon fiber recumbent bicycle. He’ll share with us the story of its creation with photos of the design and build process, and, of course, the bike will be in attendance.

Kelly Bedson: Origami Workshop
http://www.kbedson.com/
Kelly will lead us in the fearless pursuit of folded paper. She’ll share her work with us and then teach us a few basic models.

Free Parking: Please park in the Visitor Parking garage. Take a ticket and pull in. Since this is a new complex, they haven’t bothered staffing the booth past 6pm, so your parking will be free. Ample bike parking is available right outside the 60 building (also the west-most building).
Entry: Since this is a private office building, Brandon will have to escort attendees inside, which he will do frequently before the start of the meeting. Please arrive on time so that can happen efficiently. If you arrive late or get lost, please call Brandon (602-920-8899) or Becky (347-204-4334) so we can come get you!

See you there!