where are you located: Kansas City
what is your day job: Junior Developer
what makerspace do you attend:
Before moving to the KC area, I helped with MakeICT in Wichita, KS., and even tried to get something going in McPherson, KS. before I left. While I try to do most of my making at home, Hammerspace Workshop in Kansas City is a great place to go to when I’m stuck on something and need help.
What kinds of stuff do you make?
I would say mainly electronics related projects. It’s what I love and what I’m good at. I’ve tried to make cosplay stuff out of foam, but it was a bit more difficult than I thought it would be.
How did you get started making stuff?
A friend of mine was a huge car audio and fiberglass wizard. He was working on a project that used something called an Arduino, and was asking me if I could program it. During that process, I ended up also using an Arduino in a coffee table I made that lit up. It ended up on the HackADay website, and I’ve been hooked ever since.
You can find some of my projects online here:
Daft Punk Table with Ipod Dock
NES Controllers With Bluetooth
What is something you’ve made that really stands out, that you’re proud of?
My current favorite is a project I need to make a write-up on and document a bit more, but it’s basically a portable NES classic. I designed and 3D printed a case for the NES as well as a monitor and battery holder for it. It uses wireless controllers so you can just set it up on a desk or in the car and play for hours.
Any advice for people reading this?
The best piece of advice I can give would be this: Start slow and add to your skills as needed. I took a C++ programming class in high school. I do not have a degree or any other formal programming training. I just got hooked, and I’ve been learning ever since. If you get stuck on something, there are loads of places online to look for help. Don’t give up.
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