Book Your Visit to Maker Faire

I love books!

Don’t get me wrong, I like my phone, tablet, and laptop, too. They’re amazing devices to access information. When I couldn’t figure out how to replace my car’s headlamp, a YouTube video showed me that I had to pinch the sides to unlock a hidden clamp (which was not in the instruction manual!).

Here’s the thing: watching a video enables me to replicate steps, but I don’t actually learn it. Every time I change my headlamp, I have to watch that darn video!

If I need to do something, I’ll watch a vid. But if I need to learn something, I’ll read a book. Books have no pop-up ads, text notifications, a rabbit hole of irresistible links, or any of a hundred things that distract me from really digesting information.

But the one thing I wish books did have is a way to meet their authors, to chat with the people whose work I find fascinating and helpful. Where did you get your start? How can I get better? What’s your next project? If you’re also curious about the people who write books for Make:, Maker Faire Bay Area is your chance to meet some of our awesome authors! Here are a few who will be at the show:

Lydia Sloan Cline, author of Make: The Complete Guide to Tinkercad and Make: Fusion 360 for Makers

Saturday 10:30am–11:00am: “Let’s Talk 3D Printing and Tinkercad” presentation (The Make: Live Stage)

We’ve all heard about 3D printing, which sparks vague thoughts of turning our ideas into reality. It’s easy enough to find reviews on the best 3D printers, and you can even see them in action at MFBA’s Prusa and Cocoa Press booths. But . . . how do you actually do it?

Whether you want to create your own 3D-printed jewelry and toys, or finally replace that broken oven knob, Lydia will get you started. Best of all? She’ll begin your 3D printing journey with Tinkercad, Autodesk’s free (FREE!) digital design software that’s easy to learn. So grab a seat at the Make: Live Stage as you enter the show, and orient yourself with this foundational aspect of making. (And don’t be shy when you see Lydia walking around the show—she loves chatting with fellow makers about their projects!)

(left) Make: The Complete Guide to Tinkercad; (right) Lydia Sloan Cline

Kirk Pearson and Sean Hallowell, authors of Make: Electronic Music from Scratch: A Beginner’s Guide to Homegrown Audio Gizmos

Fri, Sat, Sun: DIY Electronic Orchestra booth (Coal Shed 4)

Saturday 2:30pm–3:00pm: “Sound Foraging with Dogbotic” presentation (The Make: Live Stage)

When I first heard “Planet Rock” by Afrika Bambaataa & Soul Sonic Force, my fourth-grade brain melted. Is that a robot singing over a cascade of lasers, teleported from the future? No, it was just my introduction to the amazing world of synths!

You can visit this world at the Dogbotic Labs “DIY Electronic Orchestra” booth—Kirk and Sean will showcase a giant drum machine, experimental tape scrambler, electromechanical bell-ringing machine, sequencer built out of lightbulbs, and whatever else they can fit through the door. And don’t forget to hit their “Sound Foraging with Dogbotic” presentation on Saturday, where Kirk will explain how to create sounds that don’t exist—like a dinosaur’s roar or a flying spaceship (and maybe even a robot from the future)—and how to make them seem real.

(left) Make: Electronic Music from Scratch; (right) Kirk Pearson

Mario Marchese, author of Make: Robot Magic and Make: The Maker Magician’s Handbook

Friday 12:00pm–1:00pm “Mario the Maker Magician” performance (The Foundry Stage)

Saturday 1:00pm–2:00pm “Mario the Maker Magician” performance (The Foundry Stage)

Sunday 1:00pm–2:00pm “Mario the Maker Magician” performance (The Foundry Stage)

Mario the Maker Magician has appeared on such shows as Sesame Street and the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, intriguing kids with his unique blend of magic and making. His hit Off Broadway residency at the SoHo Playhouse in New York left the New York Times‘s culture reporter beaming, “I have seen many, many kids’ magicians. He is very likely the best. . . .”

I think what makes Mario so special is that he teaches the mechanics behind his tricks, so children become curious about how the world works and realize they can affect that world. By teaching how to build their own tricks and deconstructing how they work, Mario is inspiring the next generation of engineers—now that’s magic!

(left) Make: The Maker Magician’s Handbook; (right) Mario Marchese

Joan Horvath and Rich Cameron, authors of Make: Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus, and the Math Teacher’s Supplement

Fri/Sat/Sun: Make Math booth (Coal Shed 4)

Do you know a young person who could use some help with geometry, trig, or calculus? Meet Joan and Rich, who teach conceptual math concepts with 3D-printed models and hands-on math experiments. Even daunting subjects like calculus are demystified by using good ol’ LEGO bricks. They’ll have many of the models and projects from their popular book series on hand, including one based on a 2,000-year-old puzzle that teaches the Pythagorean Theorem!

One of the most common things they hear from parents is, “Where were you when I was learning this stuff?” Come meet Joan and Rich and see if your kiddo can benefit from the maker way of learning math!

(left) Make: Calculus; (right) Joan Horvath and Rich Cameron

Shawn Thorsson, author of Make: Props and Costume Armor: Create Realistic Science Fiction and Fantasy Weapons, Armor, and Accessories

Fri/Sat/Sun: Shawn Thorsson’s Props and Costumes booth (The Foundry)

And you definitely need to visit Shawn’s costume booth. Actually, costume experience is a better way to describe Shawn’s giant display of amazing creations that will be on display and modeled by his team. If you’re a fan of Star Wars, Warhammer, HALO, Marvel, or Helldivers 2, you’re in for a treat. He’ll even have pieces made from the same molds that his team used in Amazon Prime’s Fallout series!

But the real highlight is talking to Shawn—he loves to share fun and funny stories about his builds, and talking shop about other people’s projects. Plus, his costumes are built with many of the same processes and techniques taught in his book.

It’s just too bad that he’s not working on a sequel. (As far as YOU know!)

(left) Make: Props and Costume Armor; (right) Shawn Thorsson

Don’t miss your chance to attend Maker Faire Bay Area and meet these awesome makers who share their vast expertise, experience, and enthusiasm through our books!

—Kevin Toyama