Toronto-based MakerKids is one of the world’s only makerspaces specifically designed for kids,ย andย many people have asked us toย share our recipe. We think of itย as a brunch โ there are manyย ways to make it delicious. Takeย the pieces of our recipe thatย work for you and make it yourย own.
I figured I had a passable grasp on what it meant to bring a great product to life, but I was wrong. In the past, Iโd often look at technical specifications on product pages without thinking about the challenges of actually achieving them on a repeatable basis. Have you ever thought about what it takes to get there, every single time? Neither had I.
Interested in CNC routing but clueless about tooling? Canโt tell an end mill from a drill bit? Donโt be intimidated by CNC routing. Take the first step into machining by gaining a solid understanding of subtractive tooling basics. ย
If you’ve been to your local hackerspace/makerspace and noticed there weren’t many woman, did you stop to wonder why? Unfortunately a common reaction is to think, โI guess women just arenโt into hacking or building stuff.โ As one of the few female directors of a U.S. makerspace, I know this just isnโt true. Hereโs my perspective on the problem and what can be done about it.
Learning how to repair antique clocks seemed like a good way to commune with the master automaton-makers of old. I didnโt expect that it would turn into an occupation that would allow me to leave my cubicle-based job for good, but a few factors made it possible.
Ten years ago, I started iFixit,ย the worldโs free online repairย manual. Our goal is to teachย everyone how to fix the stuffย they own โ whether itโs laptops,ย snowboards, toys, or clothes.ย And weโre not alone. iFixit isย part of a global network of fixersย trying to make the stuff we ownย last forever.
It doesnโt much matter what you call them โ TechShops, makerspaces, hackerspaces, or Fab Labs. Makers are doing cool stuff, and having access to tools, community, and mentors really does matter. We need more local places for makers to work out new ideas.
