Discussions

I would imagine you would need some extensive liability waivers and a lot of insurance for the people that have no common sense and are using dangerous power tools. Like the idea though.

would definatly be interested.  
even better if 3d printing is an option, and a good soldering station with hot air soldering

One thing i've been exposed to is the do-ocracy model of makerspaces. That those who do things, tend to get policies implemented. However, there are other values too, like common sense (not creating ridiculously complex projects at the beginning ) and minding one's project materials and space (not snitching another person's materials).  
 
No-where was this more true than in the operation of the 3d printer:  
 
A. One or to people basically became the expert by doing: led most of the training sessions for initial members. I learned fairly quickly the ropes because the 3d printer leader was super good at explaining.  
 
B. The train in time is not huge, but the interative troubleshooting and figit time for a 3d printer is huge. There are lots of boobie traps and snags: some are custom to the design.  
 
C. Like snags, the cost of printing is unique to each design. Some people end up paying more than others by complexity of their prints. How and how often do you collect? What is worth more: time or money?  
 
D. Similarly, the last and probably most snowball issues, print time. Some people will get it done quick, build a small part and be gone. Others, will try and make a giant 3d Mandela and become a time hog.  
 
Public 3d printers are cool in concept: very much subject to the person, design and material that is executing the printing. There is no easy way to administrate!  
 
Running a machine 20 hours for one print setup is a thing: really boring to supervise. It can be a slow moving disaster or a smooth rollout to the corner artshop. All sorts of things can happen

Thanks for the feedback guys. We are planning an info night for early in the new year, but if you want to meet up before that let me know. Any excuse to leave the office and grab a coffee is a good one!  
 
We have the liability/insurance figured out. Thankfully we aren't the first people to try this, so the hard part is already done.  
 
3D printing is certainly on the table, just a matter of figuring out what machines we want to get. They range from $100 into the thousands, so weighing price vs performance is important here.  
 
Sodering/electronics setup would be cool as well. Wouldn't take up a ton of space. Would love some feedback on what sort of equipment you'd be interested in having. amazon links are great gives us as a rough number to budget for.  
 
As for the time, someone using the machines more then another. I'm sure that's a issue that we will face, but like PiEyedSquire said we might have to consider a usage charge on them per hour or whatnot to make sure its fair for all members.

The apparent lack of enthusiasm so far is perplexing. We have a great opportunity here. Having a vibrant active maker space provides everyone with the opportunity to try new creative processes or to learn more about one you may have tried before.  
 
There are some that include pottery studios, stained glass / glass blowing studios, welding / metal working shops, electronics / computers/ robotics / Arduino , 3d printing ( as mentioned up stream ) laser or CNC machines or both , paper Mache..... the possibilities are endless.  
 
Many will allow you to rent a small space to work on your projects while having access to a multitude of tools and expertise that would be cost prohibitive to many.  
 
This is a fantastic opportunity in the early stages of planning. Lets keep this discussion going and get the maker space we want.  
 
What would you like to see / learn? Are you experienced at something and want to share your expertise? Perhaps offer a workshop?  
 
Personally I am interested in seeing a blacksmithing / knife making setup of some sort, CNC machines and Laser cutters, welding workshops.

i know i would be very interested as i have been waiting for something like this to happen here. i think the apparent lack of interest is just a lack of knowing what these spaces really are. maybe posting up a couple links to a video or two showing examples of what it can be.

..... you are correct that the “apparent” lack of interest is only because of a lack of knowledge.  
 
For those that are interested, Adam Savage ( Mythbusters ) on his Youtube channel Tested tours several spaces of varying sizes and types in a video series.  
 
Very informative. It will give you an idea of just what it is that is possible.  
 
 
Here is one example  
 
https://youtu.be/6IXD_d8OcF0  
 
Edited by Spaghetti Monster, 2018-12-22 09:18:16

Will kids be allowed to use the space with an adult? Will it be for crafting as well? This is very exciting!

.....re kids. I suspect in the early days, while they are trying to get their feet under them so to speak, that children will not be the target consumer.  
 
I agree that at some time , should it prove to be successful, children should be allowed / encouraged to,participate but as you can imagine there is a lot to do to ensure a safe environment .  
 
What would you like to see in terms of children's programs? What age groups ? This is the sort of input they need at this point in order to plan for what folks want.  
 
When you say " crafts" what specifically are you referring to?

Hey guys.  
 
I trust you all had a great Christmas Season.  
 
Concerned Mom we do have a room that has been built out with the idea for "clean" workshops. So weather that be sewing, 3D printing, classroom learning, etc.  
 
This would be a great space to have kids join and build out crafts, or even adults. Maybe a few cricket machines for scrap-booking.  
 
As for kids in the woodshop, ideally yes we would love to have everyone take part, but due to the safety concerns this is will be a lower priority off the start.  
 
We are looking at the Saw Stop (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKD-7IxAYW2tEz_-leWx6mQ ) table saw to address some of the safety concerns.

got into the Arduino scene with a Mega starter kit and just found this thread. This sounds like a good place for project building, just need a good source/supply of parts. As I started reading and watching YouTube videos of what these small micro-controllers, it just blows the mind.  
 
So I will be following this venture.

I had a request from one of my engineer oriented kids. The suggestion is for STEM items for building...Fischertechnik type building systems in the kids area.  
 
I think this venture is an interesting concept...and certainly different for Brandon. It sounds like a good place for imagination and talents to thrive.

I'm following this too with interest. My husband was drooling over the electronics lab on the Adam Savage tour posted above (past hobbies have i:ncluded model trains, amateur radio and electronics in general), and we have an Arduino-obsessed kid. This is something you might get a lot of interest from the homeschooling community too, as we're always looking for ways to expand and stretch ourselves and our kids.

Trevor B - This is definatly a possibility for us, electronic components are reativitly cheap when you buy in bulk and we can stockpile a bunch of them, for a pretty low investment.  
 
I noticed you started another thread for a local bussiness to sell parts/hardware. I think that would be tough to do, not enough margin when you can get next day shipping from the online guys. However us having a membership based collective would be a better way to have parts/supplies local so when you burn up your last led or resistor you can grab another right away and get back to saving the world...or at least having a cold beer right beside you.  
 
AbbysMum: I didn't realize how big of an Arduino community their is in Brandon. That is one of the goals we have with this makerspace is to allows these communities to have a place to meet and share ideas, problem solve, and just general networking.  
 
Big picture goal I have is Trevvor and AbbyMum (or kid) figure out the electronics, then we have another guy to the woodworking, and say a third guy is a great welder and can fabricate up a metal frame for the whole project to fit into.

As we move towards completion of the building. We are looking to stock up with tools and equipment.  
 
Might be a little early for spring cleaning but we are looking for basically anything that could be used in a woodworking shop.  
 
Hammers, Drills, Sanders, Router and other handtools  
 
Or if you have larger items workbenches, tabletop tools, drill press, etc.  
 
Depending on a value of the donation we would look offer a free or discounted membership to makerspace or we setup a Loan were you retain ownership of the equiptment.  
 
 
Also looking at having an inital information night down at the space next Thursday Jan 17th at 7 PM.

Where is the meeting going to take place?

Definitely interested in checking it out. But so far location hasn't been posted. Checked events section of ebrandon and didn't find it either.  
Please post the event location and maybe put it in events section as well.  
I think it is an awesome idea. Creativity feeds creativity.  
I do plan on bringing my creative high school teen with me too.

This is great in the sense that people can develop skills and a product. New businesses and employment could be created in Brandon. HP, Microsoft and Apple were all started in garages.

Think part of the problem in lack of response is the wording, why not refer to it as a creative workshop, probably explains more to most folks.  
What sort of cost are you considering, per day/hour/ project? Will a membership be required? Will a tool rental fee be involved?  
Where is the venue to be, what hours will it be open, what security will there be for unfinished projects that are not taken away?  
Apart from the basic idea there does no seem to be much by way of detail so far.  
Not wishing to sound like a doom merchant, but nothing I have read so far would encourage me to use the facility as described.

JaneT & AndreaD: The space is still under construction/renovations so I was just waiting to hear back if we can host our meetup/info night in the actual space or if we would have to meet offsite. Sorry for being doggy with the location, but I was trying to avoid having people show up at multiple locations. If you could let me know makers@brnc.ca or text 204-724-2651 if your planning on coming and how many your brining so I can get a rough idea on number that would be great!  
 
All that being said, I have got the go ahead that we can be in the space at 440 Rosser Ave, its across from Fabricland. You can enter through the "employees only" door. Please keep in mind that it is worksite, so you might get drywall dust on your clothes if you lean up against the wrong wall. and we have limited seating options and its a concreate floor.  
 
Hey!: Would love you see you out. Every business has to start somewhere, we are trying to build a community where you have the potential to find your next business partner and product.  
 
vegimite: I agree with all of the points you made. As for what to call it, their are bunch of different names people have used, Makerspace is the most generic and wildly accepted, makes it easier for people to google and get a better idea of what we are setting up.  
 
As for the venue, 440 Rosser Ave. we have 3000sq ft to work with currently and have the option to double that if we have enough support. As for the rest of your points/questions: hours, fees, security, workshops, etc. that what we are looking to get feedback/suggestions on.  
 
We are trying to build a community and part of that would the sense of owership within that community on the success of the makerspace. Researching other makerspaces around North America monthly memberships range anywhere from $40-$200, some charge extra for certain tools, some offer discounts to students/seniors, family passes.  
 
So with that said what we are looking for is what the creative people of Brandon would value a place like this at, and what they would feel comfortable paying, along with what equiptment they would like to see.  
 
If you have made it all the way through this post, we would love you have you join our mailing list so we can send you notices right way, in addtion to updating this thread.  
https://mailchi.mp/6d8ec8919256/bdnmaker

Sorry gang, put the wrong email address  
makers@BNRC.ca, I don't see a way to edit my post, maybe Adam can fix that up for me.  
 
Cheers, already have about a dozen ppl RSVP looks like its gonna be a great turn out.

One thing I have seen in some videos of maker spaces is they have had a vending machine with raspberry pi boards, arduino boards, little bags of wires and test leads, battery connectors, solder and other frequently used components. Thought that was a neat self serve idea. Could also have small bags of 3D printing filament, USB storage drives and what not like that.  
 
Just a thought.  
 
This is an awesome idea for Brandon!  
 
And the next thing for Brandon could be a maker fair!

That would be cool to have a vending machine setup with some electronic parts, or even saw blades, basically anything that is consumable or small.  
 
Any one out in eBrandon land have an old vending machine we can hack up to make it work?

productive meeting was held. A lot of ideas came from it.. From what I see online, Makerspaces come in a wide variety of setups and project types. I think there will be a lot of trial and error to get it setup here. And that's going to happen with something new and doesn't come with at template. But in the end it will be beneficial to the city.

This sounds wonderful coming from someone who likes to dabble in "arts and crafts" without committing to a costly investment in materials. Looking forward to a facebook page or website that further showcases what kind of "stuff" a person will be able to make in your space! Definitely will be keeping tabs on this!

Trevor is right we had a great meetup last night, thanks to everyone who came out. We will be planning another right away here.  
 
Yellowstraw: Your exactly who we are looking at for possible membership. Not sure if you are on our mailing list or not, but I'd welcome you to join it. We are working on insta/facebook/website/twitter/etc. pages but we haven't got a great name for the space yet and cool pictures to post. Current working plan is to open with a woodshop and some entry/med range 3D printers, and Laser cutter/engraver. We did have a quite a few people show up last night who were interested in Electronics, they don't take up a bunch of space so we could offer this type of craft as well.

Just a bit of an update.  
 
We are getting closer to move in date, and are really excited getting the Makerspace up and running. We have a pretty good group of core individuals that have provided some great feedback and desire to see the space open.  
 
Based on the current weather it might be a little early for Spring Cleaning, but if your getting a head start on it and come across anything you think we might be able to use let me know. I have attached a picture detailing a few items, but it certainly isn't a full list (and a few things aren't needed) to get your brain going.  
 
We would look a either a donation, purchase, or compsensation on monthly membership fees, depending value.  
 
I'd also encourage anyone who is interested to sign up on our email list http://eepurl.com/gdQ8_f or reach out makers@bnrc.ca  
 
Cheers,  
 
-Tyler

Next Meetup night  
 
Hey guys, we have been hard at work getting the renovations done on Brandon's First Makerspace and we'd love to show it to you.  
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/creation-nation-march-meetup-info-night-tickets-58727217689  
Come out Thursday evening and we'll show you around, explain how it will work, and more importantly how you can be a part of it!  
 
RSVP on eventbrite so we have an idea how many to expect.  
 
http://bit.ly/CreationNation is the link to sign up to our mailing list.  
 
Cheers,  
 
-Tyler