Pumping Station: One

… because how awesome is my laptop now?

It’s a wave…

… of bunnies!

I have long loved Kozyndan’s ‘Uprisings.’ It’s a play on Hokusai’s ‘The Great Wave off Kanagawa,’ with bunnies. I got my anodized aluminum Macbook Pro, and saw someone had laser etched theirs in a laser cutter. I thought this was a great choice to put on mine. I bought the poster, had it scanned at a shop with a large-format scanner, pulled it into the Gimp open-source graphics package (comparable to Photoshop), and messed with it a fair amount. Then I brought it into PS:One and etched it on our laser cutter. I have to give credit to Will McShane for his assistance in showing me how to edit the image and operate the laser cutter. Both operations fall in that category of things I do rarely and are sort of complicated, so my memory doesn’t hang on to them well. It came out perfectly. Thanks so much for your help, Will.

[Addendum: I posted a more complete account of the process on my personal blog.]

The second Wednesday of each month is our monthly Automation Night (AKA: DIY CNC night)!

Are you interested in automated manufacturing? Do you like the idea of owning your own 3D printer, laser cutter, automated mill, router table, or other automated tools? Then this is the night for you!

Automation Night is an ever-growing group of enthusiastic amateurs and professionals in the field of do it yourself automated manufacturing (ie 3D printers, CNC mills, laser cutters, cake frosters, etc) hardware and software.

Please come if you’re interested in learning more, already have an automated tool at home, want to show off your latest build, or just want to meet locals who are into this exciting technology!

• Who: Open to the public
• Where: Pumping Station: One, 3517/3519 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL
• When: Wednesday, August 8th, 7pm
• Cost: Free ($5 suggested donation for non-members to help us pay the rent)

Typical Schedule:

• 7-7:10: people show up
• 7:10-7:25: introductions round-robin (and sometimes a guest speaker)
• 7:25-’till everyone leaves: schmoozing, machine assembly and show off, discussion of tools and techniques

Image: Model of Mars Curiosity Rover by Thingiverse user ThePlanetMike

This Wednesday night is the triumphant return of Automation Night!

The second Wednesday of each month is our monthly Automation Night (AKA: DIY CNC night)!

Are you interested in automated manufacturing? Do you like the idea of owning your own 3D printer, laser cutter, automated mill, router table, or other automated tools? Then this is the night for you!

Automation Night is an ever-growing group of enthusiastic amateurs and professionals in the field of do it yourself automated manufacturing (ie 3D printers, CNC mills, laser cutters, cake frosters, etc) hardware and software.

Please come if you’re interested in learning more, already have an automated tool at home, want to show off your latest build, or just want to meet locals who are into this exciting technology!

• Who: Open to the public
• Where: Pumping Station: One, 3517/3519 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL
• When: Wednesday, July 11th, 7pm
• Cost: Free ($5 suggested donation for non-members to help us pay the rent)

General Schedule:

• 7-7:10: people show up
• 7:10-7:25: introductions round-robin
• 7:25-’till everyone leaves: schmoozing, machine assembly and show off, discussion of tools and techniques

Image: Modular Hollow Universal Joint by thingiverse user sirmakesalot

The second Wednesday of the month is coming up which means that our monthly Automation Night (was DIY CNC night)  is upon us again!

Are you interested in at-home automated manufacturing? Do you like the idea of owning your own 3D printer, laser cutter, automated mill, router table, or other astounding automatons? Then this is the night for you!

Automation Night is an ever-growing group of enthusiastic amateurs and professionals in the field of do it yourself automated manufacturing (ie 3D printers, CNC mills, laser cutters, cake frosters, etc) hardware and software.

Please come if you’re interested in learning more, already have an automated tool at home, want to show off your latest build, or just want to meet locals who are into this exciting technology!

• Who: Open to the public
• Where: Pumping Station: One, 3354 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL
• When: Wednesday, April 11th, 7pm
• Cost: Free ($5 suggested donation for non-members to help us pay the rent)

Planned Schedule:

• 7-7:10: people show up
• 7:10-7:25: introductions round-robin
• 7:25-’till everyone leaves: schmoozing, machine assembly and show off, discussion of tools and techniques

Image: 120 Cell by Thingiverse user George Hart

streetlamp by prettysmallthings

Welcome back from the holidays!  Didn’t get the 3D printer you wanted under the tree? Come to DIY CNC night to learn how to make your own!

Our monthly DIY CNC (do it yourself computer numerically controlled tools) night is happening this week on Wednesday night at 7pm!

DIY CNC night is an ever-growing group of enthusiastic amateurs and professionals in the field of do it yourself automated manufacturing (ie 3D printers, CNC mills, laser cutters, cake frosters, etc) hardware and software.

Please come if you’re interested in learning more, already have a CNC tool at home, want to show off your latest build, or just want to meet locals who are into this exciting technology!

• Who: Open to the public
• Where: Pumping Station: One, 3354 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL
• When: Wednesday, January 11, 7pm
• Cost: Free ($5 suggested donation for non-members to help pay the rent)

Typical Schedule:

• 7-7:10: people show up
• 7:10-7:25: introduction round-robin
• 7:25-9pm or so: schmoozing, machine assembly and show off, discussion of tools and techniques

UPDATE: I can’t read a calendar – this event takes place on December 14, not december 7 as this post originally stated.

It’s almost time for December’s DIY CNC Night, a growing group of enthusiasts of automated manufacturing: 3D printers, laser cutters, automated mills and routers, plus all the software and hardware tools that enable automated manufacturing technology!

Please come if you’re interested in learning more, already have a CNC tool at home, want to show off your latest build, or just want to meet locals who are into this exciting technology!

Who: Open to the public

Where: Pumping Station: One, 3354 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL

When: December 14, 7pm

Cost: Free ($5 suggested donation for non-members to help pay the rent)

Typical Schedule:

• 7-7:10: people show up
• 7:10-7:25: introduction round-robin
• 7:25-9pm or so: schmoozing, machine assembly and show off, discussion of tools and techniques

Image: Sneaker Spurs! by Thingiverse user MikeBattaglia

Interested in 3D printing? Lasercutting? Wish you had an automated mill to play with?

Come join us for our monthly DIY CNC Night #4 on October 12 at 7pm.

Our typical schedule:

• 7-7:20pm: introductions
• 7:20-7:45pm: brief talk (TBD)
• 7:45-9pm: machine demos, schmoozing, repair work, machine assembly, discussions, etc

Who: open to the public

Where: Pumping Station: One 3354 N. Elston Ave, Chicago 60618

When: 7pm on Wednesday, October 12

Cost: Free

Gear O’Clock designed by thingiverse user PrintTo3D

Who doesn’t love a good zombie hunt?  The Transistor made what looks like  a carnival style shooting game to the style of Shaun of the Dead.  Wonder who their crack shot is?

That’s the last of the 5 Contenders in this hackerspace challenge, but there’s still at least one more video where Mitch Altman will be crowning the coolest project.