Chloe Wingard

August 2022 Newsletter

Welcoming Our Newest Addition

In July the Akron Makerspace did a grand overhaul of the Wood Lab to make room for this shiny new (to us, its refurbished) CNC router!!! It is set up, and factory training for it has been completed.

The machine is a 4′ x 8′ Maker-Fab Series Router made by and reconditioned by Forest Scientific.

We are ramping up for member training starting in September!

AMS Wood Lab Meeting

In more Wood Lab news, a meeting has been scheduled for 6:30 pm on August 25, 2022 to discuss various topics concerning the Wood Lab to include but not limited to:
  • Development of a committee of maintainers for the Wood Lab.  Bob Hasenyager has too many AMS responsibilities to maintain the lab alone. We are looking for AMS members who would like to be involved in the planning and execution of improvements, machine maintenance, planning and training.
  • Policy to address wood storage outside of lockers and rental benches.  Fortunately the wood shop usage has been growing, but with that we need to better control the temporary storage of projects and materials, please come and help us work out solutions.
  • The increasing request for more  Wood Lab classes. We need more teachers for our student hungry for knowledge! Do you have a skill or project that you’d like to share?
  • Discussion of future general Wood Lab meetings.  Come with your ideas of what you’d like to hear at periodic meetings such as discussion on the various uses of individual tools, group projects, build and/or design contests, tricks and tips, etc.
  • Want to help with a project?  We have several potential projects for improving the usability of the wood shop:  completion of dust collection, design and building of helpful machine jigs, building improved workbenches, wiring improvements, etc.
As the AMS is only run by volunteer work, our facility will greatly improve with members working together to make it better.

    New Open Workshop Hours

    AMS has updated its Open Workshop Hours for members. We are now open for un-keyed members on Monday and Thursday nights from 7 to 10 pm. Members with a key can ‘host’ Open Workshop Hours (really just opening the door at 7 pm then turning off fans and closing windows and doors at 10 pm). Members with keys can sign up to host here.

    Open Workshop Hours are a great time to stop in to say ‘hi’ to other members and check out the rad projects they’re working on!

    Akron Makes

    AMS will be participating in a free, interactive, and family-friendly event at the downtown  Main Akron Library on Saturday September 17th from 11am – to 4pm.

    Tech, crafts, art, engineering, and imagination are all on the table!

    Our Facilities Manager Andy B. will be there with his Skee-Bowl build, so stop on by! A big thanks to the APL for including us in such a fun event.

    Kids Maker Fest

    Sunday September 18th from 11am – 2pm, AMS will have a station in the Akron Art Museum’s Kids Maker Fest! Its a family event where we’ll be teaching all ages, toddlers to grandparents, the importance of tool safety, knowing how to fix things yourself, and how cool it is to make something with your own hands.

    The event is free, but registration is recommended. Follow the link above for more details.

    Cleveland Gaming Classic

    Mark your calendars for Saturday September 24th! AMS will have a booth at the Cleveland Gaming Classic at the IX Center. The convention is slated to have an on-site arcade, tabletop board games, tournaments, vendor tables, VIP guests, cosplay, collectibles and more!

    AMS will be showing off the equipment we have that can help gamers make merch, dice, character miniatures, cosplay, and fix their retro gaming consoles. Stop by our booth while checking out the largest gaming con in Ohio! 

    Large Classroom Mural

    The Cool Shit Committee got its mural proposal approved by the Board! Work to complete this amazing art is scheduled to start soon. First the false wall will have to be built, then painting will begin. Reach out to Liz (head of the Cool Shit Committee) on the committee’s Discord Channel to see how you can help out!

    Summit County COVID Status

    COVID cases are again on the rise in Summit County. Please keep yourself and your family safe in taking precautions and help to protect your fellow makers. If you have any of the common COVID symptoms, please refrain from visiting the Space, seek a COVID test and follow all CDC protocols if testing positive. And if another member asks you to mask up, please do so. So please have a mask with you. THANK YOU!

    Recent AMS Board Changes

    The AMS Board of Directors voted at the August Board Meeting to move Lindsey Glorioso Hennis to the Secretary position from an At-Large position.

    They also voted to appoint Ian Campbell to the newly vacant At-Large position.

    These two members bring fantastic skills and knowledge to the AMS board.

    At the next Member Business Meeting on August 22nd at 7 pm we will have the present membership vote to confirm these appointments.

    If you’re interested in being a part of AMS’s leadership we have the Membership Coordinator and ‘Cruise Director’ (events coordinator) positions still open. If you have people and/or planning skills we would love to have you join!

    Thank you for reading and being a member of our rad Maker community!

    By Chloe Wingard, ago

    February 2022 Newsletter

    Happy February, Makers!

    Valentine’s Day is coming up soon. Now is a great time to get started on a rad project for that certain someone. Ya know, instead of shelling out your hard-earned cash to Big Hallmark.Wooden valentines? Metal fab roses? 3D printed hearts? The sky is the limit!

    Board of Directors Election

    An email was sent out a few weeks ago giving all of our members an update on the upcoming Board Elections. Anyone interested in helping to lead the organization is welcome to submit a nomination form for a position here.

    Nominations will be open until February 15th at 8 pm

    A ballot for voting will be sent to members on the evening of February 15th

    That ballot will be open for voting until February 22nd at 5 pm

    After the voting closes, the votes will be counted and the new board members will be announced via email.

    Cool Shit Committee Meeting

    The first Cool Shit Committee meeting of the year will be tonight! Friday, February 4th at 6pm. Both in person and virtual. 
    We will be discussing ways to create an inviting and relaxing area to chill & take breaks, located by the back wall of the large classroom. 
    This can include: 
    Mural painting
    Furniture building/acquisition
    Making fun things to hang
    Setting up an area for gaming
    & Whatever else you can think of!
    Please attend if you’ve got any fresh ideas for a chill zone in the space. If you cannot attend, shoot an email withy our ideas to Liz@akronmakerspace.org

    Open Workshop Hosting

    AMS holds Open Workshop Hours on Monday and Friday nights from 7 pm to 10 pm. This gives keyless members a time to come use the Space. These nights need a member with a key to come open the door, and shut down the space when they leave.

    If you’re an AMS member with a key, please consider hosting an Open Workshop night once or twice per month. Its a great way to meet new members and have a solid 3 hour block of making on your schedule. We have sign-up sheets here for members to sign up to ‘host’ these nights.

    No one is currently signed up for February.

    February Woodshop Classes

    The following classes and work days are scheduled for February.  To reserve classes email, text or call Bob Hasenyager, bobhasenyager@gmail.com or 330.608 7725. 
    One safety class is scheduled,  but others will be conducted on a request basis by contacting Bob.
    • 2/8, 5:30 – 9:00 woodshop safety class. Limited to 3. $10
    • 2/10, 12 pm to 8 pm woodshop work day
    • 2/15, 5:30 – 8:30,  Woodturning Basics, Spindle Turning. Limited to 3. $15.
    • 2/24, 5:30 – 8:30, Turning a Wood Bowl on the Lathe. Limited to 2. $35.
    • 2/27, 12 pm – 4 pm, Turning a Wood Bowl on the Lathe. Limited to 2. $35.
    By Chloe Wingard, ago

    January 2022 Newsletter

    Welcome to a brand new year at Akron Makerspace! We hope you all had fun making things for the holiday season and are ready for fun new projects in 2022.

    Ceramics Lab Update

    Our highly awaited Ceramics Lab is going live this month! On January 10th it will be open for experienced potters to come in to work on the two wheels available- one is a standard wheel and the other is wheelchair accessible!

    We do ask that any members wishing to work in the Ceramics Lab contact its maintainer- Chloe@akronmakerspace.org to set up a time to talk about the organization of the Lab and how to keep it clean when you’re working in there.

    Any AMS members who are inexperienced in pottery wheel work, but are interested in learning, are invited to reach out to Chloe at the above email to set up an hour or two of instruction time on a wheel.

    See the Ceramics Lab page on our website to stay up to date on official Lab news, and check out the Ceramics Lab channel on the AMS Discord server for pottery chat, questions, and comments.

    We’re so excited to add a new lab to our space!

    New Donation Policy Posted

    AMS is open to receiving equipment and material donations from a variety of sources. We’ve added a Donation Policy to our website to streamline the process for donors. Check it out here.

    Currently we’re looking for more electric pottery wheels so we can have the resources to teach classes to more than one student at a time.

    Mask Info

    We know you’re tired of hearing about it, and believe us, we’re tired of talking about it. But since the COVID pandemic marches on, so does our mask policy.

    Please make sure to wear your mask over your mouth and nose when you’re around others in the Space. Its so important to help keep others safe in our maker community.

    KN/N95 masks are available for members in the entrance portal.

    That's A Wrap!

    Our magical designs at Stan Hywet Hall’s Deck the Hall holiday event were seen by over 40,000 visitors this year!

    By Chloe Wingard, ago

    November 2021 Newsletter

    Volunteer Event Sign-Ups

    Do you like helping out the Makerspace? Do you have a free evening? Well, we need a few volunteers to open the Space for Member Open Workshop Hours! There’s not much to it: All you need to do is open up the Space for members to come in and make, then close everything up when it’s done.

    If you’re interested, check out the sign-up sheet here!

    Our Member Handbook is Now on the Website

    Do you have a burning question about how something works at AMS? The new handbook section of our website is now your first stop! Check out the “Member Handbook” drop-down on the navigation bar of our website to find all the most up-to-date information on a variety of topics at AMS.

    Update on Equipment Usage Billing

    You’ve probably noticed some new signs popping up around the ‘Space. These are QR codes that have been rolled out to make paying for equipment usage easier and more consistent.

    You can scan one of these with your phone to go to our page about that Lab or machine. From there, you can add your machine time to a cart and checkout straight away – no waiting on someone to bill you for it.

    Can’t scan the code? No problem, each sign also has the address for the page it points to, and all the pages are included in the navigation menu on the website.

    We plan on adding important and useful information about each piece of equipment to the pages, so keep an eye out for that.

    Have something you want to see on a machine’s page? Add it to the Public Share Drive (more on that in a bit)!

    Why are we doing this? It can get pretty expensive keeping the equipment and Labs maintained and stocked with consumables, this helps us offset those costs – which keeps us running – and it gives us an idea of what’s getting used so we can make good investments in the right gear.

    Right to Repair Interview

    Check out this rad radio interview from 93.5 WKAR on Right to Repair. Host Jeanne Destro interviewed AMS’s very own Chris Bennett about why he thinks Ohio should consider passing state laws to address issues in Right to Repair.

    Public Share Drive

    Did you know Akron Makerspace has its own Public Share Google drive? It’s a hub of all things AMS- from classes and labs, to project sharing and paperwork form access.

    All members are welcomed and encouraged to populate information on this drive. If you have tips and tricks to share about certain equipment, or pictures of an amazing project you just finished, or are curious about classes offered in the past, the Public Share drive is the place to go! Check it out here.

    Think Share Play Plaque

    The Cool Shit Committee would like to announce that there is a new addition to our walls in the Makerspace! This past month, we partnered with Think Share Play, another local non-profit, to install a plaque in our entry portal. The plaque has a scan-able QR code that we encourage members to interact with. This is part of a larger project organized by Think Share Play which includes plaques around the Akron & Barberton area all with interactive QR codes. Visit ThinkSharePlay to learn more about this new local non-profit & the projects they are working on. If you take the time to check out this new addition to the Makerspace, let liz@akronmakerspace.org know what you think! 

    Wood Lab Safety Classes

    Wood Lab classes continue upon request. Please email Bob_H@akronmakerspace.org to get something on the schedule. If you’d like a safety class in another lab, or are looking for lessons on how to use pieces of equipment in the Space, check out the Public Share drive to see if there’s already info on it, or email board@akronmakerspace.org to set up a time to learn.

    By Chloe Wingard, ago