RECENT NEWS

I attended a glass fusion class recently, and it got me thinking about the interesting classes we’ve had at The MakerBarn throughout the years. A member showed others how to use various woodworking tools during a simple cutting board class. We’ve had classes in embroidery, welding, photography, sublimation, pen turning, electronics, the Bridgeport mill, stained glass, and ceramics, among others. We offer free Vectric V-Carve software training for the CNC (thank you, Jim!), and basic Lightburn software training for the laser cutters. We’ve had two multi-week classes in Autodesk Fusion 360. George has an ongoing electronics class each week and has recently started up a Saturday morning Kicad software class which ties into that electronics class.

Announcing The MakerBarn’s First Large Scale Auction We have identified fifteen items that are no longer in use or are duplicates at the Barn. We are offering our first ever, large scale auction. It is open for bidding now and will close at 6:00 pm, Friday, February 14th. Please look over the photos and descriptions of each item in this month’s newsletter. A closed bid for any items that interest you may be submitted in writing and placed in either bid box located in the Lab and the Shop. Forms are near the bid boxes. Non-members may come to the Shop to submit bids. The Shop manager on duty can help you. Only one item, the Jet Bandsaw, has a reserve price that must be met.

Happy New Year! There was quite a bit of activity in the Shop and Lab leading into the holidays. I trust your family and friends were wowed by your Homemade for the Holidays gifts! A gift from your heart and your hands is sure to be appreciated and treasured.

The MakerBarn has expanded! We rented suite 102B across the parking lot. It’s now known as The Learning Center. We have 10 computers set up on the same tables like they were in the old space. On one wall are two smart TVs and a large white board placed for the instructors to use. Additionally, we have some adjustable height tables that can be used for a variety of classes, such as electronics, crafts, or other purposes. This puts the MakerBarn square footage at around 8,000!

Expanding the Barn! Good news this month! We recently signed a 1-year lease on suite 102B across the parking lot from our current space. It’s a bigger space in which to hold classes utilizing the Learning Center computers. The current Learning Center will become the Ceramics Room. It will house the wheels, the roller, shelving and other accessories. Under the direction of Lisa Lane, the ceramics program has really sparked an interest among members. This new space will be a welcome home for all things ceramics.

MakerBarn keeps growing! September saw the arrival of a large 19” Bandsaw in the Shop - you will find a description and some background on this new machine elsewhere in the newsletter. A big thank-you to George Carlson and several members who wrestled the big machine off a truck and into the shop & then hooked it up and made it operational - a big job! Our ceramics operation has grown so much in the past year. Area manager Lisa Lane and a team of members are now operating the kiln regularly and they pull amazing objects of art out of it every week.

New Equipment at The MakerBarn! We’ve got two new types of equipment for members to learn about and use. One is the Tormach 8L CNC lathe located in the CNC Mill room near the kiln area. You will need to supply your own tooling and you should watch some YouTube videos on the proper operation. Add yourself to our Slack #metalwork-machining channel. We’ll have some live demos soon.

Springtime is Here! We had a great turnout, about 30+ people, for the Spring Cleaning Day recently. The MakerBarn was a hive of activity with all those busy bees. I hope you notice the difference the next time you come in. A sincere thank you to all of you that could be there to help elevate The MakerBarn to be a better place to create. Two big events are coming up in June. Our 8th anniversary party and Summer Fun Mondays. We’re in the planning stages of a summer camp for our members’ kids! All the details including dates, ages, and activities planned will be ironed out soon. If you’re interested in leading an activity or in helping out in any way, come to the planning meeting on Thursday, May 2nd, at 2:00PM in The Lab.