2018-04-08 Monthly Meeting

April 10, 2018 – North Woodside Community Center, 230 Pleasant, Dartmouth

22 members and 2 guests in attendance

Abbreviated meeting held after the AGM. Call to order by chair, Stephen Parsons, at 8:05

Business & Reminders

Business / business arising covered in AGM

Presentation

Our Guest Presenters for the evening were Adam Cox and Shawn Wilson, who told us about the Halifax Makerspace, its facilities and programs.

Their workshops started in 2013 and is membership driven. Members pay monthly fees for access and workshops. Others pay fees for course participation. Currently, they specialize in woodworking, electronics and a combination of the two. They also have facilities for laser cutting and some sewing.

The facility, located on Rocky Lake Road, is about 900 square feet. It includes a number of work spaces including one that houses the laser cutter (acquired with help of a grant) and 3D printer, a well-stocked electronics room, a woodshop with a collection of hand and power tools, and two styles of mills for cutting plywood from about 12”x20” to full sheets.

There is a social component to the programs and participants have a chance to learn new skills and try different approaches with supervision and support as required/wanted – without the large expense of purchasing specialized equipment. The Makerspace supports individual projects where members make things on their own or connect with volunteers to learn new skills or do some problem solving. They participate in community outreach like Little Free Library for Word on the Street or opening for cubs and scouts to build derby entries and are active in volunteering and supporting other community events such as Nocturne. They also participated as mentors in the NSERC funded Little Inventors program.

The communal aspect goes beyond workshops through regular open houses, project nights and social events. There is a google group open to members and non-members to share ideas or ask questions.

Core membership (includes a vote and 24/7 access) – $50/month

Associate membership (access during open block sessions) – $25/month

Show and Share

This month, our challenge was to make something for a loved one or sweetheart (issued on Valentine’s Day week)

Brad made a custom saw shelf for his growing collection of saws – he staggered the shelves for different heights of saws and added a drawer with half-blind dovetails
Brad also showed us a table that he made from a scale model he had shared previously although he said that the scale model process was less helpful than the book “Anarchists Tool Chest” by Chris Schwartz (available at Lee Valley) – the table had angled tapered legs made from red oaks
Mike Winslow created a number of dinosaur puzzles made with a scroll saw and based on patterns in one of our library books
Tom shared a foot rest he made for his wife – made of tiger maple with beautiful figuring and chiselled edges
Gary made a bench for against the outside wall. He added metal rods and made the front legs slightly longer than back so it would tilt back towards the wall rather than away from it. He used poplar with an espresso stain covered with outdoor finish and acrylic feet to help prevent wicking from water on the ground. Gary promised to bring the project back in the fall so we can see how it fared after a season outdoors.
Stephen shared a trivet that he made with maple and jatoba and shared some of the lessons he learned in the process. He also show us a potpourri pot that he turned