Cool Stuff to Outfit Your Makerspace
1. ModelaTabletop-size milling machine that can drill holes andmill small parts and prototypes from a designer's plan.Modela can also scan a part and then replicate it ondemand.Manufacturers: JET Tools and Woodstock International,Inc., manufacturer of Shop Fox WoodworkingPrice: $450-$9,299
2. Laser CutterA carbon dioxide laser that cuts through plastic and oth-er materials, up to a quarter-inch thick. The cutter canalso be used to engrave text, graphics, and photos on avariety of materials.Manufacturers: Jinan Transon CNG Equipment Go. Ltd.and LightobjectPrice: $l,450-$5,995
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MAKER MONDAY AT MIDWINTER 2013The publisher of MAKE magazine, a panel of Maker Campveterans, and other experts will share their insights andexperiences at Maker Camp Monday at the ALA MidwinterMeeting in Seattle on January 28, 2013. The first session willbe a discussion on the Maker Camp pilot program, a six-week online summer camp for teens ages 13-17 that taughtthem how to complete 30 projects in 30 days. A number oflibraries from across the country participated in the programand four will share their experiences on integrating MakerCamp into their summer programs. In The New Stacks:
The Maker Movement Comes toLibraries session. Dale Dougherty,founding editor and publisher ofMAKE magazine, and Travis Good,a contributing writer for MAKEmagazine, will discuss do-it-yourself(DIY) culture and how it can helplibraries. Informal play and Q&A sessions are also availablethroughout the day with Steve Teeri of the Detroit PublicLibrary in the Networking Uncommons area.
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3. CNC MachinesComputer-guided router makes complicated cuts inwood. It can carve complex designs for furnitureand letters for signs.Manufacturers: PRSalpha and TormachPrice: $6,850-$23,000
4. ArduinoAn open- source electronics platform or board andthe software used to program it. Arduino is designedto make electronics more accessible to artists, de-signers, hobbyists, or anyone else interested in cre-ating interactive objects or environments.Manufacturers: SparkFun Electronics and GravitechDistributors: RadioShack and Adafruit IndustriesPrice: $20-$65
5. 3D Printer .Able to generate 3D objects that can be used forparts or prototypes.Manufacturers: Solidoodle and 3D SystemsPrice: $499-$2,999
6. Vinyl CutterUses a ñne-tuned blade to cut thin materials. It cancut vinyl, cloth, cardboard, and thin metals such ascopper sheets to make electrical circuits.Manufacturers: Roland and Stahls'Price: $59S-$6,995
7. Espresso Book MachineMachine prints and binds a paperback book in a fewminutes. The technology can be used for self- andcustom publishing as well as on- demand titles.Through its EspressNet digital catalog, users canchoose from more than 7 million in-copyright andpublic-domain titles.Manufacturer: Xerox Corp.Price: Approximately $100,000 per unit, or5—9 cents per page
RESOURCESWEBSITES
• Arduino Blog: Tips on how to program Arduinoswithout learning technical syntax, arduino.cc/blog
• Hackerspaces.org: A wiki that includes a listingof active hackerspaces, upcoming events and classes,hacker contact information, and a blog of interestinghacker projects.
• Hackerspace Meetups: A directory of hacker-space Meetups around the world, hackerspaces.meetup.com
• MAKE magazine: A good go-to source formaker-related activities and news, makezine.com
• Makerspace.com; An online community thataims "to build literacy in design, science, technology,engineering, art, and mathematics by combining whatO'Reilly Media, MAKE magazine, and Otherlab havelearned about the maker community."
• Thing/verse; Digital designs for 3D printers.thingiverse.com
BOOKS• DIY Couture: Create Your Own Fashion Collection.
Rosie Martin. (Laurence King Publishers, 2012)• DIY: Design k Vourse/f (Design Handbooks).
Ellen Lupton. (Princeton Architectural Press, 2006)• Hack This: 24 Incredible Hackerspace Projects
from the DIY Movement. John Baichtal. (Oue Publishing,2011)
• Makers; The New Industrial Revolution. ChrisAnderson. (Crown Business, 2012)
• Makerspace Playbook: An online guide to suc-cessfully building a makerspace, developed by DaleDougherty with Dr. Saul Griffith. Includes all the neces-sary forms and tips for getting funding. bit.ly/Typ2Rr
• P.S.—I Made This ... I See It. I Like It. I Make It.Erica Domesek. (Abrams Image, 2010)
PODCASTS• Hackerspaces Signal: Streaming hacker radio.
blog.hackerspaces.org/category/podcast• NerdAbsurd: Topics range from 3D printed guns
to cool computer games, nerdabsurd.com• The Amp Hour: A weekly hourlong podcast on the
world of electronics design, theamphour.com
ALA WEBINAR• January 7, 1 p.m. Central time. "Learn About
Makerspaces from the Innovators at Carnegie Libraryin Pittsburgh." To register, visit goo.gl/oZYUR.Or to view previous webinars, go to alapublishing.webex.com.
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