Open Shop Friday: 6:30ish

Following the Twitterbot not your style? Been looking for a good time to stop in and check out the space? Open Shop Friday is that time!

On Friday evenings we [try to] throw open the doors and welcome visitors to check the place out. Bring a project to work on, or just hang out! Bring a friend who’s never heard of hackerspaces…

When: Tonight, 6:30pm until midnight or later…

Where: 1481 Wordsworth, Ferndale, MI. Park in front of the building or farther down Wordsworth.

Who: You and your carpoolers.

What: Hack stuff, make stuff, take stuff apart. Hang out, teach, learn, and doodle on whiteboards everywhere.

Smokin’ Pop Skyway (Open Shop Friday)

Guess what it’s time for!

It’s time for a gibberish question?

No, wait, wrong game. We’re playing You Don’t Know Hack, and that means it’s time for another Open Shop Friday!

If you’ve been waiting for a good time to check out i3 and following @i3detroit isn’t convenient, Open Shop Friday is for you. If you have a project you’ve been meaning to work on, bring it along! If you have a friend who’s into DIY stuff, drag ’em in. From sewing to welding, you can do it here.

Exposure warning: Bad jokes and 90s video game references are occasionally found in near-lethal quantities, visitors are advised to take whatever measures they feel necessary.

Fourth Tuesday, time for Android meetup!

Do you pipe up with advice whenever a friend has a phone question? Or are you the one doing the asking? Do terms like Nandroid and CWM roll off your tongue, or have you not rooted your phone yet? Do you live for QR codes? (Have you scanned the one on our front door?)

Regardless of experience level, you’re welcome at our regular Android meetups! Learn about your phone (or tablet), share what you know, break something, fix something, and most importantly, meet other enthusiasts!

I promise to have the doors open by 7pm, but earlier is probably fine if you’re in the area.

Power Racing Series needs your help

Power Racing Series launched a Kickstarter campaign on September 20, 2011 to raise $20,000 in funds to cover their increased travel expenses, provide a more accurate timing and safety systems and increase the amount of races for the 2012 season.

PPPRS, or ‘Pow-Pow’ Power Racing Series began local to Chicago hackerspace Pumping Station: One in July 2009. Since its conception they have now hosted races at Maker Faire Detroit and Kansas City Mini-Maker Faire. The last race included over 22 cars from hackerspaces such as Sector 67, CCKC and i3 Detroit.

Power Racing Series was recently recognized in the October issue of Wired Magazine.

The Power Racing Series is raising funds through Thursday, October 20 for the following:

– renting or developing a timing and scoring system for the series;
– introducing new races to the 2012 calendar;
– affording more safety equipment for the drivers;
– affording increased travel and lodging expenses for our racers
– inventing and building exciting new event obstacles.

Reward tiers for the Kickstarter include collector-card style stickers of some of the most popular vehicles thus far, a special edition t-shirt, a 2011 yearbook, a 3D MakerBot print of the renowned “Pink Barbie Trike”, as well as various levels of sponsorship of cars, races, and the series itself.

Power Racing Series is run by Pumping Station: One member Jim Burke. Jim is a full time artist and part time balloon baron who enjoys combining the arts with technology. Jim is currently working with Electromagnate Studios on a documentary titled Remade: The Rebirth of the Maker Movement. For more information about Power Racing Series visit the website: http://www.powerracingseries.org. The Kickstarter is available here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/308894311/778607148

Beautification has returned!

Smiling Welding KarenLook, a sign!

During Open Shop Friday, our head of the “beautification committee”, Karen, jumped back in the saddle to give the space a spiff. After giving the loft treehouse a spruce by repairing vines and replacing a strand of lights that had gone out, she jumped over to the welding area for some instructing. Earlier this year, Karen had begun making signs for the different areas of the space, but had only gotten as far as the Electronics storage area. Last night, Nate W. taught Matt O. the ways of the MIG and they started in on the sign for the welding area. With some help from Hans, Karen finished the sign. Task complete! With some Genie-straddling action and assistance from Dustin, the sign is now mounted shining over the glory that is the welding bench.

Another area labeled with awesomeness. Job well done.