Archive for category: Events

Busy day today! At least a few of us are headed down to Schoolcraft College for the Michigan Electric Auto Association‘s car show, which should need no further explanation.

This evening’s big event is the recreational lockpicking class, taught by PS:One‘s own Eric Michaud. The event is scheduled to start at 6, but there’s absolutely no harm in arriving earlier. Doors should be open by 5, follow our Twitter to confirm.  (Or just check that little “the space is open/closed” box in the sidebar.)

Oh yes, that special assignment? It’s for students of tonight’s class:

If you don’t have picks (or even if you do), swing by your local auto parts store and pillage their bin of used windshield wipers! The steel blade-stiffening strips therein can be made into DIY picks pretty easily, and what’s more useful than learning to pick locks? Learning to pick locks with improvised tools, of course!

What’s the stupidest possible thing you can do with a Power Wheels car? Upgrade the motors and batteries, put a 170-lb adult on it, and send him careening around a race course, of course! That, plus some electrical fires and embarassing video footage, are the apparent goal of the Power Racing Series, organized by Chicago hackerspace Pumping Station: One.

Naturally, we’re participating. We’re also looking for a smaller adult.

The competition takes place at Maker Faire Detroit, at the end of July, which gives us just six weeks to build and test our entry. Tonight we tackle the frame, body, and hopefully motor mounting! Members and non-members alike are encouraged to swing by and partake in the lunacy. I’ll try to have the doors open by 6:30, but as always, check the Twitter feed for notification.