Category Archives: Announcements

Special Event at OMG – May 28th, 7pm – Paint and Pizza!

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I am honored to announce that the website, Instructables.com, has contact Omaha Maker Group and asked us to participate in their inaugural “Instructables Build Nights”!
The idea for Build Nights is that Instructables picks a topic and sends supplies/materials to select Makerspaces for their use in creating an event around that topic.  And just to make it more enjoyable, they kick in some cash for pizza, too!  All we have to do in return (in addition to hosting the event) is produce 3-4 new Instructables to their website.  Our Instructables don’t even have to be about the topic, though that certainly helps.  And as long as we tag/link Omaha Maker Group in our Instructables (more details on how to do that later), we get credit.  If we hit the 3-4 mark, we qualify to participate in future Build Nights.  If we manage 10 Instructables, we could be looking at a new laser cutter, new 3D printer, electronics kit, or more!
The topic for May is conductive paint.  You may have seen the new paint pens at Radio Shack from Bare Conductive.  These pens allow you to “draw” an electronic circuit.  The paint cleans with soapy water, so if you don’t like your circuit, just wash it away and start a new one.
Here’s a link to their website, so you can start getting some ideas: http://www.bareconductive.com/
And here is a link to some Instructables that have already been submitted for Bare Conductive paint, again to give you some ideas:  http://www.instructables.com/group/bareconductive/
Since this is our first Build Night, and the first time we have really talked about Instructables, I will be sure to send out information over the next couple of weeks to give you an introduction to making an Instructable, what constitutes a “quality” Instructable, and how to link your Instructable to OMG. At any time, please email me if you have questions.
The Bare Conductive Build Night will take place at The Makery on May 28th.  Doors will open by 6:00pm, and the event will kick off at 7:00.  We will have pizza from Varisty/Roman Coin, but please BYOB (and any snacks you might want).  Hope to see you there!

Learn about Lockpicking from a Toool.. member

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Would you like to learn about lock picking? Come to our meeting Tuesday July 10th @ 7pm.

The meeting will feature a talk from a member of Toool.us (The Open Organization of Lockpickers), Steve Beck.

Steve will cover three topics, two of which are a little more hands on-ish, the first will be a basic lockpicking talk, the second will be a re-keying talk with a demo and the third will be about making your own picks with a demo.

Stick around after the talk for socializing and Makery Shenanigans.

Directions to the Makery

Pizza Potluck and Piezoelectric Presentation – December 13th

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At next Tuesday’s meeting (December 13th), we’ll be doing a pizza/potluck dinner. The idea is that everyone throw in a few bucks for pizza and bring whatever else they’d like to share. Food is planned for 6:30, but it’s a pretty casual sort of thing.  If you’re interested, RSVP here.

The presentation for the meeting will be Dave, talking about the piezoelectric effect, and demonstrating how make Rochelle Salt (a piezoelectric material).

The piezoelectric effect is the linkage between an electric charge and the mechanical distortion of a material. It occurs in many materials, from crystals and ceramics to bone and DNA. We use the piezoelectric effect in many ways, but we most commonly encounter it in small speakers, audio pick-ups, and grill starters and lighters. Most commercial piezoelectric materials are engineered compounds that are relatively tough and exhibit a strong piezoelectric behavior, but are difficult to create for oneself. However, one of the earliest piezoelectric materials, Rochelle salt, can easily and safely be made at home, allowing us to explore the piezoelectric effect from the ground up.

Even if you’ve never been down to the Makery, or you’ll be a little late, please come join us!

Nerf Gun Mod Challenge Results!

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Last night, the Makery hosted a Nerf Gun Mod contest, previously announced here.  We had 5 total entrants, after a few people had things come up at the last minute, and about twice that many spectators.

Appearance

Only Brandon and Eric made an attempt in this category;  Brandon did a functional “pseudo-steampunk” mod (with an extended brass barrel and integrated laser sight), while Eric gave his Nightfinder a complete color revamp using Sharpie markers (Which did come off on his hands).    Eric won almost unanimously, earning him an extra 10% in the distance competition.

Accuracy

The accuracy contest was run next, in a series of 8 rounds, with a point going to the entrant who could hit a whiteboard (At about 15 feet) closest to the center mark. The entrant with the most points won this category.  The contest itself came down to a shootout between Brandon and Dave, (2.5 points each) with Brandon emerging victorious. Eric (2 pts) and Kevin (1 pt).

Distance

This contest measured total distance to rest, thereby including any beneficial or harmful rolling or tumbling that a dart did. A slight accuracy component was involved, in that if a dart went more than 75 feet or so, it had to clear a 5 foot wide doorway.  The low ceiling also proved challenging to some contestants, as it limited the amount that a dart could be arced.

Distance was scored as “best of 8 darts”, with each entrant shooting all 8 in succession.  Brandon’s was the only dart to clear the doorway, making him the winner.  A few darts bounced off the wall, though.  Eric’s 10% bonus (2.2 paces, very scientific) was enough to propel him into 3rd place over Dave, leaving the results Brandon, Kevin, Eric, Dave, Patrick.

Conclusion

Overall, Brandon was the supreme winner, having taken first place in both categories.  Even with a smaller-than-expected field, everyone involved had a great time.  Thanks to all involved for making last night a success! A few photos from the event are below.