Champaign-Urbana Community Fab Lab

Sorry!  I meant to say there will be 12 people in each group (total of 24)!

On Sunday June 10th, the lab is hosting two sessions for engineering students and summer visitors.  The sessions are from 1:00 to 3:00PM and 3:00 to 5:00PM.  There will be about 24 people in each session so the lab will be full - if you have an urgent project try to come in on another open session or late in the afternoon.  

The fab lab will be hosting a hands on workshop on silver based conductive inks on Thursday June 21 at 7:00 pm. This 2-hour workshop will teach you how to create functional paper-based electronic devices using a rollerball pen filled with conductive ink. This technology, developed in Prof. Jennifer Lewis’ group at UIUC, can be used to link up LED’s, resistors, and sensors in order to quickly build flexible electronic devices.

This upcoming Thursday (the 7th) we're having an informal meeting about updating the fab lab website. We will soon be changing the design and some of the information architecture, and want to make sure everyone has a chance to give input. Find us around 7p in the lab to join. Alternatively you can email Jeff Ginger (ginger@illinois.edu) with your thoughts.

The following Thursday (the 14th, also at 7p) we will then have a formal operations committee meeting to formally approve the new site.

Thanks!

One of the instructors for the summer class "(Re)Making Matter(s): Art & Radical Recycling" dropped by and put up a poster for this summer program.  She will probably be in the Fab Lab this summer, and these classes may be of interest to some fabers.  I guess some of the students may come over.

Info:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Channing-Murray-School-of-Radical-Arts/472...

http://www.facebook.com/events/194550070667455/

The CU Community Fab Lab had a table at the City of Champaign STAR Expo on May 18.  We met with many folks from community organizations.

Here's a strange personal fabrication idea.

The paleontology is somewhat shaky, IMO, but it's an interesting piece of 3D printing.

http://cunicode.com/neopaleo/

Fresh Paint is a 2 day long workshop (8 hrs on Saturday and 6 hrs on Sunday). We will build a 6’x4’ board (for the CuC Fab Lab) and smaller boards 6”x4” (one for each group of participant). These boards will have magnetic and conductive paint and you can use different color LEDs to bring them to life.

Information

A sylized "pteranodon", cut on the Epilog Mini.  Constructed of 1/4 inch plywood, finished with textured paint.

Size is approximately 1.3 meter wingspan, .6 meter nose-to-tail.

The original plans were published on the web at:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-6-0-tall-Wooden-T-Rex-Model/step7/BONUS/

The CUCFL was part of the Partnerships for a Thriving Champaign Urbana conference April 20 at the NCSA.  It was great to meet so many people who are working to create a more livable community.  I hope they make the Fab Lab a part of those efforts.  One example is the work of Christine Moore, who is working with the Prosperity Gardens project near the police station where the public market is open.  The lab might help by making a few wooden garden stakes and signs for the area.  Anyone have any great sayings for a garden that we can laser cut into a sign?  

On May 5, 2012, the Illinois State Science Fair will take place at the Assembly Hall.  Judges are needed to review the over 1000 projects submitted by school children around the state.  No experience is necessary and training will be provided.  It looks like your commitment is 8:00AM to 12:00PM on the 5th.  If anyone is interested they should contact Bob coverdill of I-STEM  (coverdil@illinois.edu) to volunteer.  Sounds like it might be fun!  you can see the science projects from 12:00 to 2:00PM as a visitor.

A recent project from Betty Barrett and Bob McGrath.

This is simple plastic "jewelry", laser-cut in acryllic (see image). 

The butterfly is orginally from a website (http://www.malindarogers.com) which has many drawings that could be used for similar projects.

The project is explained in a document [PDF].

Threadless.com is offering free 'reject' t-shirts to groups of 8 or more.  We will be hosting an event and want you to come!

Come to the lab on Thursday 26th from 5-9pm and we'll work on the shirts.  We'll post photos to their blog and our group might win gift certificates for all attendees.

YOU MUST SIGN UP FOR THE EVENT BEFORE NOON on FRIDAY April 13th (this Friday).  This is the date that threadless wants all group requests in by.  If we don't have your name, we won't have enough tshirts for you to attend.

For more about the event, click here: http://www.threadless.com/news/858616/We_re_hosting_a_Tee_Upcycling_Worldwide_Meetup

TO SIGN UP FOR THE EVENT, FILL OUT THE FORM HERE: http://cucfablab.org/book/attend-class

AND SIGN UP FOR THE EVENT HERE ON MEETUP: http://www.meetup.com/Threadless/Urbana-IL/672692/

Register both on our website and on meetup.com so we know how many people are coming and so that threadless can see who's coming.

Learning how to make and use QRCodes--here is a QRCode for the URL for this web site.  When you scan it, you get cucfablab.org.

This code can be put on handouts and posters, etc.

Also, download the PNG and put it on stuff you make.  Who knows how well it will work, say, etched onto the tail of a dinosaur, but we can find out.