What is a Maker?
A Maker is someone who makes things, the Makers movement is an offshoot of DIY which focuses on collaborative work and making things instead of simply buying them. A big part of which is collaborative work spaces (often referred to as makerspaces or sometimes hackerspaces) which provide access to tools, materials and the communal knowledge base. If you’re still not sure what we mean then, there are many great examples of makers on youtube: Adam Savage’s tested, Make:, DIY perks, Integza, Peter Brown, Rybonator.
What does the Makers society do?
We run a weekly workshop meetup in the GRID makerspace where we: work on and discuss personal projects, plan society wide larger projects, seek collaboration on projects, share knowledge. As well as training and access for the tools and equipment within the makerspace.
We meet Wednesdays 1pm-5pm GRID Flex Lab 1
What about larger events?
We do hope to start arranging group trips to makers fairs and conventions at some point in the future, however due to the ongoing pandemic these events have been canceled. We are looking into site vistits to local maker spaces and 3D printing mills.
What do we want from you?
The main thing that we want from our members is for them to help each other learn, grow and make. We hope that members will be willing to help with society wide projects as well as share reports on personal projects so that others may repeat and learn from them, but these are currently not mandatory obligations.
Details
The maker society, for now, is mainly for collaborative efforts and guidance from peers/ like minded individuals. However the future of the makers society, with some luck, will include priority for training courses run by Steven J. Hammer (GRID Project Manager), these include hand tools, 3D printer, laser cutter and hopefully Workshop competency. For now we have no joining fee, as we are under the impression we can use the materials in Grid for free (as the Makers Society develops and we get a better understanding of the cost of operation this will be susceptible to changing). The materials in GRID are basic and currently if you want a specific material you will need to order it for yourself, however if there is high enough demand the society will look into buying a supply.
Our hope for the society is to have our own equipment, for example a members only 3D printer, hand tools, a large supply of materials so that a member can work through a project without having to worry too much about the delay of ordering a material.