NEW LOCATION and TIME - Returning to HMS Beagle Science Store this month.

Last month we heard from Dan Green and his son about TinkerCad, an easy to use 3D modeling program available for free through the Internet. They showed us how parts are drawn then shared their design for chess pieces. We were able to see how easy it was to take one of the pieces, a Rook, and push a button to have it printed on a 3D printer. Tom Collins was generous enough to bring his MakerBot in for the demonstration. One of Dan's goals is to include this as a process for immersive education in schools teaching 21st. century skills and innovation by including the STEM based Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math skills at a younger age.

3D Printer Build -

Come out to learn about our 3D Printer Project.

We are in the process of organizing sessions to build 3D printers that can be inexpensive enough for use by educational organizations, home schoolers, and individuals. Mike Grundvig will be discussing our design and selection of parts based on the ORD Bot Hadron 3D printer mechanical platform with a few design improvements. A dream in the Replicating Rapid Prototyping (RepRap) communities is to build 3D printers that can in turn build other 3D printers. This dream of robots building other robots is approaching reality by many hobbyists based on numerous RepRap designs including the popular MakerBot.

The Hadron design does not require another 3D printer to build parts for us. Instead, we are specifying industrial grade components combined with the modular MakerSlide linear bearing design to create a rock solid tool for 3D part production. In turn, we hope to minimize or eliminate the amount of tinkering required with other RepRap designs to keep them running properly. Our goal is to buy parts in bulk to get quantity pricing and save on shipping, fabricating some of our own parts using CNC equipment, and for our initial build, supplying parts at cost. Our goal is to keep the cost for parts around the $600 price range. We are also looking at ways of staging the builds so the cost of parts can be spread out.

It's  PARKVILLE DAYS again ! and we are invited to be " MAKERS in the PARK" at English Landing . It is Friday evening  , Saturday 10 to 10 Sunday 10 to 6 .

If you are a MAKER , a Tinker , a costumer , a Do It Your Selfer  "COME ON OUT" Be a part of the Festival .  ANY or ALL of the Days. Bring your chair, your table or blanket and the STUFF you want to SHOW and TELL . Join the other MAKERS - or - Just COME to the CELEBRATION. info at parkvillemo.org

Fab Lab - Open Build Session - 3:00 to 6:30 p.m.

The MCC-BTC Fab Lab is offering a special afternoon/evening open build session for Fab Lab members and non-members.

Yardstick Catapult Build

We have several people asking to build a desktop catapult. For this project we are using yardsticks, wooden dowel rods, a rubber band and plastic spoon. We will work on skills to make mortise and tenon joints that hold the catapult together. We are offering this project at the MCC-BTC Open Build session and will be repeated at one of our regular HMS Beagle Build Night

Show & Tell - 7 to 9 p.m.

Last month's TinkerCad presentation had to be rescheduled to this month. We have Dan Green and son coming out to show us around TinkerCad, this is a free 3D design web app. The program is capable of taking your designs and outputting them in a format that can be printed up on a 3D printer like the hign end printers at BTC or MakerBot and Mendel printers.

Fab Lab - Open Build Session - 3:00 to 6:30 p.m.

The MCC-BTC Fab Lab is offering a special afternoon/evening open build session for Fab Lab members and non-members.

Bristle Bot Build

Looking or a fun little project you can share with kids? Bristle bots combine the fascination of robots with a few inexpensive and easy to find parts. To build this you can either buy one of the Radio Shack vibrator motors #273-0107 or bring a broken cell phone to harvest its vibrator, a 3 volt button cell battery, and a toothbrush. If you choose to harvest the vibrator motor from a cell phone plan on extra time and the need for some miniature size screwdrivers.

Show & Tell - 7 to 9 p.m.

We will be looking at how the new $35 Raspberry Pi computer could change the way students learn about programming or providing inventors with an easy way to create Internet enabled prototypes.

Introduction to Video Game Programming with 'Scratch'.

Show Me Robots

at the

2012 Missouri State Fair

We worked on our SteamPunk leather Aviator style caps or helmets. Bob Spangler and I had our sewing machines and we got some caps and liners finished.Bob got his leather parts sewn together. I got my bright orange liner sewn together. Victor got his pattern liner of leatherette sewn up and picked out his leather parts. Tom got his gauntlets ready to sew on to the gloves. John visited with us and Vince had to go early.

Make:KC Presentation

12 Jun Pick your Style , Make a pattern , Pick out your material

( work on your Hats )  We have some scrap leather for making "Aviator Caps" We have generalized pattern ideas for different styles and for "Top Hats" .  Remember the Victorian era had Pirates , Cowboys , Legionnares , Balloon Pilots  and Military Helmeted Warriors . We'll finish up our build on 26 Jun.

Graduation ceremonies for Metropolitan Community College students featured Missouri's Governor Jay Nixon giving the keynote address. To show MCC's appreciation, the Governor was presented with this one-of-a-kind bait cast fishing reel and display box. Parts for this replica of a 1937 Shakespeare casting reel were machined by David Hawkins receiving his A.A.S degree that night.

This box is an original creation by Jen Dec, lab technician with the Fab Lab. This unique design features a hide away front panel with Channel Catfish the Missouri State fish. The box lid features engraved text commemorating the work of MCC students and personnel along with their appreciation for the Governor's commencement address.

The two tone appearance is from using a light Birdseye Maple along with African Padauke which gives it the reddish color.

For more information check out the MCCKC Insider article "Two MCC artisans create unique thank-you gift for Gov. Nixon".