2015 classes and workshops

I’m not aware of forum thread locking. Maybe a mod did that?

I would enjoy cryptoparties.

Solidworks is a workshop that I could potentially run. I’ve held off, though, because we have just one computer that has a license, and I doubt very many of our members have legitimate licenses to follow along. I don’t know any format to make a SW tutorial interesting.

At the new space, I will be running some more intro to electronics workshops. I’m thinking of branching out to some niche beginner topics:

  • How to breadboard a schematic
  • Intuitive understanding of voltage, current, and resistance (with LEDs!)
  • 101 uses of the 555
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I’ve been promising that for a while but due to work craziness I’ve been unable to follow through - I have done a lot of the planning for it at least. I hope work to be more at a simmer than a boil by the time the new space is up and running, and will organize classes on the lathe, mill, and CNC mill then. I’ve been tossing around a lot of ideas of how to run this, and keep going back and forth on quick vs long. The former certainly is attractive from the perspective that I have so little time currently, but I’d really like to do the later so that there is a strong knowledge base in the membership that can then be passed on further. We’ll see when the time comes!

To summarize, I’ll be running classes on:

  • Lathe
  • Large + tiny manual mills
  • CNC mill

Format TBD; it may be a all-in-one course over several weeks or might be a 30 minute intro. Or both.

Some classes I may run (see above about work craziness) are:

  • Introduction to KiCad for schematic capture and PCB layout
  • The same as above but for EAGLE
  • Introduction to Autocad Fusion 360 (similar to Solidworks, but I find it more intuitive, and many people/orgs, including VHS, fit into their FREE category)
  • Making/customizing your own micro Linux distro with TinyCore Linux.
  • Introduction to iOS development with Objective C
  • Introduction to web development with Node.js
  • Introduction to Unity3D for making games
  • More comprehensive list to come
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Another request, perhaps there would be enough interest in a “Programming for Android 101”? Most Android devices have wifi and buetooth and I dare say most of us have at least one spare laying about, they should be ideal to work into projects either s remote controls or as integrated touchscreen interfaces. But how?

Yeah, my only/best thought would be to get the projector set up and do it as a presentation, but that is obviously not ideal.

I also donated an Android development board to the space, ODROID-X. That can also be used.

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I’d really like to run my Fixed-Wing Airplane workshop this year, preferably in early/late spring so we can have plenty of flying/learning/fixing/hacking time during the summer.

Edit: I’ve finished the foam part of my first Flite Test build, I printed out and taped together paper templates and cut it all by hand. It went pretty well. :smile:

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I will trade you the “Raspberry PI home automation course” for one of the chainmaille workshops.
I will trade you the “Papercraft for Rapid Prototyping” workshops for the laser cut maps.

I can run a workshop on gears as well.
We can make the first three planets (no moons!) of a Orrery

What kind of example project were you thinking of running with the 555 timer?
Atari Punk kit is one of my favourites.

There are tones of example projects
http://www.instructables.com/howto/555/

You could probably run 20+ workshops on this small chip alone and people would be happy.

I want all of these !


Just a reminder that anyone that runs a workshop or an open night gets an instructor badge

Also, there was talk of designing and building our own [open sourced?] version of the EP-130. If nobody steps up to take that on, I may possibly. Then we could have a group build day, keep some for the space and sell some to pad our coffers a bit.

… and hang it form the ceiling??? SOLD!

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I’d be up for helping with the 555 workshop. I’d rather not do an atari punk style synthesizer, rather focus on all the things that you can do with one that people keep using micros for.

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Also - I volunteer to teach two courses:

  • PCB reverse engineering
  • Developing applications with the ESP8266 (writing code to run on the module, not just basic AT command set stuff)

I can run a Sewing 101 workshop or two. I could also do another yarn swift workshop at some point.

If I can ever figure out an easy way of making a yarn ball winder, I’ll run a workshop on that too. (By easy, I mean for people that don’t have access to laser cutters or workshops.)

I could run a Technical Writing workshop as well, but I have a feeling that won’t get much attendance. :slight_smile:

I can write… technically… does that count?

The title Technical Writer can be misleading. I prefer Documentation Goddess but my boss won’t let me use that in my signature.

I am toying with the idea of maybe providing a task-oriented writing workshop/review session. If you write instructions for courses or instructables, it is sometimes good to get feedback from people on how clear the instructions are.

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I just joined VHS today, so I don’t really know what I can teach, but I’m sure I can teach something after a little chatting.

Question is: Where is the new space and when is it open?

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Stuff I’d attend: Anything Geo/GIS related, programming, arduino, SMD soldering, woodworking, CNC, robotics, animatronics, 3D prototyping, web dev - Ruby, node.js, android app design, etc.

Stuff I can offer if interested: How to Solder, Rewiring drop in night: Fix that lamp, small appliance, etc, toy hacking.

I’m trying to do less crafty stuff and more techno stuff as my own personal challenge but if people really want to learn how to knit socks or any other knitted item I will teach. Have been knitting for 40 years even though I am only 29. :wink:

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@funvill, I’d love to attend a workshop on Mapbox and/or laser-cutting map, and @Janet, I’d love a rewiring workshop. Also am interested in intro Android and iOS classes.

I can teach a sewing 101 class (say, with a tote bag project) or help out @InezG with one. I also promised @3bien that I’d teach a class on theory of elliptic curve crypto this year—does anyone with more experience on the “practice” side want to team up for a two-part workshop?

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I’m coming from a background in game development, if anyone is interested in a bit on making games I could probably come up with something.

In addition/relatedly I’d do a workshop on Unity3D. It’s a great environment for games, of course, but also for prototyping interactive environments, 3D simulation, visual/graphic exploration, and so forth.

Interested in pretty much anything that has electricity running through it, and as well I’d love to learn to use as many tools as possible. :smile:

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FWIW, I suggested the Embedded Systems MOOC as a relatively pain-free way to provide a “course” at VHS co-operatively. I hope to see how it goes, maybe we can adapt it into something that could reside on the Wiki. Something that could provide a program for self-education that’s in-depth without all the baggage that MOOC’s carry.

Something in the form of a module/tutorial series? My personal Holy Grail with all this stuff is to figure out a (hopefully) small number of topics that require serious study, which then tie together all the other misc. bits which are no longer confusing, given a solid base-skill set.

Further down the road, I’d like to find some good op-amp or other analogue projects - I know there must be a lot of interesting ones out there.

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I could host a discussion on Design for Manufacturability. I say discussion
rather than a course, as I’m a machinist for 23 years with some design
experience. Have have seen more than a few things that could not be
manufactured by traditional means. People come with questions or ideas,
and we can bounce them around.

This could almost be tied into a Solidworks, Google Sketchup course.

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I still want to host my workshop on Modular Design!

And also a life/productivity hacking night!

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