build a CO₂ generator, an electric solar-power system, and motor-driven spiders, to name a few.

off the desktop-publishing page with which we are all so familiar. Currently based in New Zealand, they are actively adding production resources in the U.S.

 

LED “throwies.”
A DIY portable
lighting project
organized by
the author in
Savannah,
Georgia, in May
2007, inspired by
New York–based
Grafitti Research
Labs.

starters, DIY publications and community-driven resources take the mystery out of tough technical problems and can inspire new projects. MAKE

[ 3] Dougherty, Dale, “The Making of MAKE.” Presentation at Dorkbot, San Francisco, Cal. 14 September 2005.

( http://makezine.com) is a monthly magazine published by O’Reilly that seeks to embody the weekend-inventor spirit that once existed in ’50s geek classics such as Popular Mechanics [ 3]. Though the projects featured may exist more for the pleasure of their creation than their actual use (they include things like solar-powered music boxes and aerial photography balloons), the spirit of tinkering and experimentation is one that will make you look at a soldering iron in a whole new light.

 

March + April 2008

[ 4] Dibbell, Julian, “DIY. org: When a website shows you how to build it, why buy it?” Village Voice, 10 March 2006, site specific column.

While MAKE is slick, tightly edited and published in a number of different formats ( including specially packaged collector’s series), Instructables (http:// www.instructables.com), is the wilder, freer version of this same kind of content that The Village Voice credits with being “perhaps the most concrete case to date of the Internet’s potential for reshaping our material world... [ 4]” This Web-based, community-driven repository of how-to documents maintains consistency through its structure of “ step-by-step collaboration.” The content includes instructions on how to

Access to Tools

All this clear instruction and powerful inspiration is great but won’t go beyond entertaining reading without access to tools and space to work. This is where places like Techshop (http:// techshop.ws) come in. Techshop is a fully equipped workshop that gives members access to almost every imaginable machine-shop tool such as welding stations, laser cutters, and milling machines. A monthly or yearly membership offers full access to the tools, space, events, and low-cost skills classes and is a natural breeding ground for collaborations and creativity. Currently based in the California Bay Area, it is planning to open in 10 more cities around the U.S.

At the same time, imagine if you could dream up an object and then use all your tools virtually without ever setting foot in a machine shop. It sounds pretty magical, but Ponoko (http:// www.ponoko.com) is an online resource that does just that by letting its members design, produce, and sell physical products like jewelry, lamps, or even furniture without ever leaving a browser window. Seriously. Aimed at anyone with access to a vector program like Illustrator or Freehand, the downloadable template kit lets users draw a design, upload it, select materials, and have the parts shipped directly to them. Ponoko will even provide sales and distribution. Though the current focus on laser-cutting techniques means that the forms must be based on flat panels, the service represents a 3D leap

Events and Happenings

The amount of information about projects, processes, and resources is so immense that it can become overwhelming, but local events offer an opportunity to contextualize the work. Community gatherings combine encouragement, vision, and good old-fashioned schmoozing under one roof on a regular basis. The granddaddy of maker-community events is Dorkbot (http://dorkbot. org/), a monthly show-and-tell club of artists, technologists, and veritable mad scientists. Founded in 2000 by Douglas Repetto in New York City, Dorkbot events now take place in more than 60 cities around the world. Though its main focus is around the self-proclaimed description of “people doing strange things with electricity,” its presentations have included everything from gourmet food hackers to bigfoot hunters and something with robot anatomies called “ teledil-donics.” Meetings are locally run and organized by key volunteers, and beverages are often available for a small price, with proceeds going toward future events.

On a much larger scale, Maker’s Faire (http://www. makerfaire.com) is the biannual public event that is an extension of the MAKE and CRAFT magazine community. A spectacular display of contraptions, customizations, and maverick product manufacturing techniques, it will leave you championing the little guy in the marketplace. The Faires take place twice a year in