Category Archives: Making

2015 Dover Mini Maker Faire a Huge Success!

Posted on September 15, 2015 | Leave a comment

This year’s Dover Mini Maker Faire went off without a hitch. We’ve got this whole thing down to a science it seems.

Guests were excited and engaged.

Makers were glowing from all the attention and from the opportunity to show off their projects.

Staff and Volunteers helped the entire thing run smoothly.

Check out our full album highlighting all the
great Makers from 2015 over on Facebook.

And our sponsors were the backbone of the entire event.
We really couldn’t have done it without their support.

Thank you once again to:
Fidelity Investments and their Unique College Investing Plan

Our Media Sponsors: NHPTV and NHPR

Other Sponsors:
ENH Power
Alexander Technology Group
Prime Buchholz
Beswick Engineering
The Rowley Agency
Great Smiles, PLLC
Construction Services of New Hampshire
Chinburg Properties
Holy Rosary Credit Union
Leone, McDonnell, and Roberts
Garrison Women’s Health Center

And the Coca Cola Bottling Company of Northern New England for providing the Diet Coke needed to pull off our Coke and Mentos grand finale:

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Posted in Creativity, Inspiration, Maker Faire, Making, Meet The Makers, New Hampshire

Tagged children's museum, collaboration, creativity, Dover Mini Maker Faire, Dover NH, Fair, Festival, make, maker, Maker Faire, maker movement, Makers, making, New England, New Hampshire, NH, Seacoast, summer

Makers vs. Makerspaces

Posted on August 26, 2015 | Leave a comment

There are a lot of misconceptions about what it means to be a “Maker” in a community of Makers, vs. being a member of a Makerspace. Manchester, NH is a city that is bursting with ingenuity, technology and entrepreneurs, and has attracted many Makers, all looking to accomplish the same thing: Offering support to people wanting to learn, invent and of course…make. I sat down to talk with two groups from Manchester who often get bundled into one in the public’s mind, The Makers of Manchester and Manchester Makerspace. I asked them to explain the differences between their groups and where they see themselves heading in the future.

Q. First off, what exactly is a “Maker?” Or, I guess a more interesting question might be, what isn’t a “Maker?”

Makers of Manchester:
“I think just about everyone is a Maker in some way,” shares Ryan Sutton. “Whether they make a robot, software, a book, a painting, a birthday cake, etc. I don’t think anyone really goes through life buying everything in the exact final form they want to use it. I feel a ‘Maker’ in the ‘Maker Community’ is someone who is looking to share and grow their experiences as a maker with others in the community.”

“And as for those people who ‘aren’t Makers,'” laughs Paul Beaudet, “Well, internally we call them ‘Muggles!'”

Manchester Makerspace:
“A Maker is a person who enjoys solving problems,” says Jesse O’Brien.

Q. There are two Manchester groups interested in supporting the whole Maker Movement, but you have focused on different ways of doing that. Can you describe the differences between Manchester Makerspace and Makers in Manchester?

Makers in Manchester:
“From my perspective,” answers Ryan Sutton, “the Makers in Manchester group is focused on building and fostering the community around Making. I really like our ‘Project Days’ that we have been having at SEE Science Center, which take on a ‘clubhouse’ feel, people coming in to work on their project or get help with areas they are challenged with. The space at SEE certainly isn’t a ‘full service’ makerspace but I was impressed what was able to be ‘packed in/packed out’ this past weekend and the progress people were able to make on their projects.”

Manchester Makerspace:
“In the simplest terms,” says Jesse O’Brien, “Manchester Makerspace encourages makers by providing workspace to makers who don’t have everything they need at home. All makers need a space to work, the primary distinction is whether they want to work in their own private space and outfit it with their own tools or in a shared space, where tools are outfitted and maintained by the community.

Q. How did each of your groups get started?

Makers in Manchester:
“Makers in Manchester has been around since Spring of 2013,” shares Brenda Noiseux “but the idea was seeded in the Summer of 2012. My friend John Shaver and I are costumers, prop makers and general tinkerers, and we weren’t finding enough time to work on our own projects. By creating a group, we thought being around other Makers would not only inspire us, but also that the monthly Show-and-Tell would help keep us accountable to working on our own projects. Along the way, we’ve expanded the organizational team to Paul, Ryan, and Rich Maynard and we also merged with another Maker meet-up group.

Manchester Makerspace:
“The Manchester Makerspace has gone through a few leadership groups so far,” says Jesse O’Brien “but this year has been the first time that an official non-profit organization was formed, and our small Board of Directors is now organizing plans to get founding members involved in decision making and build-out.

Q. I would consider myself a novice Maker. Which group would best suit my needs?

Makers in Manchester:
I’m sure both groups would be great for novices as everyone I have ever ever met in both groups are more than willing to help new people who are interested in something they can help with,” says Ryan Sutton. “The groups do provide different levels of services and costs which may sway someone one way or the other.”

“It really depends on the Maker’s interest,” says Paul Beaudet. “If they’re interested in machinery or car lifts, then the Makerspace is something to consider. If they’re interested in smaller hobby projects of the ‘carry in, carry out’ variety, then the project space at SEE may be something to consider.”

Manchester Makerspace:
“If you already have the tools you need to complete your project,” says Jesse O’Brien “Makers in Manchester is the perfect place to show your project off and get advice from other Makers. If your project is larger than you’re equipped to handle yourself, (perhaps it requires a milling machine, but you don’t want to buy a $10,000 machine for one project) the Manchester Makerspace would be able to save you a lot of stress and money.

Q. I like the sound of being a Maker, but I have ZERO experience! It feels intimidating to just show up to a meeting with no real project in mind. Can people come to your meetings to learn as well as make specific things?

Makers in Manchester:
“Absolutely!” says Ryan Sutton. “The monthly Thursday meetings are a great way to get ideas and learn what others are doing.”

“That’s actually a more common feeling then I might have thought,” says Paul Beaudet. “I would say, come in to a ‘Show and Tell,’ check it out and see where you may want to start, or if someone else inspires you. It’s a friendly and inclusive group. It is nice to know there is someone that is willing to help.”

Manchester Makerspace:
“Come to any meetup with Makers in Manchester, or go to any Makerspace (Portsmouth, Nashua, Manchester, Lowell, etc.) and start asking questions,” suggests Jesse O’Brien. “A big part of being a Maker is trying things until something works, and the process of becoming a Maker is your first chance to do that.”

Q. Are there fees involved in being a part of each group?

Makers in Manchester:
“There are currently no fees,” says Brenda Noiseux. “Our monthly ‘Show and Tell’ will always be free and open to the public, but we’re still working out the details on events like Project Days.

Manchester Makerspace:
Manchester Makerspace will charge a monthly fee (less than $100, but our payment structure is not defined yet), says Jesse O’Brien. “That money goes toward renting an industrial space ad keeping it stocked with tools, supplies and utilities.”

Q. WHY should people care about the Maker Movement and what has it brought to your lives?

Makers in Manchester
“For me,” says Ryan Sutton “the ‘Maker Movement’ has been great! I think I would have been doing the same things or at least the same type of things without it, but having like-minded people to get ideas from, bounce ideas off of, then show the results is a lot of fun. The level and varied knowledge in the group has certainly made my projects better since joining.”

“As Jesse mentioned,” says Brenda Noiseux “there’s a lot of problem solving and critical thinking that come with being a Maker. I think these two skills are critical to our everyday lives. The genuine excitement and energy of our Maker community invigorates me. It doesn’t matter if you’re an artist or an amateur robot builder, I learn so much from my fellow Makers and find different angles for my own projects. Now, if only I had the time to do them all!”

“This may sound left field,” says Paul Beaudet “but self sufficiency in an increasingly interdependent world is something that fascinates me. It’s been said that self sufficiency is more of a direction than a destination and that is an important note. Makers build all sorts of odd things, but the exercise of doing so stretches some important brain muscles. For instance, I build keyboards. But no one in the modern world will likely ever have to build their own, never mind build one to be ‘self-reliant.” It’s just my interest and it builds on my skills to do other things that could be better seen as self-reliant. Makers just have the drive to ‘do-it-themselves.’ The community aspect of the Makers Movement gives me the confidence that I’m surrounding myself with the people that could best survive a zombie apocalypse. So there you go. You should care about the Maker Movement if you want to survive the zombie apocalypse,” he laughs.

Manchester Makerspace:
“The key component to the Maker Movement,” says Jesse O’Brien “is to enable ‘normal’ people to innovate. Encouraging curiosity, creativity and new ideas isn’t new, but making it possible for everyone to participate is a relatively new concept. It’s important to show the world that people can do awesome things without a massive organization pushing them.”

You can learn more about Manchester Makerspace by visiting their website at http://manchestermakerspace.com

And you can join the Makers in Manchester at their monthly meetings, see them at the 2015 Dover Mini Maker Faire, or visit their website www.makersinmanchester.com to learn more.

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Posted in Creativity, Inspiration, Making, New Hampshire

Tagged collaboration, creativity, make, maker, maker movement, Makers, makerspace, making, New England, New Hampshire, NH

Week 9: Fabulous Makers of 2015

Posted on August 23, 2015 | Leave a comment

Make an Insect- NHPTV, our dedicated Media Sponsor for Maker Faire, will be offering a hands-on activity for young participants. Learn how to create a butterfly or dragonfly with just a few simple materials and a clothespin.

EverProven CrossFit Kids– EverProven CrossFit and its CrossFit Kids program will be challenging Maker Faire attendees to an obstacle course that will include running, climbing, carrying odd objects and more! The course will be adaptable to all ages and levels of fitness ability and shows that fitness can be functional and most importantly, a whole lot of fun!

Usborne– Usborne Books & More publishes unique and educational books for everyone from infants to teenagers and promotes literacy and creativity among all ages. They will be bringing a wide selection of their books to Maker Faire, including Things to Make & Do books, brain games & activity books, See Inside and Look Inside books to learn more about how things work, science experiments, Kid Kits such as Dino Excavation and a Slot Together Castle project. Of course, there will be fiction books to choose from as well and a story-time too. Usborne will be selling their books at the Faire as well, like one of their biggest sellers, Shine-a-Light book, where you can reveal hidden pictures with a flashlight!

Ridgewing Guitars– The Ridgewing Guitar is a hyper-modular version of a standard full-size guitar, which breaks down in seconds to fit in a violin-sized case and reassembles to pitch in seconds! Anyone can become a “Ridgeing Master” and create their own version of any of the basic components of the guitar using its interchangeable parts. The guitar is also self-tuning and includes a fully-programmable Bluetooth controlled light show. Stop by their booth at Maker Faire to check out this one-of-a-kind instrument!

Observe the Weather with Mount Washington Observatory– Join Mount Washington Observatory to learn how you can observe the weather in your own backyard and learn how meteorologists observe the extreme weather on the summit of Mount Washington. An Observatory educator will lead an activity at the top of every hour to observe current weather conditions (including temperature, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, and precipitation). Record your own observations on an official form and the Observatory will actually send your data in to be used in weather forecasts!

Dover Public Library: Create Mini-Books– Come by and see what’s new at the Dover Public Library, sign up for a library card, and learn how the library can help your maker-ing or crafting. Attendees will be able to make mini leather or cloth book pendants that can be placed on a string as a necklace.

Future Tech Women– Future Tech Women is a NH-based group of women and men in technology who empower the next generation of women technologists through inclusive initiatives that drive awareness and advancement of women in technology-related fields. They will have hands-on activities teaching kids about tech-related careers, including a career wheel, fortune teller, surveys and a recommended reading list for all ages! Future Tech Women will also have a Maker Faire Scavenger Hunt for kids to complete and win prizes!

One Story Houses- Erin Mawn, a school librarian from Maine, found a neat way to combine her two passions, children’s literature and creating dollhouses, by creating her own replicas of literary homes! Dorothy’s house in Munchkin land, a shop in Hogsmeade from Harry Potter, the Ingalls family’s log cabin, and the Ninja Turtles’ sewer lair are just some of the creations she has made over the years. She will be showing off her creations at Maker Faire, providing a unique glimpse into the imaginary world of books.

Breathe In Breathe Art – Breathe In Breathe Art is the name of an Art Revolution. Artist Bre Cuddahy creates handmade zentangle and watercolor art. Creating art can be a very relaxing and rewarding experience. Creating Zentangles promotes a calm and relaxing energy by focusing on small designs that create a larger image. All we ask you to do is give it a try and Breathe in, Breathe Art. There will be small samples to try making your own Zentangle and participate in the 2 larger group Zentangle designs that will be there.

Hampstead Academy FIRST Lego League Robotics – Experience the best way for kids to get introduced to robots: Lego EV3. Learn from a competing robotics team and discuss programming and building tips. Work side-by-side with a team member to design, build, program, and run an EV3 robot! Step to the table and test your work on the obstacle map. Ask us about:

Substance X Erosion Control
2015 Trash Trek Challenge
Winning NH State and competing at Global Championships
Hampstead Academy

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Posted in Creativity, Inspiration, Maker Faire, Making, Meet The Makers, New Hampshire

Week 7: Fabulous Makers of 2015

Posted on August 17, 2015 | Leave a comment

UNH Cooperative Extension: Science Literacy– Design, build and launch your own paper rocket using air pressure and watch it land in designated target zones! How long will yours stay up in the sky? UNH Cooperative Extension will also be promoting their annual 4-H Maker Challenge and are hoping to gain momentum for next year’s event.

A Blast from the Past- Come check out two vintage electronics with modern twists! Peter Adams and Nathan Kiesman, 13 and 14 years old, respectively, have restored vintage tech and brought it into the 21^st century. Make phone calls on a Western-Bell phone that has been converted into a working cell phone! Or, play a song on a Rockola 477 vinyl jukebox, working again with the help of a Raspberry Pi!

Lost Woods Turning Co.- Lost Woods Turning Co. are a two-man team making fine, handmade, woodworking, metal and leather products. They will be selling bowls, cutting boards, leather accessories and even some items with a more nerdy focus, like magic wands and vampire stakes. They will also be doing wood turning demos outside.

Tools of Times– Come by and view tools from the collection of the Woodman Museum in Dover that span two centuries. Try your hand at guessing what the tools are designed to do. Or, help create a 17^th century board game!

NEMO Equipment, Inc.– NEMO is a Dover-based company founded on a commitment to adventure, to the fearless pursuit of uncharted paths. They believe meaningful adventures are possible for everyone, anywhere, if you bring the will, the imagination and the right gear. NEMO will be selling their award-winning outdoor equipment at Maker Faire in addition to displaying tents, sleeping bags and assorted camping gear for attendees to play with and explore.

An Introduction to Virtual Reality – Have you ever wondered what it would be like to visit Paris, London, Tokyo or New York City? Using nothing but a smartphone and Google Cardboard, we can now visit all of these places and many others without ever getting on a plane in this immersive virtual reality experience. You can also try out a number of games, videos and other activities. Tour a museum, watch a movie, maybe even test drive a car! The possibilities are endless!

Compressed Air Rockets – Come build your own rocket (that you can keep) and launch it as many times as you like in Henry Law Park! Using just a regular sheet of copy paper and humble masking tape, create a rocket that will fly hundreds of feet in the air. We’ll supply the materials to make the rocket, you supply the creativity to make the rocket your own. Experiment with different fin designs, different nose cones and find out what works the best and flies the highest. There is no charge for this activity, but small donations to cover the cost of materials is appreciated. Air Rocket Glider ARG kits and compressed air rocket launchers will be available for purchase as well.

Balloon Art – Come by this booth during Maker Faire and check out Terri Marsh’s balloon art! In addition to building unique balloon sculptures throughout the day, Marsh will be demonstrating how to create balloon art in a public, hands-on experience. You will even be able to take your balloon creation home with you!

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Posted in Creativity, Inspiration, Maker Faire, Making, Meet The Makers, New Hampshire

Tagged children's museum, Dover Mini Maker Faire, Dover NH, Fair, Festival, make, maker, Maker Faire, maker movement, Makers, making, New Hampshire, NH

Week 6: Fabulous Makers of 2015

Posted on August 13, 2015 | Leave a comment

UNH LunaCats– UNH LunaCats will be demonstrating their robot which competed in NASA’s Robotic Mining Competition in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The competition is built around a Martian-simulated environment where robots must mine as much “Space Dirt” as they can in 10 minutes. Come by this year’s Maker Faire to check out their competition robots!

Turn Key Innovations– Turn Key Innovations’ mission is to promote innovation and accessibility of personal 3D printers by providing high-quality customer service, products and support. They will be selling a Kossel 3D printer package at Maker Faire, which includes a fully assembled and tested 3D printer complete with installation and training.

Veteran Resort-Chapel– Veteran Resort-Chapel is a 501-c-3 charity that works to help homeless US Military Combat Veterans and promote awareness of the issue to the public through their tiny home on a trailer. At this year’s Maker Faire, they will provide a “trashformation” art project in addition to talking about their cause.

Sensor-bilitY– Sensor-bilitY will be selling their unique products that were designed by an 11-year-old with autism at Maker Faire. They create sensory tools and toys such as weighted lap pads, fidgets and chewlery designed for children on the autism spectrum, complete with fun colors and textures! In addition to selling their toys, they will also have a sensory table activity.

R2 Builders Club– Maker Faire attendees will once again be able to spot R2D2 roaming around the Museum during the event! R2 Builders Club is an international community who build their own replica robots of the iconic Star Wars character. When you see R2 and his builder, be sure to talk to them to learn more about how he was made!

Port City Makerspace– Based in Portsmouth, Port City Makerspace is a shared tool shop whose mission is to provide everyone, from beginners to experts, with the tools and space to create whatever they imagine, be it something wooden, metal, electric or 3D printed. They will bring a variety of projects made by their members to Maker Faire including a 3D Chocolate Printer and CNC Engraver. They will also be helping people make their own light-up robot badges and raffling off various hand-made items.

Lowell Makes– Lowell Makes is the largest Makerspace in Lowell, Massachusetts and they will be displaying some of their projects at this year’s Faire. Come on by and play a tune on their fruit piano or charge up your phone on their solar-powered charging station!

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Posted in Creativity, Inspiration, Maker Faire, Making, Meet The Makers, New Hampshire

Tagged children's museum, creativity, Dover Mini Maker Faire, Dover NH, Fair, Festival, make, maker, Maker Faire, maker movement, Makers, making, New England, New Hampshire, NH, program

Call to Makers now open!

Posted on May 4, 2015 | Leave a comment

The Call to Makers for Dover Mini Maker Faire 2015 is now open! Whether you have joined us before or you are brand new to the Maker Faire experience, we want to hear from you about what you’re making and how you’d like to share it on August 29th.

There are many options for participating in Dover Mini Maker Faire. You can have a table or booth to share what you’re working on, or you can apply to do a talk or group presentation. You might be a performer, or your company might have a cool new product to showcase. Your project can be as complex as a robot or drone, or a creative activity just for kids.

The Call to Makers application process is pretty simple. Just fill out the Google doc at this link and submit it for review by our committee. You will hear back from the committee in 6-8 weeks, or sooner if they have a question for you.

Please note that this is the brand new Call to Makers application for 2015. If you submitted an application any time earlier this year using the 2014 form, you need to be sure to re-apply now using the 2015 form.

We look forward to hearing from you! We expect Dover Mini Maker Faire 2015 — our 3rd annual event — to be even bigger and better this year. We are still the ONLY licensed Maker Faire event in New Hampshire so don’t miss this opportunity to share your stuff with hundreds of interested people of all ages.

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Posted in Creativity, Inspiration, Maker Faire, Making, New Hampshire

Tagged application, apply, Call to Makers, children's museum, Dover Mini Maker Faire, Festival, Maker Faire, Makers, New Hampshire

Highlights from Dover Mini Maker Faire 2014

Posted on August 25, 2014 | Leave a comment

Thank you to the more than 1,500 participants in Dover Mini Maker Faire 2014! Our 2nd annual event featured more than 60 maker displays and showcases, plus 6 food vendors, microbrew tours and plenty of hands-on experiences for all. We greatly appreciate the hard work of the staff of the Children’s Museum of NH, who worked for months on planning and execution of the event, as well as our team of volunteers who helped the day run smoothly.

Here are some of our favorite images of Dover Mini Maker Faire 2014.

Storm troopers made friends of all ages

3-D chocolate extrusion by Port City Makerspace

Star Wars chess set

Our favorite little robot

Rocket launches in the park

Even R2-D2 crashed the party!

Quad-copter built by Don Norris

Ghostbusters making the scene with the mascots from Holy Rosary Credit Union

The graffiti car was a big hit

TOOOL back for a 2nd year to teach lockpicking

Human robots on parade

Young ROBLOX game designers

NEMO Equipment innovative outdoor gear

Nice robot arm!

Darkhill Haunted House

More Darkhill Haunted House technology

Driving the SeaPerch program’s submersible ROVs was very popular

Dover Shockwave robotics team represented the hometown

Great hands-on experiences for young makers

Great hands-on experiences offered by folks from the How-To Festival

3-D printing

Monster costumes

New Heights stilt walkers meet CJ and Monty of Dover’s Mounted Patrol

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Posted in Creativity, Inspiration, Maker Faire, Making, Meet The Makers, New Hampshire

Tagged children's museum, creativity, Dover Mini Maker Faire, Dover NH, Fair, Festival, Maker Faire, maker movement, Makers, making, New England, New Hampshire, NH, photos, Seacoast, storm troopers

Dover Mini Maker Faire 2014 Map and Program

Posted on August 20, 2014 | Leave a comment

With Dover Mini Maker Faire just a few days away, we’ve finalized our map of makers and activity zones so you can preview your visit to the event. There are 4 zones of activities — Orange and Purple indoors, Green and Blue outdoors — and we’ve noted the locations of food vendors, restrooms and information tent.

Click here for a downloadable PDF of the program & map.

Remember, advance tickets are $10 per person, tickets at the gate are $12 per person, and all children ages 5 and under attend free. Buy your tickets online now for easy checkin via iPad at the gate.

For a current list of makers, please click here. Please note that the maker lineup may be subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control.

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Posted in Creativity, Inspiration, Maker Faire, Making, Meet The Makers, New Hampshire

Tagged creativity, Dover Mini Maker Faire, Dover NH, Fair, Festival, Maker Faire, maker movement, Makers, map, New Hampshire, NH, program, schedule, Seacoast, tickets

Meet Our First 36 Makers for 2014!

Posted on July 16, 2014 | Leave a comment

Dover Mini Maker Faire is pleased to present the first 36 makers approved for the 2014 event happening on August 23rd in Dover, NH! Stay tuned for even more updates soon … we expect to top 50 makers this year.

Paper Airplane Launcher & LightBot. This year’s youngest maker, 7 -year-old Sean Violette, invites attendees to make their best paper airplane to blast off from his paper airplane launcher? How far can paper planes travel? Come and find out! Sean will also have his LightBot on display featuring a motion sensor, LED lights, and glow-in-the-dark arms and head!

Beer-Making Process. Brewers at 7th Settlement, Dover’s first community supported brew pub, will lead tours through their brewery and teach the process of making beer from the history of beer, the growing and malting of grains, creating beer recipes, the brewing process, fermenting, conditioning and post production. They will also talk about their process of making root beer as well.

Vertical Gardening by KinneBotanicals. Using long-lasting and environmentally friendly materials, KinneBotanicals will show Maker Faire attendees how to grow plants on walls instead of the floor. Their method for growing edible and ornamental plants drastically reduces space requirements and adds an interesting aesthetic to any indoor or outdoor space.

Build Your Own Quadcopter. Ever wondered if you could build and fly your own drone? Dan Norris, author of “Build Your Own Quadcopter,” will demonstrate how to build a quadcopter from a kit. A completed quadcopter will be on static display for visitors to examine. Norris will also offer a Raspberry Pi demonstration based on his popular book, “Raspberry Pi Projects for the Evil Genius.” He will show some of the features of the world’s most inexpensive, yet full functional computer, with more than 3 million sold worldwide.

Future Tech Women. This organization’s goal is to empower the next generation of women technologists. They offer mentorships, monthly hangouts for women in tech, and other activities centered about getting an increased interest in STEM careers. Visit their booth to learn more about STEM careers and what FTW does, and try a hands-on tech activity presented by members of the organization.

Porcelain Dollmaking. Priscilla Keene Nickerson, Doll Artisan Guild Grandmaster of Dollmaking, will demonstrate the casting and cleaning of greenware (unfired porcelain pieces) and china painting of porcelain heads, hands and feet. There will be pieces available for Maker Faire attendees to try these techniques as well. Nickerson teaches beginner to advanced classes at Mystical Merriment Doll Studio in Durham, NH.

Usborne Books & More. Consultant Amy York will be on site with quality educational children’s books which include science, art activities, experiment kits and education on many areas of arts and science. She will be offering a paper airplane-making activity for young Maker Faire attendees.

LetGo Your Mind. Dover Mini Maker Faire attendees are invited to join leaders from Letgo Your Mind to build LEGO gravity cars and create LEGO art design using gears and a motor. This organization’s mission is to provide high quality, innovative and challenging programs that encourage creativity and higher-level thinking skills while fostering self-confidence in a fun and safe environment.

UNH LunaCats. This team of UNH engineering students is devoted to designing and building a robotic excavator that mines lunar soil for a NASA-sponsored competition. Team members will be on hand to demonstrate their Lunabot robot and share information about their work process and recent competition in Hawaii.

3-D Printed Maker Coins. Meet 10-year-old returning maker Lauren Violette and make a fun maker crab coin or pin using her 3-D printer. She will also have a fun DIY project that attendees can create with just a few materials.

Recycling – The Story of Your NorthFace Jacket. Learn about Coca Cola of Northern New England’s recycling and sustainability efforts and how they to the jacket you might be wearing. The PET (polyethylene terephthalate) collected by CCNNE is baled into 600-700 pound bales and sold to companies who reclaim the PET. The PET bales are broken apart, color sorted, chopped into small flakes and washed, then the PET material is resold to companies that make textiles, automotive parts, carpeting and other goods.

DHS Shockwave Robotics. The Shockwave Robotics Team from Dover High School will be onsite with its FRC Robot. This tethered and wifi-operated robot can retrieve and throw a two- foot diameter exercise ball.

Air Rocket Glider & Compressed Air Rocket Launcher v2.0 This is the Air Rocket Glider (ARG), featured in MAKE issue #39. With its wings folded back, it launches on a blast of compressed air, on our new v2.0 Compressed Air Rocket launcher (CAR v2.0). When the ARG reaches apogee, the wings pop out for a gentle glide back to the ground. Several ARG’s will be on-site for demonstration purposes, and may be selling both ARG and CAR v2.0 kits.

Berwick Innovation Center The Berwick Innovation Center (BIC) is an organic and evolving program that reaches far beyond the physical Berwick Academy campus. BIC offers students a way to articulate an intellectual passion, serves as a strong addition to the college application, and allows students to follow their interests and engage themselves in creative and imaginative projects. The Berwick Innovation Center seeks to be nationally known as a leader in 21st century education and is, in part, financially supported through a generous grant from the Edward E. Ford Foundation along with other dedicated endowed funds.

Velleman USA Introduction to Electronics and 3D Printing Velleman is a manufacturer and wholesale distributor of commercial and consumer electronics. They will be showcasing the K8200 3D Printer, a line of Arduino Shields as well as solar and educational kits. They will be running a demonstration of the K8200 in action.

NH Public Television Kids As a returning participant and media sponsor, NHPTV Kids will be back with information about all their great kids programs and services, as well as an interactive creative activity for younger Maker Faire visitors.

Darkhill Cemetery Haunted House 14 year-old George Farrow’s passion for the past six years has been creating the Darkhill Cemetery Haunted House. This small attraction held in his parents’ garage every year focuses on using high-quality detailed sets/scenics as well as computer controlled animatronics and spectacular sound and lighting to scare you, rather than cheap scare tactics like blood and gore. All elements of this attraction are designed and implemented by George himself. Some methods used to make this event come alive are foam carving/sculpting, carpentry, lighting/sound design, animatronic mechanism design, painting, casting, molding, and much more!

Port City Makerspace A second-year participant, Port City Makerspace will bring some projects that members have been working on as well as an ongoing Large Bed 3D printer build. They also plan to have a tent to showcase outdoor projects like blacksmithing, bikes, and other larger projects.

Biomass Gasification – Running Engines on Wood Northern Self Reliance is a small Maine company that builds biomass gasifier systems. These machines convert wood chips and pellets into syngas, a fuel gas capable of running engines in tractors, generators, and vehicles.

Seedbomb Workshop Join Marcie Cuff for this hands-on project based on her book, This Book Was a Tree. Come make a SEEDBOMB — a handmade
explosive mix of recycled paper and native seeds. Later on, “bomb” it grenade-style into barren spots in your yard or neighborhood. The seedbomb will germinate and add splashes of vibrant color to once-neglected places.

Reproduction Retro Computers Check out reproductions of Apple 1 and the SCELBI 8H computers. The Apple 1 is the first product of Apple. The SCELBI is the first personal computer, released in 1974, a full 2 years before the Apple 1. There were around 200 of each system originally built. There are around 70 original Apple 1’s remaining. Original SCELBI computers are even scarcer, as there areonly about a dozen original SCELBI’s known to exist. Both will running vintage computer software games from the 1970s. Users will be able to operate both computers.
Mozilla Open Badges with Zigraphix Learn how to earn, issue, and display Mozilla Open Badges – an open way to recognize and share achievements. Create a Mozilla Badges Backpack and earn a “Badge Basics” Badge while attending this demonstration. Be part of a community discussion about digital badges and help chart the future of micro-credentialing in the Maker community!

Fusion for Fun and No Profit Wow – Aidan Cookson made a fusion reactor in his basement! It’s a Farnsworth-Hirsch fusor which uses inertial electrostatic confinement (IEC) to fuse deuterons, very inefficiently. Meet Aidan and learn about his adventures with fusion technology!

Watercolor Painting Work with artist Roseann Meserve of Dover to create a 5 x 7 watercolor painting to take home! The artist will provide the supplies and step-by-step instruction.

BYO Guitar Build Your Own Guitar is a company based in Amherst, NH that sells and creates electric guitar kits.BYOGuitar offers customers a wide variety of electric guitar kits as well as the freedom to create a custom design, just for them! BYOGuitar sells an unparalleled experience to the guitar lover: not only do they get to play music on an instrument, they get to build their work and showcase it while playing!

Tinker’s Refuge “Tinker’s Refuge is a website/blog following our family’s attempt to lose the mortgage by building our own house [at this point, we are still getting the old one ready to sell]. The website will have an emphasis on families and in interesting women and children in building. Our exhibit will include his vs. hers tools; a reading area for kids with picture books about building, making, and houses; a play area with construction toys for kids; printouts and models of floor plans we have designed; instructions and examples for building related projects to do with kids; resources in the form of books and websites.”

Baystate Ghostbusters That’s right, the local Ghostbusters will be back at Dover Mini Maker Faire! The Ghostbusters will not have a table at the Faire but you will find them all over town. They will be looking for spooks, goblins, ghosts and ghouls. They’ll test your psychic powers and may even have a treat for you. Be sure to ask about and collect their personalized trading cards!

TDB Monters (no link available) TDB Monsters is focused around making creatures and characters out of discarded items and junk laying around. They create all sorts of other items, from a slithering bicycle, to jewelry made from almost nothing. Recycling objects is a major factor in what they do.

How to Tell a Story from the Coyote’s Inkwell Story-teller Michael Lang will lead a workshop, explaining four steps to telling stories in front of any audience. Using anecdotes from his own experiences, examples of technique, and group discussion, he will guide participants through the process of Enjoy, Share, Do, and Receive. Michael will also perform a selection of stories, and invite participants to join him in an interactive story experience.

The Open Organisation of Lockpickers TOOOL PWM will be back at Dover Mini Maker Faire for a second year to teach people to pick locks as well as understand the mechanics behind the process.

Claytransformed Artist Marissa Vitolo will work with participants to paint their own ornaments for a nominal fee of $3 each. Acrylic paint, which is permanent, will be used. Once dry (while the participants are enjoying the rest of the show), they will use hemp to tie on a string for hanging purposes.

EPLIS Comics EPLIS Comics is an all ages sci-fi action adventure comic book series. Creators Emily & Jeremy Drouin will have a vendor table for comics, and they will present two workshops: learn to draw cartoon characters, and how to create your own comics.

501st New England Garrison The 501st is a world-wide Star Wars costuming club. They fabricate their own movie-quality costumes, using a variety of cool techniques: resin casting, vacuum forming, machining, 3d printing, etc. They hope to have a Dover Mini Maker Faire booth that will demonstrate how the costumes are made using a variety of these specialized methods.

New Heights Stilt Troupe New Heights Stilt Troupe is an ever-evolving group of middle school age youth from the Seacoast area. Their stilts are hand made from pine 2×4’s and their costumes are student-designed and made. You may have seen them in the annual Portsmouth Halloween Parade or Kittery Block Party. They have performed at The Music Hall, Rochester Opera House and many non-profit fundraising galas.

Yarnforms Artist Holly started YarnForms in mid 2013 when she took up crochet and realized how much she loved this art form and creative process. She will be demonstrating her crocheted arts and crafts which include colorful jewelry and clothing.

Group Projects from Makers in Manchester (no link available) This groups will offer interactive displays of projects made by members of Makers in Manchester, including engineering, crafts and science.

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Posted in Creativity, Maker Faire, Making, Meet The Makers, New Hampshire

Tagged creativity, Dover Mini Maker Faire, Dover NH, Maker Faire, maker movement, Makers, New England, New Hampshire, Seacoast, summer

Early-Bird Tickets Now On Sale!

Posted on June 6, 2014 | Leave a comment

Tickets for the 2014 Dover Mini Maker Faire are now on sale at early-bird pricing. You can purchase tickets now through August 1 for just $8 per person, and children ages 5 and under are admitted free. Please visit our Ticket Sales site to buy your tickets now.

We have already heard from many of last year’s makers who are planning to return, and we are in talks with new makers throughout New England who are considering how they might participate.

Here are a few of the highlights from last year: