Tag Archives: maker

2015 Dover Mini Maker Faire a Huge Success!

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.
snap circuits5-MF15

Makers were glowing from all the attention and from the opportunity to show off their projects.
inmoov robot-MF15_1

Staff and Volunteers helped the entire thing run smoothly.
googlecardboard-MF15

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. 
fidelity table-MF15

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:

2015 Dover Mini Maker Faire Schedule

We know you’re getting ready to plan your Saturday, and we wanted to make that as easy as possible for you! So here is the schedule, program and map for the August 29th Dover Mini Maker Faire. Please note that the schedule is broken up by location.


INSIDE THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM
CMNH_exterior

All Day – “Monsters: Friend or Foe?” Cartooning Workshop
Comic artist Emily Drouin will be leading this fun workshop for all ages and offering caricatures.

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Papermaking
Experiment with making your own paper using recycled and natural materials.

1-2 p.m. – Fun with Circuits & Makey-Makey
Learn how to create a keyboard, game controller or mouse out of…anything! These special circuits are so user friendly.

3 p.m. – Your First Video Game Workshop
Learn how to program a video game on a Raspberry Pi computer. No experience necessary!


OUTSIDE IN HENRY LAW PARK

All Day – 7th Settlement Brewery Tours
on location across the street from CMNH
Join 7th Settlement brewers for tours of their brewery and learn the process of making beer, responsibility and accountability and humans’ history with beer. The brewers will also talk about their Root Beer making!

10:30 a.m.-Noon – Manchester Community Music School
Henry Law Park Stage
The MCMS Summer Band is made up of professionals, amateurs, alumni, music teachers and students.

12:30-1 p.m. – Seacoast Men of Harmony
Henry Law Park Stage
Enjoy this all men’s based acapella chorus. They sing in the Barbershop style, which is characterized as four-part close harmony.

2-2:30 p.m. – Maurizio Paura
Henry Law Park Stage
Enjoy a musical performance by guitarist Maurizio Paura.

3 p.m. – T-Shirt Slingshot
Henry Law Park Stage
Jane Bard, President of CMNH will be flinging t-shirts into the crowd!

4 p.m. – Coke and Mentos Finale
Henry Law Park Stage
Another great reason to stick around to the very end of the Faire is our giant Coke and Mentos Finale in which lucky guests will get to be the ones to drop the Mentos into the Coke bottles and be up close to watch the action!


OUTSIDE IN LOWER HENRY LAW PARK
All Day – Rocket Launching
Create and test your own paper rocket with Keith Violette!

10:30 a.m. – Seed Bombing Workshop
Learn how to make these pocket-sized flower seed “bombs” that will make it easy to do a little gorilla gardening!

11 a.m. & 3 p.m. – Paper Airplane Launcher Demo & Making
Come see Sean and his Paper Airplane Launcher that were featured on a segment of “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon.” Also, fold your best paper airplane and see if it will survive a 60 MPH launch and find out how far it will fly!

11 a.m. & 3 p.m. – Hexa-Flexa Demo & Making
Come make a cool “Hexaflexagon” which is a folded strip of paper transformed into a cool piece of color changing origami. Come fold and color your own!


INSIDE ONE WASHINGTON MILL
All Day – Bay State Ghostbusters
Roaming throughout the Faire
Say hi to the Bay State Ghostbusters as they investigate spooks, spectres and ghosts in our very own downtown Dover. Participate in challenges and become an honorary Ghostbuster!

11 a.m.-Noon – Balloon Art: Learn how to make Balloon Dogs

1-2 p.m. – Balloon Art: Learn how to make Balloon Hats

3-4 p.m. – Balloon Art: Learn how to make Balloon Fish

Makers vs. Makerspaces

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.

makers-in-manchester

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-makerspaceManchester 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.

circuitsManchester 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.

Week 9: Fabulous Makers of 2015

nhptvMake 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.

crossfitEverProven 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!

usborneUsborne– 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!

ridgewingRidgewing 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!

doverlibraryDover 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

Week 7: Fabulous Makers of 2015

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.

blastfrompastA 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 21st 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!

lostwoodsLost 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.

toolsTools 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 17th 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.

googlecardboardAn 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!

airrocketsCompressed 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!

Week 6: Fabulous Makers of 2015

lunacatsUNH 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!

turnkeyTurn 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.

r2buildersR2 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!

portcity-makerspacePort 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!

So you want to be part of Dover Mini Maker Faire …

Dover_MMF_logos_TwitterYou’ve heard about it for weeks or months now: New Hampshire’s first-ever Maker Faire is coming to Dover on August 24th. You’re thinking it sounds cool but you’re wondering if what you do would be right for the event. Or you’re wondering if you can sell things at Dover Mini Maker Faire. Or you just plain don’t know where to start.

We’ve got an easy answer for you.

Anyone interested in the Dover Mini Maker Faire is invited to fill out a simple “Call To Maker” form online. The application is a straight-up Google form where you can tell us more about what you do and how you think you’d like to be involved:

Call To Makers Application

Just fill in the form and it will be submitted right to the Programming Committee. Applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis so you should hear back from the committee within two weeks. We have more than 20 makers approved thus far but there is still room for more. Whether you program underwater radio-controlled robots, make life-size super-hero puppets or create dazzling duct-tape fashions, we want to hear from you!

If you have other questions, you can reach the Dover Mini Maker Faire team by sending an email to [email protected] It’s that simple and we can’t wait to hear from you.