Welcome (Back) to the MakeVentura Wiki

Wiki back.png

I'm sooo excited today...because the MAKE Ventura Wiki has returned after a multi-month hiatus! You often have no idea how much something means to you until it's taken away, and let me say that the Wiki has a huge value to me personally. Not only because I've contributed such a large amount to it, but mainly because it is so much EASIER to teach people how to use our equipment when you have instant access to all the information recorded there at your fingertips.

It's so much more efficient to not have to recreate the wheel every time someone brings in a piece of material to find what are the step by step instructions on this machine, what are the best settings, EVEN knowing what does NOT work is extremely helpful! It's so much more convenient to have all that information available at a single place, rather than having to dig through the web, or even worse...physical piles of examples and trying to decipher archaic engineering handwriting (yes! you!!!!...you know who I'm talking about!!!!).

To me, the wiki is so much more than a collection of random information, various projects, instructions on our equipment. It's a history of our Makerspace. A testament of all that we've accomplished so far. The collective wisdom from all those members who have come before us.

And the best part is that as time goes on it will keep getting better! Because as more and more people use it, more members will contribute to it. More contributors and more information means less learning curves for everyone! Each iteration increases in value for everyone! Each iteration makes it easier for the next!

I'm so looking forward to easier...

By: Chris Lindvay

Looky looky what I found!

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Well unbeknownst to me it appears we have a blog that we have been neglecting to utilize?

I am going to think about changing that. I will be encouraging some of our other members to add entries and I will try to put out a blog entry myself on a somewhat regular basis and see what becomes of it!

For my first Makers Blog I will begin by saying my visit to the Maker Faire in San Mateo has rekindled a desire in me to make things… I think I have all of the tools I need (a big new band saw would be nice) so I am setting out to complete two new projects a month.

Well that’s the end of this entry I will come up with something better for next time.

See ya in the funny papers!

Tear-Down : Sony LCD Screen


ebikes, bicycles, electronics

Daniel's E-Bike Build

Daniel had been trying to get his electric bike built for months, until he recently joined MAKE Ventura and gained access to A LOT of tools, space to work on his project, and a community of knowledgeable people to help him. I'd put together a few hub-mounted ebike kits, and hadn't been happy with the way they'd changed the weight distribution of the bike. Daniel's mid-drive kit intrigued me, because not only was the weight better distributed (no heavy wheels), but he could still use the rear derailleur to change gears, which instead of creating an inefficient single-speed like a hub motor, created the equivalent of a 7-speed electric motor-driven transmission. How cool!

MAKE Ventura is ready for Founding Members

MAKE Ventura is ready for Members to come in and use the space to create amazing things. Let's start building this community of makers, builders, artists, inventors, and hackers.

To become a Founding Member of MAKE Ventura, be one of the first 50 people to sign up before October 25th, 2014. As a Founding Member, your membership rate will never increase. So sign up and help build something great!