Meet the Makers – Rebecca from The Bubbler

Tell us about yourself and The Bubbler.
The Bubbler at Madison Public Library is a maker-focused program for all ages. We offer hands-on workshops and events from community experts. We have set our priorities for our maker space around people, not stuff, hiring local artists to come and share their craft with the Madison community. I joined Trent Miller, the head Bubblerarian, as a project assistant in January through our new funding grant from IMLS. With a two person team, the Bubbler is running on all cylinders, expanding our maker-focused workshop offerings to all the neighborhood libraries in Madison while continue to host workshops and large after hour Night Light events at Madison’s Central Library.

As a second year masters student at UW with a focus in youth services, working at the Bubbler has been an incredible experience so far. I have not only increased my skills in budgeting, scheduling, and logistics, keeping the Bubbler running efficiently behind the scenes, but have also had the opportunity to be a more active maker myself. With the guidance of local artist Karen Corbeill, I have learned to solder, creating the traveling Bubbler kid of circuit blocks. And with the help of Media Lab instructor Nate Clark and Teen librarian Jesse Vieau, I have had the chance to become a digital maker running workshops in basic video game design on UDK software and stop motion animation on the library’s fleet of animation stations. I am looking forwards to another year of Bubblerarianing.

What are you presenting at Maker Faire Milwaukee?
We will be bringing out circuit blocks and animation stations with us to the Maker Faire to highlight some of our most popular (And STEM based!) programming kits. Participants can experiment with basic electricity or create their own animated movies.

Why is making important to you?
Before coming back to library school, I was an educator for six years in the Houston and Chicago public school districts. Engaging my middle school students in critical thinking, problem solving, and creative solutions was always a challenge in systems that rewarded “right answers”. I see making in libraries as a low stress, accessible way for youth to build confidence, inspire creativity, and build literacy in ways that will make them more successful in all areas of their life.

What was the first thing you remember making?
The first thing I remember making was a cardboard sewer system for my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figures. My mom took my brother and me to Toys “R” Us to look at the fancy sewer toy advertised and she was disappointed to see if was made of cheap plastic and printed cardboard. This was the first of many times where I remember my mom decidedly pointing out “we can make this better ourselves.” We went home and collected cardboard boxes, Pringles cans, and Quaker Oat containers and duct tape, lots of duct tape, to make our own. It took up a whole wall of our bedroom for several years with consistent renovations and additions.

What have you made that you are most proud of?
After looking everywhere on the internet for a “Hobbes” tiger for my fiance for Christmas one year, I gave up and made my own. It only make sense that Calvin’s one of a kind side kick couldn’t be available for mass production, he’s just too unique. Hobbes got to enter the library world this summer too as my mascot for Book Baby story times at the Alicia Ashman neighborhood library in Madison.

Given an unlimited budget, what would you make?
A BIGGER BUBBLER. With the funds and incredible opportunities we have had, we have done great work with our Artist in Residence program and community workshops. With unlimited budget, the Madison making community would thrive with designated free studio spaces in our neighborhood libraries, printing presses, and workshop opportunities. We could pay more artists for their time, expertise, and chance to share their craft. We could expand opportunities to after school programs in the Madison school district and hire the staff to promote community outreach. Right now, the Bubbler’s biggest obstacle is time and space, not enthusiasm or participation.

Meet the Makers – Dan Grunst

Tell us about yourself.
Other than 11 years on the art show circuit I have been in the exhibit business all of my adult working career.

What are you presenting at Maker Faire Milwaukee?
My hand-made, sometimes functional, partially recycled original wood carvings.

Why is making important to you?
I am that guy who is always doing something. ALWAYS!

What was the first thing you remember making?
Probably something with my grandfather, he was a home builder. My great-grandfather was a furniture maker.

What have you made that you are most proud of?
I did a life size crucifix for a local church. Hard to choose, I’ve done thousands.

Given an unlimited budget, what would you make?
That likely won’t happen, I use a lot of found or repurposed objects in my pieces. Design decisions are often made because of budget.

Meet the Makers – Karen Corbeill

Tell us about yourself.
I am a maker of many things, including a makerspace. I love learning new things and strive to continue learning more and more ways to make. I like to weld and make costumes and make flowers and stars out of a bunch of different materials. I’ve been involved in the Power Racing Series since the first race at Maker Faire Detroit in 2010 and have acted as trophy designer, vehicle welder/engineer, pit crew, driver, and event organizer. After being a member of hackerspace, i3Detroit for three years with a short stint as president, I moved to Madison, WI. That summer I co-founded MadCity Makers, an adult maker group that met in libraries and hosted workshops. The following spring, MadCity Makers became the Bodgery and we opened our doors in June 2014 inside the warehouse space of Evolution Arts Collective. This past June, we moved from our original 900 sq ft facility into a shiny, new 3400 sq ft facility where we continue to add tools and attract community members. For the past two years I have been running workshops and summer camps at the Madison Public Library and for MSCR teaching kids about making through STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math). I love teaching and helping to further the maker movement. And I always have a flower in my hair.

What are you presenting at Maker Faire Milwaukee?
I am presenting my makerspace, the Bodgery. At the Bodgery booth, I will be showing off various projects I have made over the years including a necklace made from a bowling ball, various welded nail art pieces, crocheted snuggle monsters, and more. For the Bodgery’s grand re-opening this summer, I helped made two maker themed carnival games, a Tesla coil-steampunk ring toss and the air-powered Rocket Shot game. The games will be at the booth for passers-by to play.

Why is making important to you?
Making is cathartic. The feeling of seeing something amazing that you created with your own hands is unparalleled. The future of our world is in the hands of inventors and engineers. A major part of that is making. I want to do what I can to get more people, adults and children alike, making and thinking and reinventing their world in hopes of making it better.

What was the first thing you remember making?
I had a sculpture class in high school where the assignment was a found-object sculpture. Somewhere, out of the blue, I got the idea to make a turkey out of kitchenware. The body was made of a large pot with an overturned bowl and a steamer on top. The head was a baster bulb on a springy egg beater with a melon baller for eyes and juicer for a beak. Three spatulas made up each wing and a spread of wood spoons the tail. Plastic serving sporks were the feet.

What have you made that you are most proud of?
My Powerwheels car and the Bodgery.

Given an unlimited budget, what would you make?
I would probably make some giant metal sculpture with stars and moons that had interactive lights all over it, maybe where you could throw your hand to trigger a shooting star effect.

Meet the Makers – BEHS Tech Club

Tell us about yourself and The BEHS Tech Club.
The BEHS Tech Club is dedicated to providing students with a place to work and learn new skills. We encourage group projects and support entries into many competitions. Our focus is on self-directed learning through hands-on projects.

What are you presenting at Maker Faire Milwaukee?
We are bringing a showcase of our students most distinctive projects to Maker Fair Milwaukee this year. Cool things to look out for are custom computers and cases, electric bikes and go-cart, quadcopters, and giant rockets.

Why is making important to you?
We are focused on making and the mentality that with the right skills, you can make anything. We encourage our students to work on projects that better their lives.

What was the first thing you remember making?
Personally, a 12v power system for a tree fort, which included a keypad-based door lock, and a motorized elevator system.

What have you made that you are most proud of?
The electric gocart project was very cool, and ahead of its time, but unfortunately is too small for much-grown makers. Other than that, the DIY computer case is a great project.

Given an unlimited budget, what would you make?
The best computer ever, an army of quadcopters, a giant laser for powering satellites! An MRI machine, and an electron microscope.

Meet the Makers – Jean’s Clay Studio

Tell us about yourself.
Milwaukee Potter for over 20 years, I began drawing and carving onto my pottery pieces and haven’t stopped yet! My designs have always been inspired by nature and have evolved to include everyday household objects and popular iconography. (Here’s a video showing some of my work.)

What are you presenting at Maker Faire Milwaukee?
I will be presenting my current line of functional pottery, with a variety of designs. My stylized designs are carved onto each piece by a process called “sgraffito” or “slip-carving.” After the piece is thrown on the wheel and trimmed, a layer of colored clay called “slip” is brushed onto the surface. Once the slip has been allowed to dry slightly, I hand draw and carve the design through the slip. Colored highlights are painted on after the first firing in the kiln. A clear glaze is applied and fired once more to over 2000 degrees to finish the piece. Vases, bowls, mugs, plates and serving pieces will be for sale. All Dishwasher and Microwave safe.

Why is making important to you?
I fall into the category of having an obsession to “Make”! Making objects that are then shared and used by others is very personal and meaningful to me. It allows me to connect with others in a creative and joyful way. All of my pieces are created completely by hand: no molds, forms, stencils, stamps, decals or transfers are used. I feel this adds a certain amount of energy and spirit to each piece along with a distinctive and unique identity for the object and it’s owner.

What was the first thing you remember making?
I thoroughly remember some of the early projects I made in elementary school, three-dimensional objects to illustrate a book report or science homework. I spent hours on these projects and loved it! It is amazing what you can make with just paper, cardboard, glue and string.

What have you made that you are most proud of?
At the moment I am most proud of the development I have made with my pottery over the past 20 years. The functional aspect of pottery is extremely important to me and I strive to make high-quality, one-of-a-kind, enjoyable objects.

Given an unlimited budget, what would you make?
Time and an unlimited budget? Sounds terrific! I would most likely make larger, more time-consuming pieces, that perhaps tell more of a story, or explore the natural world a little bit more.

Meet the Makers – Becky Tesch

Tell us about yourself.
I am a Milwaukee native and creative. I have been making things since very early childhood. Michaelangelo saw the sculpture within the marble, & I see potential reuse in things others have thrown away!

What are you presenting at Maker Faire Milwaukee?
Jewelry made with reclaimed materials & found objects with a heavy emphasis on bicycle parts

Why is making important to you?
Humans are hard wired to make things with their hands, but we’re losing these skills & traditions. I think it’s essential to our basic happiness to make things & be proud of them, and use them.

What was the first thing you remember making?
Doll house furniture out of those little paper jewelry gift boxes.

What have you made that you are most proud of?
Ok, I’m going to be sappy her for a minute, I just had my first child in July. She is the best thing I’ve ever made! And she’s pretty amazing!

Given an unlimited budget, what would you make?
Bicycle paths, and little bicycle freeways all around the world. 🙂

Meet the Makers – Wil from Brown Dog Gadgets

Tell us about yourself.
My name is Wil Tushaus, and I just started working at Brown Dog Gadgets this summer. I’ve always been interested in making things, from Lincoln Logs and LEGOs as a kid, to a disposable camera turned taser in college. At Brown Dog Gadgets we have lots of cool projects for all ages, from non-soldering Solar Bugs, to Arduino based drawing robots.

What are you presenting at Maker Faire Milwaukee?
We are demo-ing our two drawing robots, the Mega Sketch and the Desk Sketch. The Desk Sketch is a small tabletop machine, a little more than a foot square with a draw area of about 8.5×11. The Mega Sketch works on an easel or whiteboard, and can draw in a few square feet of space. We did scale one up at the office to draw in a 6×6 foot space, we’ve dubbed it the Ultra Sketch!

Why is making important to you?
I think one of the great things about the maker movement are the communities that have come together to share ideas and help each other with problems. I do a lot of looking through sites like Instructables and Thingiverse for ideas of what to do next, or for help when I get stuck. It’s also great to be able to give back to the community when you’ve finished a project of your own. At Brown Dog Gadgets we get help and inspiration from these communities, and we make sure our projects are available open source for anyone who wants to make their own.

What was the first thing you remember making?
One of the first things I can remember making was building forts out of waffles when I was a kid. You need two or three big square waffles, toppings, a knife and fork, and a steady hand. Neatly stack up your waffles, and add toppings to taste (butter and maple syrup if you know what’s good). Using your knife and fork carefully cut along the lines separating the dimples in the waffle, first in one direction, then the next. Now you have several towers of individual waffle squares, and you can eat away the interior of the fort. Depending on the size of your waffle, you can make one big open area, or leave interior walls to create rooms. Once the fort is finished, it’s time for the enemy to attack the walls! Finish your waffle by knocking down walls and eating them.

What have you made that you are most proud of?
The Ultra Sketch I mentioned above is a pretty amazing project. In addition to fitting extra long belts and cables we had to design a special gondola to keep the pen from swinging back and forth. We also spent a half day getting everything properly calibrated, but in the end the hard work was worth it! We’ve been taking time-lapse videos and putting them on YouTube so people can watch the Ultra Sketch at work.

Given an unlimited budget, what would you make?
I am currently working on a project I call the “Mega Desk,” which is still in the planning phases. The end goal is a combined computer desk and workstation for the things I like to make. The fun part is a control panel for switching power to the PC, monitors, and lights, gauges to monitor the CPU, GPU, and other aspects. Most importantly, are monitors which hide out of sight within the desk. An unlimited budget would pay for woodworking classes, nice hardwoods, and probably a lot more switches!

Meet the Makers – Keith Baxter

Tell us about yourself.
I have a background in electrical engineering and like to design unusual musical instruments. I’ve run a nearly successful Kickstarter campaign.

What are you presenting at Maker Faire Milwaukee?
I’ll have a number of my Kyub open source keyboards and a new variation called the Tyub that people can try out. I should have some servo electric guitars to look at but probably won’t be playing them. But they’re fun to look at as well as play.

Why is making important to you?
I think it promises to help us retain the skill set we need as a country.

What was the first thing you remember making?
Some walk-on-water shoes when I was about 10. Fortunately I didn’t get to try them out.

What have you made that you are most proud of?
I am thinking it’s the Kyub so far.

Given an unlimited budget, what would you make?
A pedal steel servo electric guitar would be fun.

(Keith has had some good coverage for his projects in the past, including Hackaday and Popular Science!)

Meet the Makers – Dom Amato

Tell us about yourself.
I was raised in the north suburbs of Milwaukee and went to school at UW-Milwaukee for a BFA in Interdisciplinary Art & Technology with a Minor in Japanese. I also took Computer Science classes and acted as Research Assistant while in school. During that time I also begun helping the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum as a contractor for its exhibit development. Recently I moved to Chicago to pursue a Masters Degree in Human Computer Interaction and I will continue on for my PhD once I determine the school I want to attend. In my spare time, what little there is to it, I like to cook, bike, and work with my hands building contraptions. I really enjoy computer science and electrical engineering because it is like a big puzzle that has some small victories when you match parts together and then a sense of accomplishment when you finish. I believe strongly in open source cooperation and recently became one of the chief contributors to the Windows development team at openFrameworks which is the primary development framework I use in my own software.

What are you presenting at Maker Faire Milwaukee?
My booth at the Maker Faire is a little bit of an inside joke that stemmed from my work at Betty Brinn. I never had a desk or an office since I was never an employee though I took over a few closets and empty desks now and again. One of the closets became Brinn Labs as I worked there as it was far away from everyone else in the museum. The actual things I am presenting are just simple programs that I have made in collaboration with the museum and have shared with the public. Some of these are meant to be cost effective replacements for expensive hardware like piDAR, the tiny light wand, and the tiny moisture sensor. Others are meant as learning tools to make prototyping easier like gooeyPI, the Create2 OI spec 2, and Robust Firmata. Meanwhile a few are just fun projects like BAMplot or the DIY laser cutter.

Why is making important to you?
Making is important to me because it allows me to be creative in very uncreative industries. Designing exhibits may be an exception but most computer science is very dry/dull experiences that can be very unrewarding outside of a small community. No one appreciates software that runs properly or efficiently, they expect it to be so. Making on the other hand can be rough and inefficient and not even work properly but it still captures people’s imaginations and can be fascinating. A laser cutter is so much more interesting to people than the software that runs it, same with a 3D printer. I think making allows me to extend skills that are often overlooked and put them at the forefront. I also just like being physical when I create things, ever since I was little I have always made things and it was only recently that I have made digital things. I think it can be a very cathartic activity to make things but its also a great hobby that leads to greater appreciation and understanding of our digital ecosystem. When my screen breaks I can fix it myself, when I find broken electronics I can usually fix them, its an extremely useful skill to have in the 21st century.

What was the first thing you remember making?
When I was in elementary school me and my brother had bunk beds but sometime before 5th grade we got separate rooms. Instead of buying a new bed I just took the top bunk off the bottom one. The problem was the bed was really high off the ground so no normal end table would work as a night stand. I ended up building a collapsable tray that hooked into the bed frame that could be extended up and locked in place. My dad helped me make it but we had all sorts of tools in our garage and I would help him when we did house renovations. I have known how to use tools since I was very young and it allowed me to make all sorts of useless things.

What have you made that you are most proud of?
I’m pretty proud of everything I make, even when it doesn’t work. There have been some pretty great failures that I have learned a lot from, specifically there was an art installation I collaborated with multiple people on and it never worked once, at multiple venues. That was actually pretty common when I was in art school as I was so overly ambitious that so many of my artworks were never finished when it came to present them. One time in the middle of a gallery showing one of the transformers for the piece melted so I had to quickly redo all the circuitry. Maybe its weird to be proud of failures but it taught me a lot about what could go wrong and how to prevent it and I was never in doubt that I could have done it. Don’t get me wrong, I am proud of my successes too. The performance I did at the art museum went really well, though that artwork was sadly lost to a hard drive failure some years later. I am pretty proud of a lot of the projects I have done for the Be A Maker program at the museum. Creating the exhibits is fun but making one off random projects is a change of pace that can have really rewarding results.

Given an unlimited budget, what would you make?
This is a tricky question because most things I make don’t cost me a lot of money anyways. I think what would be more useful to me is having unlimited time since that is honestly what I have the least of nowadays. With unlimited time I think I would make everything on my to do list first. Originally I was supposed to make a robotic knitting machine for Maker Faire but I never had the time to re-engineer the original design, and I have a lot of interest in doing that. As a backup plan I was supposed to make a painting robot but only the firmware has been made for that. I really hate not finishing a project, it weighs on me and bothers me when it sits on my white board and stares me down. I guess if I had to pick something to make with an unlimited budget it would be either a time machine, a clone, or a robot assistant so that I could get more work done in a day.