Hello everyone,

Plans are underway for the next Wayne County Mini Maker Faire on May 19th, 2018.  Be sure to mark your calendar to attend and especially to participate as a “maker”.  The Daily Record said it best: “Dubbed the ‘Greatest Show and Tell on Earth’, over 1,300 people flocked to the inaugural faire at the University of Akron Wayne College this past May where they were able to step back in time and see the future at the same time.

 

But you don’t have to wait until 2018 to enjoy the excitement and awe of Maker Faire.  These events are happening all over the country (and all over the world), over 220 of them each year!  Need inspired?  Check-out this motivational speech made by Adam Savage from Mythbusters.  Adam gives his annual Sunday “sermon” to the attendees of Bay Area Maker Faire and fields questions from the audience! This year, Adam rides in on a beautiful kinetic sculpture by the artists at La Machine.

 

For those wondering, what, exactly, is a maker faire, it is “a gathering of fascinating, curious people who enjoy learning and who love sharing what they can do. From engineers to artists to scientists to crafters, Maker Faire is a venue for these ‘makers’ to show hobbies, experiments, and projects,” according to its website.

 

 

We are proud to showcase Ohio makers who participated in the Wayne County Mini Maker Faire!  One such person is Jonathan Rowe from the Midwest R2 Builders Club.  Midwest is a branch from the main group.  They are all members of the R2 Builders Club, a non-profit organization of Star Wars fans who enjoy building robots.  They cover Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio.

Jonathan started building his R2-D2 droid (Star Wars) last year in July. His droid is not 100% complete as it’s an expensive hobby.  His droid is the combination of wood frame and legs, an aluminum Lazy Susan, and a dome.  He 3D printed eye pieces and made the utility arms and skirt from resin.  Jonathan’s R2 was a huge hit, easily the faire’s “mascot” this year!

 

Rounding out our makers who participated is Aaron Holmes from Wayne County.  With a passion for cycling and woodworking, he designed and built a wooden frame bicycle.  The bike is handmade from black walnut and is fully functional.  The bike is custom designed and fully rideable; he’s ridden about 350 miles on it last Fall. There are many interesting features and customizations throughout the bike.  The design and build process were exciting and the first ride was purely satisfying!

While the main purpose of the project was the experience of designing and building his own bike, it has also become an excellent platform to encourage others to be creative, design, and make something.  Aaron grew-up in his father’s woodworking shop. From a young age, he has always enjoyed designing and making things. He is an electrical engineer by profession and works with a group designing and building custom machines for automotive manufacturing.  Aaron enjoys sharing his passions for woodworking, cycling, and engineering.

 

If you would like to know more about Jonathan Rowe’s R2 robot or Aaron Holmes’ wooden bicycle, please reply to this email.

 

 

Plans are underway for the 2018 Wayne County Mini Maker Faire!  Mark your calendar for Saturday, May 19, 2018 for the 2nd Annual Wayne County Mini Maker Faire.  The event is free to attend and participate.  To be a maker at the faire, be sure to signup here.  We’d love to have you.  Thanks and we look forward to you joining us in 2018!

 

Until next week,

Tom