24 Hours to Maker Faire!

Emma Willard School is abuzz for Open House today. We are putting the final touches on our preparations for Emma Willard Mini Maker Faire which starts in just 25 hours! Mother Nature and Emma Willard must have spoken because the weather is looking good both today and tomorrow. Tomorrow’s forecast is a lovely 66 degrees and mostly sunny! A great day for soft pretzels and warm apple cider.

Check out our feature in Makezine!

Makezine.com wrote a great feature on the Emma Willard Mini Maker Faire posted today! Check it out at Makezine.com!

Please Meet The Traditional Tesla Coil!

I am very excited to now introduce the RPI electrical engineering students, makers of a traditional Tesla coil! A Tesla coil is a coil capable of creating currents of high frequency electricity. The RPI electrical engineering students built their very own old-school Tesla coil on a shoestring budget. This coil throws 5′ sparks and lights up fluorescent tubes wirelessly from several feet away. 

At our Maker Faire they will host 20 minute events that cover: a brief description of Tesla coil history, theory of operation, and details of Tesla coil construction, followed by a demonstration and a discussion. The session will close with one more demonstration, and then an up-close and personal Q&A session for those spectators wishing to get a closer look.

This presentation is sure to be electrifying, so come take a gander! 

Please Meet The Tech Valley Center of Gravity!

Up next is The Tech Valley Center of Gravity, makers of Chainmail! 

Initially developed as flexible armor to protect wearers against slashing and stabbing attacks, chainmail (or simply “maille”), is the craft of weaving metal rings. Maille is still produced to this day, both for historical reenactment as well as for numerous practical and aesthetic applications. Some examples include: shark-resistant suits for divers, cut-proof gloves for food preparation, Faraday suits for protection from the high voltage produced by Tesla coils, and often for jewelry and unique wearable accessories.

At our Maker Faire, examples of various weaves and projects will be shown, and beginner weaves will be demonstrated. You can make your own 2-in-1 chain or Byzantine-style chain bracelet, learn how to make European 4-in-1 sheet, or simply come to see and touch examples of this unique craft.

Come check on this booth on October 12th to connect yourself to history, see and make your very own unique jewelry, and feel like the knight in shining armor that you’ve always dreamed of being!

Please Meet The Society Of Women Engineers!

Now on our list of makers is The Society Of Women Engineers, a group who will be demonstrating how to power an ice cream parlor. This demo will walk attendees through the sources of power, including non-renewable and renewable (wind and solar), to provide electricity to light up an ice cream parlor.

This booth is going to be sweet, so stop by and get a scoop of knowledge about energy! 

Please Meet Andrea Daley!

Up next, I am happy to introduce Andrea Daley, maker of molds! Andrea will demonstrate materials and process used to make reproductions of historic pieces using molds. For more information check out www.diyrestoreit.com. 

 

See you on Saturday! 

Please Meet Biological Arts!

Now I would like to introduce Kathy High, creator of Biological Arts! Kathy is a professor in the ARTS department at RPI, and she will be describing her recent activities in art and biology – sometimes referred to as ‘bioart’ – or working with living materials. Kathy will discuss 3 different projects to entice participants: ‘Blood Wars’ – a look at our immune system through a competition between people’s white blood cells http://vampirestudygroup.com/bloodwars/; ‘BioArt in an Industrial Wasteland’ – an ongoing series of art and science workshops at The Sanctuary for Independent Media http://www.mediasanctuary.org/node/5408; and ‘Field Notes/Deep Time’ – a recent residency/laboratory of the subartic landscape of Finland http://bioartsociety.fi/deep_time/. This will be a brief introduction to this exciting hybrid field! Come check it out on October 12!

Please Meet The Edison Tech Center!

Up next we have The Edison Tech Center of Schenectady, NY. At our Maker Faire, you can:

ASK the Edison Tech Center! Bring your tech questions for the Edison Tech Center to engineer a solution.

HELP the Edison Tech Center solve a puzzle and become eligible to get the book “Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things”.

WATCH the Edison Tech Center electric vehicle, the Electric City Hauler, and learn how it was designed and built.

LISTEN to the musical inventions from the Edison Tech Center.

Get excited! 

Please Meet The Flying Pizza!

Now we have Emma Edgar, maker of The Flying Pizza! Did you ever think it could be cloudy with a chance of flying pizzas? Well now it can be. This demonstration and presentation will include a remote-controlled flying pizza. This project was built with RC equipment from Emma’s dad and common household items.

Come check out the booth and have a slice of fun! 

Please Meet Monoprint for Everyone!

Now I’d like to introduce The Roarke Center hosting the Monoprint for Everyone booth! Participants will draw images using water soluble crayon on a plexiglas plate. The plate, when in tight contact with dampened paper, will transfer the image. Thus the print becomes an individual, original work of art, which can be taken home with the artist participant. There is no experience needed! 

Come make your very own work of art in just 4 days!