Are Makers great, or what? A fantastic showing, a fantastic group and fantastic results Monday night as NYC Makers created their own PCB flashlights from schematic to etching to soldering. Though working with the etching chemicals was left to our expert Eric, 17 Makers who came for the lab performed the toner-transfer process, drilled, soldered components and successfully tested their projects! Great work guys!

Etching

Testing

Meeting 7 photos on Flickr

Thanks to all 25-30 Makers who made this meeting stand out. It was truly great to see everyone helping each other.

Want to make your own PCB flashlight?

Acquire these components:

Copper Clad Board
6mm SMT Tactile Switch (Part Number: 612-TL3301AF1)
1/4 watt 1 ohm Resistor
CR2032 3V 20x3.2mm Battery (Part Number: 658-CR2032)
3.3v White LED Clear (Part Number: 859-LTW-2S3D7)
20mm Battery Holder (Part Number: 122-2520-GR)

(all of these parts can be ordered from Mouser, or any large supplier)

Printable PCB Layout

Quick and dirty instructions:

Print the layout on the smooth side of a sheet of universal or multipurpose (Try 3M CG6000) transparency film using a laser printer or copier with the toner "darkness" set medium-high or software select to use a "High Gloss" paper. This will ensure enough toner is laid down for a good transfer. From here on out wear gloves. This will prevent oils and dirt from ruining your cladboard and protect you from the etching solution. Preheat a 1.5x4" copper clad board with an iron set on "Wool" or high heat for 20-30 seconds. Tape down your layout on at least one side to secure it and lay it underneath a piece of brown paper bag (to help even out the transfer). Apply the iron again with good pressure for a minute and a half. DO NOT LET THE IRON SLIDE AROUND! Let the board, transparency and paper cool to room temperature before slowly peeling away. Any missed transfer can be touched up with a Sharpie pen. Etch the board with a warm Ferric Chloride solution (use according to included instructions). Clean thoroughly. Remove the toner and Sharpie pen with non-acetone nail polish remover or lightly scrape with fine steel wool. Drill out the six through-holes on the layout with approximately a 1.15mm microdrill bit. Solder, aligning the hole in the battery holder with the circle on the PCB and aligning the flat portion of the LED to the cross line. Test. Doesn't work? Flip the battery over!

See ya next meeting!

Make:NYC Meeting 7 - Monday, June 30th, 6:30PM

It's been a while, but we got our stuff together and we're ready to come back strong! This Make:NYC Meeting includes:

Labinar: Custom PCB Making - Design and Creation

Snap up a background on creating your own PCBs for electronic projects! See demonstrations of different PCB making techniques. Donate for a lab spot and we'll give you a blank PCB, mask for etching and parts to assemble a simple circuit.

Show and Tell

Meet your fellow NYC Makers and show off your creations! Bring your gadgets, gizmos, sketches, ideas, anything you'd like to put in the spotlight. We encourage NYC Makers to collaborate on and discuss DIY projects. If you're planning to bring a project, drop us a note at meetings@makenyc.org.

If you'd like to attend we have plenty of space for everyone, but please RSVP!

Location:

NYC Resistor, 5th Floor (Google Map)
397 Bridge Street between Fulton Mall and Willoughby
Brooklyn, NY 11201

(yes, right near the other location)

A/C/F to Jay St-Borough Hall
B/Q to Dekalb Avenue
M/R to Lawrence Street
2/3 to Hoyt Street

Meeting time is 6:30PM.

See you there!

    Man, what a mess! Though our attendance was meager, those who did show definitely got into screen printing. Some made their own DIY screens, and some printed Make:NYC t-shirts from the screens we had professionally made. This is what we like to see at Make:NYC, people getting to try out these cool DIY techniques most people think is too much trouble to do on their own.

Testing

Some Proud Makers

Meeting 6 photos on Flickr

Thanks to everyone who came by, and a special thanks to Jonathan who let us borrow his wife's hair dryer.

See ya next month!

NEW LOCATION!

Make:NYC Meeting 6 - Thursday, April 24th, 6:30PM

Let's shift gears again. The seventh Make:NYC Meeting includes:

Labinar: Screen and Bleach Printing - From Craft to Component

Learn DIY screen printing and bleach printing from your fellow Makers. Items to print on will be available with a small donation.

Show and Tell

Meet your fellow NYC Makers and show off your creations! Bring your gadgets, gizmos, sketches, ideas, anything you'd like to put in the spotlight. We encourage NYC Makers to collaborate on and discuss DIY projects. If you're planning to bring a project, drop us a note at meetings@makenyc.org.

If you'd like to attend we have plenty of space for everyone, but please RSVP!

Location:

NYC Resistor, 5th Floor (Google Map)
397 Bridge Street between Fulton Mall and Willoughby
Brooklyn, NY 11201

(yes, right near the other location)

A/C/F to Jay St-Borough Hall
B/Q to Dekalb Avenue
M/R to Lawrence Street
2/3 to Hoyt Street

Meeting time is 6:30PM.

See you there!

    A riveting blimp battle consumed the sixth Make:NYC meeting. The challenge? Modify a stock RC blimp to pick up and move a load of quarters from the starting point to the landing site 6 feet away. Move the most weight, and you walk away a winner. Sound easy? Don't tell that to the teams who competed!

The Hangar

The Blimp Battledome

Final Standings

Team Horizontal: 5 Quarters Moved
Team Vertical: 4 Quarters Moved

Meeting 5 photos on Flickr

Thanks to everyone who participated, it's you who make these meetings so much fun!

See ya next month!

Make:NYC Meeting 5 - Thursday, March 27th, 6PM

What can a group of Makers do with a tank of helium? We're not sure! Care to find out? The sixth Make:NYC Meeting includes:

Challenge: Blimps

You've got brains, we've got blimps. Two teams will compete to make an ordinary RC blimp perform extraordinarily. Arrive on time to make sure you get in on all the lighter-than-air action.

Show and Tell

Meet your fellow NYC Makers and show off your creations! Bring your gadgets, gizmos, sketches, ideas… anything you’d like to put in the spotlight. We encourage NYC Makers to collaborate on and discuss DIY projects. If you’re planning to bring a project, drop us a note at meetings@makenyc.org.

If you’d like to attend we have plenty of space for everyone, but please RSVP!

Location:

Make Offices, 2nd Floor (Google Map)
325 Gold St. at Flatbush Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Bikes can be parked in the building.
A/C/F to Jay St-Borough Hall
B/Q to Dekalb Avenue
M/R to Lawrence Street
2/3 to Hoyt Street

Meeting time is 6:00PM.

See you there!

Not bad for a Saturday! The participants in the Pretty Glowing Gadget found out just what it takes to be a soldering ninja and many were successful on some level. Thanks everyone for another great meeting!

Pretty Glowing Gadget Lab

Meeting 4 photos on Flickr

See ya next month!

Like the soldering station we provide at the Make:NYC labs? Get it here!

Apogee Kits - Soldering Station VTSS5 $18.95

Here's one of a few places you'll spot photos of NYC Makers from the Make:NYC Meeting 3. Photos and interviews from the meeting were part of a syndicated AP article about Make and DIY culture. See if you can spot yourself in the slideshow!

Washington Post - Mags, Websites, Fairs Tap Tech DIY Boom

Make:NYC Meeting 4 - Saturday, February 23rd, NOON

PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A WEEKEND MEETING!

We're gonna mix it up this time and see if we can make good use of a Saturday! Have a light lunch and meet us for an afternoon of great DIY fun. The fifth Make:NYC Meeting includes:

Seminar: Become a Soldering Ninja (NOON)

This seminar covers soldering techniques and tools so you can be prepared to execute any electronic project with added confidence. Topics include irons, solder, protoboard/breadboard/PCB, component mounting, surface-mount devices and more. Learning how to solder is critical! Free for all who attend.

Lab: Pretty Glowing Gadget (1PM)

After the seminar, flex your new soldering skills on a Pretty Glowing Gadget. Five dollars buys you parts, tools and instruction for building a Pretty Glowing Gadget.

You must RSVP to attend the lab. You can RSVP here.

Show and Tell

Meet your fellow NYC Makers and show off your creations! Bring your gadgets, gizmos, sketches, ideas… anything you’d like to put in the spotlight. We encourage NYC Makers to collaborate on and discuss DIY projects. If you’re planning to bring a project, drop us a note at meetings@makenyc.org.

If you’d like to attend we have plenty of space for everyone, but please RSVP!

Location:

Make Offices, 2nd Floor (Google Map)
325 Gold St. at Flatbush Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Bikes can be parked in the building.
A/C/F to Jay St-Borough Hall
B/Q to Dekalb Avenue
M/R to Lawrence Street
2/3 to Hoyt Street

Meeting time is NOON. Lab time is 1:00PM.

See you there!