Building a Boat

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Stitched-plywood hull on table at i3Detroit

Stitched-plywood hull on table at i3Detroit

The boat currently taking shape in the shop requires a 14-foot work table, plus walking space at either end. Such dimensions are prohibitive if your only options are a home garage (too small AND too cold) or the living room (whose new carpet precludes its use as a workshop). But that’s why i3Detroit exists!

The canoe in question is a Moccasin, a computer-aided design from B&B Yacht Designs. While digital in origin, the plans arrive as paper in an envelope, and require a process called “lofting” to lay them out on the full-size sheets of plywood. The progress since that point is documented on my Flickr.

If you swing by the space in the next few days, you might find the boat stashed overhead so the shop can be used for other things, or you might find the rest of assembly and finishing in progress. Check i3Detroit’s Twitter feed for times.

Demystifying Basic Electronics, The Sequel

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Back, by popular demand, it’s the next installment of Demystifying Basic Electronics, happening this Wednesday evening. As always, non-members are welcome. Go reserve seats already!

This class, like the last one, is intended for total newbies. If you’ve been looking for a chance to tinker with simple circuits in a relaxed setting, this is it. This week, we’ll be exploring Ohm’s Law, which is the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance. And if you’re not quite sure what those are, fear not, just show up!

WinterLAN Social TONIGHT!

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The i3Detroit WinterLAN Social event is upon us! Have you reserved your seats yet?  If so, a few final preparations:

  1. Bring snacks. We have a fridge full of pop, but munchies are up to you. Bringing your own drinks is great, too.
  2. LAN gamers: Are you patch-current? We should be pummeling the uplink with Steam traffic, not Windows Update.
  3. Tabletop gamers: We have a shelf of games, but you’re most welcome to bring anything you want to play.

That should do it! Shindig starts at 7 and runs all night.

(CC-licensed photo from WoofBC on Flickr.)

Unusual Musical Instrument Jam Session, Jan 8th

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Calling all noisy-thing builders! i3Detroit will be hosting our (first?) gathering of weird musical instruments and the folks who love them. It happens at 8pm on Friday January 8th, and you’re invited.

So far, we’re expecting a couple different flutes, a marimba, and a theremin. “Normal” musical instruments are welcome too. There’s a good chance we’ll break out some recording gear and try to make a track by the end of the night. What are you waiting for? Go reserve your spot!

(CC-licensed image from p_kirn on Flickr)

Basic car maintenance, this afternoon

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Tire Abuse

Tire Abuse

I could swear I scheduled this thing for 3pm or something, but there it is, on Eventbrite for 1:00. If I told you it was later, that’s fine, we’ll be here all afternoon, so swing by whenever’s convenient!

Briefly: We’ll be poking and patching holes in tires. We’ll be changing tires. We’ll be practicing jump-starting, and reading “check engine light” codes. And you’re encouraged to come get your hands dirty! Non-members are welcome at this and every class, so RSVP or, frankly, just drop in. (I’m looking at reservations now, we’re 12 hours out and it’s not booked up…)