If you would like to be a founding member of the MHK Hackerspace, now is the time.
Meetings are by invitation only, but so far I haven't needed to turn anyone away. I am scheduling meetings around the availability of current core membership (it happens that the most interesting people are also the busiest).
Contact me indicating related interests, project interests, and any skills you may have; and I'll answer any questions you may have, and if you prefer, I might assist as an intermediary to facilitate collaboration and publish project ideas, progress, etc.
With $10,000 worth of carefully-selected equipment coming available to friends of the 'Free Source Makers and Inventors' (KSU student group) in the next month, NOW is the time to get involved.
I will be attending MakerFaireKC http://www.makerfairekc.com/ on the 29th and 30th of this month, with a couple other MHK hackerspace folks. It looks like a very inspirational and creative event. I am excited to attend.
Club Workshop - Very spacious 2-level warehouse facility with a LOT of metal fabrication equipment. Some automotive work. Also has woodworking, an electronics station, and some 3D printing. LLC. (membership is $99 per month)
Den Hac - Much smaller space, Much less fabrication equipment (one LulzBot 3D printer that looked good). The space is more software/tech oriented, and hosts a lot of servers, reference books, and a Radio DJ station doing online music streaming (and I was told they are looking into broadcasting). They are a 501c3. (membership is $60 per month)
Concoctory - Very new (opened this month). DIY electronics sales and more of an artistic emphasis than the other hackerspaes I've seen.
Geek Lunch meets every Tuesday at noon at the Manhattan Mall Food Court.
Members of the local Linux User Group and Manhattan Area Amateur Radio Society are also regular meeting attendees.
I have made some positive connections with several professors on KSU campus, and there is discussion of adding a makerspace-esque addition to the new Engineering building, as well as the possibility of $10,000 worth of personally and specifically selected equipment being available to the KSU makerspace group very soon. The new makerspace KSU group 'Free-Source Makers and Inventors' will soon be doing promotional activities and possibly hosting events in the very near future.
Recently I have also gone to the Dallas Makerspace, SpaceUP unconference and I am making connections with the KCCC makerspace 'Kansas City Computer Congress'.
My next major move is to look into some property around town, acquire non-profit status, and pursue various funding options available.
In times like these, the entrepreneurial spirit is vital and the inventive mind critical.
This project has a hackerspace.org page and has since gotten some interest from people I've not met, which is fantastic. http://hackerspaces.org/wiki/HacroEvolution
There is also now a public facebook page for the group here: http://www.facebook.com/HacroEvolution
(There are currently far more people in the organizing group, than the public page, but of course the organizing group is much older)
I have gotten increasing interest from students and others on and around campus. We will soon begin duplicating 3D printers.
I do not claim to be the 'leader' in any sense. any person with good ideas and initiative is welcome to any resources I can provide.
I would be very happy if there were so much constructive activity going on that I cannot keep up, but for as long as my assistance is beneficial, I will try.
I am currently in negotiations for a very promising location with an impressive retro CNC machine, lathes, saws, drills, welding equipment, and more. The owner of the equipment shares our vision, and so he is willing to allow conditional, responsible access to his equipment.
We are currently discussing reasonable (non-profit) membership dues. I expect the final numbers will be something like:
Month-to-month Maker membership: $18 per month
Ulti-maker membership (contributor deductions): $12 per month
Multi-month membership deductions available
Archon Status: $50+ per month
Monthly rent for the whole Makerspace is looking like up to $230 with electrical costs. Any amount in dues, in excess to the upkeep costs will go toward good equipment, and/or other exciting contributor determined investments.
Contact me for meeting details. freiheitkampfer@facebook.com
DIY Builders, Reverse Engineering Lab, Inventors' Guild, Hackerspace; makerspace, a creative & innovative environment for intuitive thinkers, goes by many names. Only one thing is certain of Manhattan's version(s), that one is needed. (66502)
A place for copy-left, patent-free, free and open-source blue-printing, coding and fabrication can be done and combined. A creative commons, if you will. If you are an entrepreneur, don't let that turn you off. People who work to be a very efficient manufacturer or investor have plenty of opportunities to profit from the skills and ideas which this community attracts and generates. I have no respect for people who use political privilege to prevent innovative competitors from reducing waste, and prevent innovators from introducing similar products which were designed to be better suited to un-met market demands.
America's 2nd industrial revolution is near.
The information age will soon revolutionize a lot more than just where we get our news and media. It is already revolutionizing how we shop and collaborate. It is already challenging established political powers (see the 'Arab Spring' in northern Africa and the Ron Paul 'R3VOLUTION' in the USA). If you know more than just the definition of a 3D printer you probably would agree with me that the next way peer-to-peer communication will revolutionize the world is by decentralizing manufacturing, increasing the personalization and customization of products as well as making prototyping, testing and creation more common and competitive. It will likely mean the end of industry as it exists and usher in an age in which production freedom is a respected and protected right and intellectual property (aka 'intellectual monopoly') is a relic of a previously primitive society.
Kansas State University groups will be collaborating with us in the near future. I intend to be working on fabricating prosthetics, and brain computer interfacing (aka Brain-machine interfacing, Neuro-motor prostheses) .
I am Andrew and you can email me at freiheitkampfer@facebook.com and https://plus.google.com/113086628311017456836
There is also now a facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/309702565756153/
