Author Archives: Pete Prodoehl

A New RepRap

Posted on by Pete Prodoehl

I built my first RepRap 3D Printer in 2011/2012 after using a MakerBot CupCake CNC at the Makerspace a few years earlier. It worked well until it broke, then I fixed it, and it broke again, and over and over and eventually I bought a new 3D Printer, and my old RepRap sat mostly unused because it wasn’t a very good machine. So earlier this year I decided to disassemble it and start over, but this time I wanted to follow a few methods that Mark used for Son of MegaMax and for Ultra MegaMax Dominator. Also, he has a lot of 40mm extrusion on hand. ;)

I started by designing things in OpenSCAD and then started building once I got enough pieces in place. It’s actually starting to look like a RepRap. Since I’ve only built printers from kits or instructions someone else created, this is the first 3D Printer I’ve actually designed. There are a lot of challenges, but I find it enjoyable. I hope to have things moving within the next few months. (I’m in no big hurry, as I have twelve other projects I’m working on simultaneously!)

If you want to follow along, I occasionally post in-progress photos on Instagram, and you can check out the reprap category on my blog.

Prepare thyself for Makesgiving!

Posted on by Pete Prodoehl

The holidays are coming, and that means it’s almost time for Makesgiving, our Holiday Make-A-Thon! Over the past eight year we’ve set aside the Friday after Thanksgiving to welcome aspiring makers to join us in making things for the holidays, because making is awesome, and a gift that’s made is better than a gift that’s bought.

There will be a variety of making activities, some old favorites will return, and we’ll have a few new things up our collective sleeves. Skips the madness of the mall and come hang out at the space with us! You probably have questions, but don’t worry, check out our Makesgiving Holiday Make-A-Thon page for the answers.

It’s happening on Friday, November 29th, 2019 from 1pm-5pm and it’s free and open to the public, though we do ask that you register so we can plan appropriately for the event. We hope to see you there!

This is how excited you’ll be at Makesgiving.

The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation Live

Posted on by Pete Prodoehl

If you’re a fan of the TV show Innovation Nation, you’re in luck! They’ve created a live show and they’ll be bringing it to Milwaukee on November 23rd & 24th, 2019 to the Marcus Center’s Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall.

The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation – LIVE! will inspire audiences with entertaining and educations stories about yesterday and today’s visionaries and innovators – highlighting major turning points in the past and present that influenced the fields of science, technology, engineering, math, the environment and social justice.

The show will feature two correspondents that will narrate the evening, engage with the audience and bridge between stories of innovators of the past and how they are influencing science, technology, agriculture, design, making and social justice movements of today. Luminaries of the past including Henry Ford, The Wright Brothers, Rosa Parks and George Washington Carver among others will jump to life on stage. Their achievements will be highlighted and reflected by showing examples of present day innovations.

Tickets are available now, so get them while they last!

Tickets are available at: MarcusCenter.org | Marcus Center Box Office: 414.273.7206 | Groups 10+ Call 414.273.7121 x210

Makers on Tap

Posted on by Pete Prodoehl

You might want to check out Makers on Tap Episode 056 because not only was it recorded at Milwaukee Makerspace, but it was also recorded the night of our Maker Faire Party which happened on Saturday night after Maker Faire Milwaukee wrapped up. The space was filled with members and makers and guests having a good time and a few of them recorded things.

The episode has a brief talk with Caleb from MAKE, Eden (one of our members), Karen from The Bodgery and PPPRS, and more people! They also mention the space, and how *ahem* awesome it is, so that’s pretty cool.

(Fans of Makers on Tap might have also noticed Episode 055 has some mentions of the space, but Episode 056 is the meaty episode.)

Congrats, Bodgery!

Posted on by Pete Prodoehl

Big congrats to The Bodgery in Madison, Wisconsin for moving to their new location at the former Oscar Mayer campus in Madison, now known as “OM Station”.

We’re happy to see another Wisconsin makerspace thriving and growing. Many of their members are friends of ours, and some of our members are even former members of the Bodgery who moved to Milwaukee.

Since there’s a whole Oscar Mayer tie-in for them, we were more than happy to loan them our Wienermobile (which was the League Champion of the Power Racing Series for 2017) for their Grand Opening this past weekend.

Best of luck, Bodgery! We expect to see great things from you!