The team at Generator tackled the project of building a Shapeco CNC machine. They thought it would take a few days but the teamwork was so great, it was finished in 3 hours.
Author: GeneratorVt
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Third Thursday Social Hour at Generator
Our Third Thursday Social Hour was a rousing success with food and drinks provided by Arts Riot, as well as talks and demos throughout the evening.Nancy Dwyer, our outgoing Generator-In-Residence, gave a presentation about her work over the last month. She designed a font to laser cut into white blinds with a variety of phrases beginning with “This is….” The idea is that, as the sun moves across the blinds throughout the day, a shadow of the phrases will move across the room. She is going to continue working on this project throughout the next month as a general member.
Our in-coming Generator-In-Residence is Colin Brahmstedt. He is the founder and electronic designer for Charged Innovations. Charged Innovations is a central hub of thinkers and makers that specialize in helping drive businesses forward with eye-catching displays, innovative interiors, and interactive art.Colin is a life-long Maker, always trying to figure out how things work. Flashy lights and loud noises are his specialty.
For his terms as Generator-In-residence, Colin will be making a steampunk themed musical Tesla Coil that will be controlled by a piano keyboard:
He will also be building a musical flamethrower that will play music like an organ, but through flame:
These pieces will be displayed at the art hop and will allow passing people to play music with them.
To close out the night we also enjoyed demos by YourDuino and our very own volunteer, Jim Wick!
Robotic Demos from YourDuino 
Volunteer, Jim Wick’s, laser cutting project 
Volunteer, Jim Wick’s, robotic headgear 
Volunteer, Jim Wick’s, robotic toy that shoots foam balls and then gathers them up for a re-launch! -
A visit from Echo
A group from ECHO Lake Aquarium & Science Center visited Generator today and worked with technician, Colin Brahmstedt, on the laser cutter, to make parts for wooden lamps that they will assemble and light!
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Vermont Funders Network
On Tuesday, August 19, the Vermont Funder’s Network met at Generator for a conversation about “Creativity, the Makers Movement & Economic Development”.
The day kicked off with coffee and conversation. At 10:00 a.m. Ken Howell and Doug Webster, co-founders of Vermont Makers, started the program with a short presentation about Maker culture as it is tied to entrepreneurship. This was followed by a tour of Generator that included a rapid prototyping demonstration featuring 3D printing, laser cutting, and computer numerical controlled milling.
The group then made their way down to Burlington City Arts for lunch and presentations on the relationship between Makers spaces and economic development.
Board member, Doug Webster, speaking to the group about Maker culture and Generator. -
Tesla coil project
Studio member, Colin Brahmstedt, has always wanted a tesla coil. So at Generator, he bought a kit, built it, and these are some of the awesome experiments that ensued (though we neglected to get a video of the pickle experiment)…
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Making It!
“Making It!”
Vermont Edition, Vermont Public Radio
Broadcast: Noon and 7pm, August 7, 2014Vermont Edition interviewed Generator board members, Doug Webster (of Champlain Maker Faire) and Ken Howell (of Vermont Makers) about the Vermont maker movement. Generator is discussed and studio member, Colin, shows off his musical tesla coil.
Makers around the state phone in to ask questions and discuss the Maker movement.
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Create, Make and Learn Summer Institute
Last week over 50 educators convened at Generator for the Create, Make & Learn summer institute. The focus was on creating, making, learning, and how to use the power of making to meet Common Core and Next Generation standards in education.
Create Make & Learn Educators (click for the full size version) Caleb Clark built a quadcopter that flew around the space and shot video. There is no easy way to land those little machines!
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Shapeko CNC Build
Thanks to Lucie deLaBruere for capturing these photos of the Shapeko CNC Build which took place at The Generator on 7/09/2014. A team assembled to take on this project for the evening and, in a few hours time, completed it with great results.
It is alive! -
Erin Barnaby’s Laser Cut Jewelry Class
Photos of the awesome projects that students were able to do in Erin Barnaby’s Laser Cut Jewelry Class which was held at the Generator in June 2014.
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Generator mentioned on NPR’s All Tech Considered
High-Tech Maker Spaces: Helping Little Startups Make It Big
by JON KALISH
Originally aired: April 30, 2014 5:07 PM ETListen to the news segment: