Happy Spring, Happy May Day, and Happy NoHo Pride weekend everyone!
I hope last month's newsletter wasn't too startling, but don't worry, we're still entirely dependent on our generous members, donors, and volunteers to keep the doors open and the (colorful, blinky) lights on. While this does mean that we won't be getting a Turbo Encabulator anytime soon, we're definitely free of any evil robotic overlords.

We are working on acquiring another easy-to-use 3d printer in the near future, as well as sorting out our 2d (a.k.a. paper) printer situation.

There's been growing interest around various forms of radio communication, including mesh networks and amateur radio, so I've added the #radio-shack channel on Discord to bring these ideas together for collaboration and possibly a certification test study group. Also, the Talk & Tinker Tuesday on May 12th will be all things radio themed, so if you want to learn more or (especially) have knowledge you'd like to share, please come join us.

Mars, one of our amazing volunteers, has been experimenting with our laser cutter (and some Posca paint markers) recently and had this to share:

"These tiles were developed on the xTool laser cutter through an iterative process as I became familiar with the various settings. Small adjustments to power, speed, and line density noticeably shift the result—higher power on a low speed burns darker and deeper, while faster speeds keep things lighter and decreases time.
The material also has an impact: different types of wood, even at the same thickness, may have different results even with the same settings."

Last month I ventured out east to go to the legendary M.I.T. Swapfest, and it really is a place you can find almost anything. Vintage electronics, games, computers of all eras, even an actual enigma machine (if you have a spare $330k) , and more than I could even process. Definitely going to make a return visit or two this year.

I also recently volunteered at the Northampton Community RePair event, which is always a great way for me to give back to the community and part of what inspired me to start MakeFixHack in the first place. This time I helped solder some wires, diagnose a robot vacuum and a car jump pack, and unjam the motor on a vintage KitCat wall clock. I also gave out a lot of flyers for MFH and definitely got people curious about what we do here.

Regular events

Free & open to the public

• Mending Mondays
  • fabric/fiber arts focus
    • 6-8 pm
    • every other week
• Talk & Tinker Tuesdays
  • open work session, repair advice, chitchat, whatever else, really
  • 6-9 pm
  • weekly

Weekly Member Hours

visitors welcome

• Tuesday (through May 26)
  • 10:30am - 1:30 pm
• Thursday Member Hours
  • 6:30-9:00 pm
• Saturday Member Hours
  • 4:00 - 7:00 pm
• Sunday Member Hours
  • 12:00 - 3:00 pm

Be safe and keep making things!

- Bill C.

Where to find us:

Eastworks Building Suite 044
116 Pleasant St, Easthampton, MA
In the basement, right under Local Burger

• MakeFixHack.org
  • Become a member!
  • Check out our calendar for upcoming events
• Find us on BlueSky
• Join us on Discord and say "Hi" in #introductions
• Meetup.com is another way to find our events
• wiki.hackerspaces.org/MakeFixHack
• MakeFixHack on LinkedIn
• Donate to help us do cool stuff for you! (we're a 501(c)3 non-profit org.)
• Instagram.com/makefixhack
• Facebook.com/makefixhack

MakeFixHack is a growing community of makers, tinkerers, hackers, crafters, and other like-minded people, sharing knowledge and running a community workshop/hackerspace here in Easthampton. MakeFixHack is an open and welcoming community and strives to be a safe space for all.