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Jan 21 Workshop: Build a Combat Robot

With all the open house stuff, I forgot to post about our upcoming first workshop!

Build a Combat Robot will be held January 21, 1-5pm.  It is being put on by members of Saskatoon Combat Robotics (they host the Kilobots tournaments in town).

The Kilobots website lists topics including:

• RFL rules and regulations – so you know what is allowed and disallowed
• How to prepare for and attend events
• Robot designs and different weapons types
• Mechanical principles – frame construction, weight distribution, etc.
• Basic electronics – how motors work, radio transmitters, speed controllers, etc.
• Assembling the Viper Combat Robot Starter Kit.
• Kilobots mini-tournament

The workshop is $20 per robot built.  We have kits available for the day, or you can buy your own and take it home!  If you just want to sit in and learn, there is no cost.

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We at TechWorks would like to thank everyone who came out to the open house.  Despite the cold weather, we had over a hundred visitors!

For anyone interested in joining but who is maybe hesitant, you are encouraged to show up to a “hack night” as a guest.  Just pop into the chat room and ask when people will be there next.

And to our new members, Welcome!  We will be contacting you as soon as your keyfobs are ready, but in the meantime check out the forum and start planning your new projects!

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Open House! Jan 17, 6-11pm


Please feel free to repost the below text to everyone you know!  We want to fill the space with makers!Saskatoon Techworks is Saskatoon’s hackerspace. We are a non-profit community of people with a common interest: making things. We have built a shared workshop where members can share tools, work on projects, and socialize. We have many tools for electronics, wood and metal working, and arts and crafts. We even have our own home-made CNC mill!We are holding an open house on January 17th at 6-11pm which is free for the public. We will have projects and demonstrations to check out, free food and drinks, and live entertainment.

If you’re the kind of person who likes to make things and wants a place to meet people and work on projects, Techworks is the place for you. Come by on January 17th and meet the crew!

Saskatoon Techworks is located at 220 20th Street West in the Two Twenty Coworking space, Studio D in the basement. For more info, visit our website: sktechworks.ca.

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TechWorks Open House!

Tuesday January 17, 2012 we will be hosting an Open House from 6-11pm.  Admission is free, so come check out what TechWorks is all about.  Chat with current members, see some of the cool projects, get some free munchies, maybe take Goliath for a spin…  Find out why TechWorks might be a good place for you!

We are located in Studio D of the Two Twenty (220 20th St W).  See you there!

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Our CNC capabilities just got a boost.

I want to give a huge thank you to Robert at GRZ Software LLC.  He has graciously donated a license to Saskatoon TechWorks Inc for his awesome CAM software “MeshCAM“.  It’s the bridge between your 3-D CAD file and the CNC Router.  I’ve used this program in the past and it is extremely powerful yet easy to wrap your brain around.  Even better, it’s the “MeshCAM Art” version which can take images as the input so you don’t need to know how to use CAD programs at all!

Robert even threw in a license for “CutViewer CNC Simulator“.  This lets you run a virtual cutting process and see what the finished piece will look like before cutting (it’s never quite as you drew it thanks to round cutting tools, inside corners, etc), and see if your program is going to break a bit before it happens!

Please check out the linked websites for more info on both programs.  We will be hosting a workshop/tutorial on them and if you or your employer have a need for some CAM software you should definitely consider MeshCAM.