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And NO - this training is not at 2am :-) !!!!!!!!!!!
Darrin, who is often around the shop weeknights after 6:30 and on weekends, has volunteered to do Ad Hoc Trainings on the Drum Sander.
Please have a copy of your receipt printed or on your phone when arriving. This training is for TCMAKER MEMBERS ONLY
PLEASE NOTE: This is a NON-REFUNDABLE ticket. Once you purchase this ticket you may not request a refund/credit for any reason.
NOTE: *This class is required for ceramics studio members who do not pass or do not attempt the hand-building sign-off. Members must either pass the hand-building sign off or take the 101 course to hand-build in our studio. Thank you!*
Questions or trouble signing up for this class? Email ceramics@tcmaker.org.
Through the 6-week hand-building ceramics class (101 series), students will learn the fundamentals of working with clay including knowledge and understanding of pinch, slab, coil techniques, and surface decoration. Students will also understand clay properties, how to prevent cracked work, and the proper techniques to glaze application for firing.
The skills acquired in this course will serve as the hand-building foundation on which you may take more advanced classes and/or learn in open studio time.
Come ready to get messy. Wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty; don't worry about clay on your clothes - it washes right off! Most importantly, come ready to have fun!
This class will provide wood shop users with foundational skills in woodworking including planning, materials, marking, skills, and tool use.
Students will be introduced to the TC Maker wood shop mindset and safety expectations. Learn how to plan a successful project with a focus on construction methods and joinery. Select wood, measure and mill materials, and learn order of operations and assembly. Finally, we'll cover wood finishing including finish options and technique.
Each of the four sessions will last two hours and start with a lesson portion. If we have any extra time, the instructors can help answer questions and consult on projects.
The workbench, clamps, vices, measuring tools, squares, chisel, hand plane, bandsaw, table saw, jointer, planer, sanding station, and more.
Clothing suitable to the wood shop. Wear close-toed shoes and avoid loose, dangling clothing and accessories.
Eye and hearing protection is required. Dust masks and eye/ear protection are available to borrow but bringing your own is recommended.
Whether you are a brand new member of Twin Cities Maker, or have been a member for a really long time but haven't been in the shop for awhile, attending a new member orientation will get you up to speed on the policies, guidelines, and culture of Twin Cities Maker.
Signup, download a copy of our handbook, and come to session. During orientation you get to meet some new people, have all your questions answered, and get acquainted with Twin Cities Maker policies, guidelines, and culture.
Orientation lasts for about 1 hour with time after for questions and support for any issues.
After you have completed orientation you will receive your fob to access the facility, which will be activated once have paid all membership fees.
If you are going to be working in the woodshop be sure to sign up for woodshop orientation immediately following this class. Check our orientations calendar to register.
All New Members are required to Pre-Register for this Orientation.
If you cannot attend an in person orientation, please reach out to membership@tcmaker.org so that we can work out special arrangements.
Join the CNC Club at Twin Cities Maker, a vibrant community for CNC enthusiasts! Whether you're a seasoned expert or just curious about CNC technology, this club offers a space for members and interested newcomers to engage, share insights, and deepen their understanding of CNC machinery and techniques.
During our gatherings, the Shapeoko2 and the Sequoyatec 4×8 machines are exclusively available for club activities, providing hands-on experience. We encourage you to bring your projects, questions, or simply your enthusiasm for learning—there's something for everyone, from practical demonstrations to engaging discussions.
Our club convenes on the second Thursday of every month, from 7pm to 9pm, promising an evening filled with fascinating topics and guest speakers who are experts in the field of CNC.
In line with the Twin Cities Maker spirit, we strive to cultivate an environment that is not only educational but also supportive and inclusive. Our core values emphasize Excellence, Respect, and Consideration for one another, ensuring a welcoming atmosphere for all participants.
Stay updated and join the conversation on our dedicated #dept-cnc Slack channel, where you'll find announcements and lively discussions. For highlights and upcoming events, don't miss out on Lonnie Bryan's posts in the same channel.
While registration is not mandatory, it is appreciated as it helps us anticipate attendance and tailor our sessions to meet the interests of the group. Join us at CNC Club, where your passion for CNC meets community and creativity!
NOTE: *You must attend the general Twin Cities Maker Orientation ("New Member Orientation") in addition to our Ceramics Studio Orientation.*
Questions or trouble signing up for this orientation? Email ceramics@tcmaker.org
The general orientation will orient you with the makerspace as a whole, while our ceramics studio orientation will focus specifically on the processes and procedures in our shop. We recommend completing the general orientation before the ceramics orientation, but as long as you complete both before taking a class or doing a sign-off, you're good to go!
Our ceramics orientation will cover:
Come prepared to ask questions and have fun!
- Your TCM Ceramics Managers
Wood Shop Orientation is a required orientation for all woodworkers.
During Orientation we will cover basic shop safety guidelines along with best practices that are necessary to use the wood shop at Twin Cities Maker!
https://wiki.tcmaker.org/en/shop_departments/wood_shop
*Please Note: Ignore the "Spaces Left" on this Event. It will always show Zero!
In this class, students will learn the basics of welding, with the MMAW process, otherwise known as Stick welding.
Make & Take - Create your own handheld gaming console powered by an Arduino. By the end of this beginner class you'll have your own console!
This is orientation required for use of the metal shop at TC Maker Minneapolis. We explain our equipment, safety procedures, storage and training requirements for our more advanced tools. Also provide recommendations for PPE, consumables and other things to help make your use of the metal shop effective for you and our other members.
At 6:45 we will do a brief training for use of the metal shear, which requires in-person checkoff. Following that, you will be allowed to use our 4' sheet metal shear. You can attend either or both sessions if you wish.
Please be on time and let me know if you cannot attend. Thank you
This orientation will show the basics of FDM 3D printing and lab etiquette to get you checked off to use FDM 3d printers. Upon completion you will be checked off for use of these particular machines. If you have not taken the 3D lab orientation please let the instructor know.
(FDM = Fused Deposition Modeling)
We encourage members and non-members alike to attend our board meetings!
The Board Meetings are normally held on the 2nd Tuesday of the each month, but may fluctuate depending on Board Member schedules/holidays. Please refer to our calendar of events for dates and times of all meetings.
All board meeting are held in person in the Artifactory as well as virtually online. To join the meeting online please visit https://go.tcmaker.org/boardmeeting
To view the agenda for this meeting, please visit this link.
To request an item to be added to the agenda, please contact President@TCMaker.org at least 5 days prior to any board meeting.
Open Circuits is open to both Twin City Maker members and the public at large. We'll meet in the Twin Cities Maker Electronics Lab and spill out into the lobby as necessary.
(on the docket for the foreseeable future)
It is not necessary to RSVP to this event!
This class will cover the use of the SLA/DLP 3D printing machines. We will go over the etiquette and safety procedures of handling the materials and machines. Upon completion you will be checked off for use of these particular machines. If you have not taken the 3D lab orientation please let the instructor know.
This four step process includes: sign up, training video, practice quiz, and an in-person written and practical test on the laser.
Twin Cities Maker (TC Maker) is a non-profit, all volunteer run, community maker space based in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
Our mission is to make, share, and learn.
We have a maker space (The Hack Factory) for members to build projects using various media and technologies, from wood and metal working, electronics to fabrics, laser cutters to 3D Printers and beyond.
We invite you to come visit our space and take a tour to learn about our community, and how you can participate in it. Wednesday nights from 7-9pm is also the best time to become a member!
Learn more about us at our website! https://www.tcmaker.org/
This event is a tour only. Non-members are not permitted to operate any tools or equipment. Appropriate safety precautions MUST be taken before entering the shop.
Twin Cities Maker is in the process of drafting our Strategic Plan, and we want your voice to be part of it. Join us for a member listening session led by Molly Haven, Program and Operations Director of TCM. This is your opportunity to share your thoughts, ideas, and experiences to help shape the future of our makerspace. We’ll discuss what’s working well, where we can grow, and how we can best support our creative community in the years ahead.
Your perspective is vital—whether you’re new to TCM or a longtime member, your input will help guide the direction of our organization.
Twin Cities Maker is in the process of drafting our Strategic Plan, and we want your voice to be part of it. Join us for a member listening session led by Sage Kaplan-Goland, President of TCM. This is your opportunity to share your thoughts, ideas, and experiences to help shape the future of our makerspace. We’ll discuss what’s working well, where we can grow, and how we can best support our creative community in the years ahead.
Twin Cities Maker is in the process of drafting our Strategic Plan, and we want your voice to be part of it. Join us for a member listening session led by Brad Ferguson, Vice President of TCM. This is your opportunity to share your thoughts, ideas, and experiences to help shape the future of our makerspace. We’ll discuss what’s working well, where we can grow, and how we can best support our creative community in the years ahead.
This time is set aside to perform tasks around making sure our tools stay in peak performance and trying to ensure that the tools stay in good working order during the month.
Never repaired a tool or performed maintenance before – not a problem!! There are maintenance task for all levels of expertise – and we’ll always have at least one person around that can help you learn!
Come make the popular Helldivers B-01 helmet with us and learn the basics to costume and prop making for cosplay with 3D printing!
Join us for a fun and festive needle felting event in our artifactory–free and open to all! We'll be creating needle felted witches hats. No experience needed, and all materials will be provided. Plus, enjoy free snacks while you craft in good company. Come get creative and celebrate the season with us!
It’s time for our Quarterly Cleanup! This is when we come together as a community to care for our shop, tackle big improvement projects, and put energy into making the space better for everyone. From deep cleaning to shop upgrades, your help makes a lasting difference.
And of course, it’s not all work—we’ll also be hosting a Chili Cookoff! Bring your best recipe to share or come hungry and ready to taste what your fellow makers have created. Please use this link to sign up for the cookoff!
Quarterly Cleanup is about more than just chores; it’s about strengthening our community, building pride in our shared space, and spending time together. Whether you’ve been around for years or are brand new, it’s a great way to get involved and connect with others.
After this class you'll have a general understanding of how to operate the screen printing equipment along with the basic principles of screen printing.
Besides learning about the screen printing equipment, you'll learn about shop policies & safety, practical applications of screen printing, how to chose a good image for screen printing, and acceptable surfaces that will screen print well.
Rick Strohmeyer has been a long time member of Twin Cities Maker. After receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arets in printmaking, he has enjoyed sharing his knowledge he has learned while being a a print-maker, painter and general designer.
Orientation will be a half-hour session covering space changes, equipment and material locations, donations, cleanliness protocols, and safety procedures for new members and those who haven't been down to the Artifactory in a while.
Whether you are an experienced picker or brand new to the hobby, Open Locksport is an opportunity to meet other people in the area who are interested in picking locks for fun. Many regular attendees are interested in other security related topics as well, such as the intersection of cyber and physical security.
We welcome both members and non-members to attend Open Locksport any first Thursday of the month at 7:00 PM. We do ask that you RSVP to this event.
Whether you are brand new to picking or an experienced picker, stop by to learn hands-on from our frequent attendees or to share your knowledge while we explore locks and tools provided by TC Maker.
Resources
Text-based
A Locksport Primer http://www.locksport.com/home/index.php
This link leads to a PDF hosted by Locksport International that goes over some of the basics of locksport, locks and lock picking in a friendly comic book format.
TOOOL Learning Resources https://www.toool.us/resources.php
The Open Organization of Lockpickers is the most active locksport organization in the world, and maintains many well-developed resources in text and graphical form (slides) to learn the basics and beyond.
Lockpicking - by Deviant Ollam https://deviating.net/lockpicking/slides.html
Collection of slides and notes about many lock and lockpicking topics, some duplicated from Toool with some new material for those who want to go deeper.
Video
Learn Lock Picking: EVERYTHING you Need to Know! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTZddvAws9M
By Lock Noob, a prolific YouTube creator with hundreds of useful videos.
DEF CON 23 - Lock Picking Village - Preston Thomas - Intro to Lockpicking 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fU7-r83Nx3Y
Published by DEFCON, the massive hacking conference. A bit of a rough recording of a lock picking village intro, but sufficiently clear and quite succinct. Runtime 27 min.
[1424] Lock Picking… An Inside Perspective
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_sy3dLwHkc
By LockPickingLawyer, another prolific YouTube creator with massive amounts of lock picking content. This video shows some picking techniques in great resolution and detail utilizing a cutaway lock.
Bosnianbill – a retired prolific creator with 1800+ videos on topics at all skill levels https://www.youtube.com/@bosnianbill/videos
Where to buy lock picking tools, and what to buy
Best places to get a cost-effective and serviceable beginner’s set of tools?
Covert Instruments (LockPickingLawyer’s online store) https://covertinstruments.com/collections/lockpicks/products/genesis-lock-pick
Toool’s Equipment Page https://www.toool.us/equipment/Necessary-Nine-Pickset-p365089401
Red Team Tools (Deviant Ollam’s online store) https://www.redteamtools.com/essential-lock-pick-set/
Lockpick Extreme https://lockpickextreme.com/product/12-piece-lockpick-set/
All of these sets are similar in capability in price, ranging from $19 - $30 (before shipping) with the Covert Instruments offering edging out the others because of how they have narrowed the short-end of their double-ended turning tools.
When purchasing lock picks for the first time, it is important to realize that more shapes (profiles) don’t necessarily correlate to more capability. Keeping with the basics improves your versatility as a picker as well as keeps your costs to a minimum.
If you are interested in looking at more advanced sets, here are some manufacturers to check out:
Peterson https://www.thinkpeterson.com
Sparrows https://www.sparrowslockpicks.com
Multipick https://shop.multipick.com/en/index
Southern Specialties https://lockpicktools.com
SouthOrd https://www.southord.com
Additional online communities you might be interested in
The old-school forums that started the hobby in the early 2000’s are still alive and brimming with knowledge:
Keypicking https://keypicking.com
Lock Picking 101 Forum https://www.lockpicking101.com
Most day-to-day conversation has migrated to Reddit, mainly r/lockpicking https://www.reddit.com/r/lockpicking/
Lockpickers United Discord https://discord.gg/lockpicking
Join this in-person orientation to learn more about the CNC routers at Twin Cities Maker.
Orientation will start in the classroom—not the CNC room.
Agenda:
CNC orientation is generally held on the second Friday of the month.
Join us for our Annual Member Meeting, where we’ll review the past year’s major events, projects, and milestones at Twin Cities Maker. We’ll also share plans for the coming year and hold elections for new board members. Dinner will be provided, and this is a great chance to connect with fellow makers, catch up with friends old and new, and strengthen our community while learning what’s ahead for TCM.
The Twin Cities Maker Board will hold the Annual Budget Meeting to review and approve the organization’s budget for the coming year.
Address: 3119 E. 26th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55406
Check out the Wiki, our FAQs, or ask the Community on Slack
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