Projects

Quelab is holding a fundraiser with Color Wheel Toys! Tuesday November 6 from 10 AM to 6 PM. Note this is at Color Wheel Toys (3418 Central SE), NOT at Quelab! Be sure to mention “Quelab” at the checkout counter (or print out a flyer and bring it with you to show when you checkout) and a portion of your purchase will benefit Quelab!

Personally I’m really excited for this fundraiser because I visited Color Wheel several times during their pop up shop last year. They specialize in “toys that require imagination” and I think it’s a store that many makers would enjoy. I found some great science and STEM/STEAM gifts for kids and adults on my list, plus some extra gifts that were just a dollar or two “in case”, and — let’s be honest here — some nifty stuff for myself too. I’d always wanted one of those marble run toys, and there’s a nice selection of glow in the dark stuff. I bought a pile of their combo pen/stylus/screwdriver/ruler/level things for myself and gifts too.

There’s one other thing I rather liked about this store that I didn’t even realize until I overheard another shopper talking with the owner. The toys aren’t divided up by gender, which is particularly nice if you are shopping for yourself — because why should I have to decide if I want girls LEGO or boys LEGO? At Color Wheel Toys there’s just one LEGO section AND it has a bulk bin where you can pick out exactly what you want.

While Color Wheel Toys will be open through the end of December, remember it’s ONLY on Tuesday November 6, 10am-6pm that you can help out Quelab while you shop — AND you need to mention Quelab at the checkout counter or show them a flyer. (Full page flyers here, 4 per page here — give some to friends!)

Quelab is a Nonprofit organization started as a entirely self-funded and membership-driven organization, staffed by a group of passionate volunteers who strongly believe that makerspaces can help make the world a better place. Quelab is a 501(c)3 non-profit that has been serving Albuquerque’s maker community since 2010 with a 11,000 square foot workshop. To find out more, visit quelab.net, email us at info@quelab.net, or call the Quelab message line at (505) 750-4522

Sunday October 7 is our once a month Hacknight! Starting at 5 pm is a social hour and potluck where you can get to know Quelab members, 6 pm a community planning meeting, and 7 pm we have Hacknight (our version of an “open house”) — come to any or all!

Our once a month Hacknight is a great place to learn more about Quelab. If you are thinking of joining Quelab, or just curious to find out more, this is the time to come and get a feel for our community of makers, tour our 11,000 square foot facility, check out the equipment in detail (everything from a wood shop to laser cutter to fiber arts to welding to darkroom to 3d printer, and too many more to list). A few members will be bringing some projects to check out and hands on maker stuff to share!

Those under 18 are welcome, but must be accompanied by an adult. Most of our equipment is “kid unfriendly” so plan to supervise any younger children closely, though we do sometimes have a child friendly activity or two.

Absolutely free to attend! All we ask for at the door is for people to check in. Quelab is a 501(c)3 organization and we will be pleased to accept any donation you are moved to offer, but we don’t have anyone sitting at the door asking for a “donation” (awkward!) to attend our free Hacknight.

Ready to join Quelab and can’t make Hacknight? Good news, attending Hacknight isn’t required to become a member, all you have to do is pay your membership fees and attend an orientation and you too can be a part of Quelab! Orientation is generally the second Sunday of the month, but often there are other orientation sessions as well — you do need to register in advance for orientation, do that here: https://quelab.net/membership/

If you can’t make this one, plan for next month — Quelab holds a Hacknight open house on the first Sunday of each month.

If YOU have an idea for something YOU are interested bringing to Hacknight — a presentation, a project, a maker activity to share — let us know!

Here is a link to the recipe/instructions for at home Recycling of waste Expanded Polystyrene Foam (Styrofoam). as was demonstrated at the Albuquerque mini Maker Faire April 21/22 2018.

https://www.instructables.com/id/Recycling-Styrofoam-EPS-Into-Castable-Styrene-Plas/

*Edit! Its up on Hackaday! https://hackaday.com/2018/05/01/recycling-and-casting-styrofoam-with-solvents

Reporting by Darren Moody.

Yesterday, for the third year, Quelab participated in the Rio Rancho Library’s Star Wars Fest.  We were able to show off various disciplines that are offered at Quelab and let people know about our space. This year was the event’s 6th (or is that Sith?) occurrence.

As in the past, the event was VERY successful, and of course a very fun to be a part of! The three hours passed by quickly and it was over before we realized it.

A HUGE shout out and thank you to John “JT” Benedetto, Morgan Gangwere, Alice and Patrick Shriver, Darrel Knutson, Eric Lee and Josh Pedersen for volunteering their time and talents in helping Quelab have a presence at this event. A thank you as well goes out to Craig “Zoot” Goldsmith for coming to the event and taking these pictures.

Quelab had its’ (now becoming) standard Star Wars exhibit set up with 3D Printing, prop style lightsabers, combat lightsabers, and various forms of laser cut artwork. However, this year we did something different. Since this event has been so good to us in the past, in terms of new memberships as well as cash and equipment donations, Quelab gave back to the event. Simple and easy X-Wing and TIE Fighter kits (small ones, about 11-13 pieces) were cut on the laser cutter, bagged up, and given to the library. These proved to be VERY popular, as many of the participants came to the Quelab tables and thanked us for making cutting these as they proudly showed off their assembled kits.

Our presence at this event is very much noted and appreciated by not only the public, but especially the staff of the Loma Colorado branch of the Rio Rancho Library. Event organizer, Librarian Jenna Wells, expressed her appreciation many times during the event, starting with when we walked in the door. Many other staff members stopped me as I took a moment to walk around, to say thank you and how much they appreciated our presence. The Library Director also came over to our tables to personally thank us.

As the event was wrapping up, I had a chance to walk around.  I heard two different groups of librarians comment about us – “Those Quelab people are incredible!” and “That Quelab display was amazing”.   We have become a staple at this event, and as such, we have already been asked to come be a part of it again next year!

It would be nice to grow in our presence, and add more examples of what we do. One in particular is a Star Wars themed corn hole game. This could show off woodworking, electronics (if we want to get really fancy), large format printing, laser cutting and fabric arts! So, if you’d be interested in helping with this becoming a reality, don’t be shy, and let’s talk! If you have any other ideas for a Stars Was related exhibit or activity, please share them as well!

With all of the interest generated, it would not be surprising to see an influx of people visiting Quelab during the next few public nights! If you see some new/unknown people, stop and say “Hi” and welcome them to our space.  Remember, we were all new and walked in the front door as strangers once…

Thank you again to the participants, as well as everybody else who has taken the time to read this.

– Darren Moody

I had the honor to be on a podcast panel during Albuquerque mini MakerFaire 2017,   Myself, and Mini Maker Faire organizer Wendi Flybutter, Bernalillo County Seed Librarian Brita Sauer, Talking to the City on the Edge podcast crew,  all about making, makering, planting new seeds, and about many more things including Quelab  (even if they got the tags a bit wrong).

Enjoy!
City On The Edge Podcast

Quelab is having some upstream mailserver problems right now, so if you just got home from the Albuquerque Maker Faire, and are sending us an email. it might bounce or fail please try again in a few days or hit us up on facebook! Or Drop by for open hacknight Tuesday 7pm-10pm

Last month we celebrated our 6 year opening day — Just last week we celebrated our 6 years since our official Grand opening! It’s hard not to feel like a proud parent watching it grow and get better all the time!

2010                            2013

Take a stroll with us through the good times.

Iconic moments from Quelab’s last 3+ years (slideshow)

Some older iconic moments at Quelab. (slideshow)

In our our early days we had less than 1,400 square feet of space, we are now pushing 10,000 square feet with a huge selection of tools and equipment we never dreamed we would get to acquire. But it is not the tools or the space that is what makes Quelab so special — it’s the members, the supportive friends, and the whole Maker Movement that is what makes the magic happen!