Solder Work Shop
Michael P. Flaga
Looking for assistance.
Sorry for the long email there is a lot of items in this subject that I could use suggestions versus my ideas.
My original goal for HIAG is to do some outreach and membership drive by hosting some Mini workshops for electronics, targeting tweeny’s (and up) with parents (or Guardian/adult), like in Arduino (which are DIY/Cheap/easy to learn micro) that are very popular. Where I also saw at MakerFaire Soldering Projects that you can do right there on the spot. This later concept I think has a lot of appeal as it does not take much time to learn or dollars. (Get the kids with parents and the parents will stay.)
Hence one idea is to have a City Park & Rec workshop (or alike), for a minimal fee. Where the student (and parent, if needed) pre purchases a mini electronic kit. Such as seen in our recent posted Lansing Solder Clinic (talked about below). A Xmas Tree or a Heart Or others. There are lot, from $7 to $50, that can be assembled in 20 – 60 minutes, that don’t need software. I have been doing these with my 9 year old. Whereas, I have some hurtles to overcome before advertising, such workshops.
1) I need enough volunteers to help who can solder, in Lansing. 2 – 3 teachers per class of 8-15 students.
2) I need soldering stations.
a. Do I buy a bunch of cheap $30 irons that can get the job done. A good station is typical $170
i. Grants?
b. Or do people buy and bring their own. (doubtful)
c. There are high end soldering stuff but not needed for this. A $30 may work.
i. Do I offer them at the class? For purchase.
d. Where did Maker Faire Detroit and Ann Arbor get theirs?
i. Did they bring them?
ii. I think AHA helped man them. Do they have some?
3) How do I advertise that attendees needs to pre-buy a kit.
a. Buy their own.
b. Buy through our group in bulk. But a single class of 10 to 20 is not much bulk.
i. How do I list the options.
c. There is a mix of ways this could go.
4) Are there any good pre made presentations on Soldering?
a. A short Power Point or like ? Not long or too detailed. Just covering the basic. That I already informally, know.
b. PTH for an intro work shop
c. Then SMT for 2nd, etc..
d. Then perhaps advance to micro class. Like at I3.
Note: Our group is not a retailer, so we don’t have stock inventory like SparkFun that we can just tape. So to sell at the class is not most practical and may be disenfranchising (or helpful).
Something to note is that I envision these classes being structured not about learning theory (not to dismiss it) but being about making something there and walking away way with something that is blinking and or beeping. “Bird in the hand”. As like MakerFaires Soldering. Something to start the itch of making electronics, for kids and prospective members.
Lansing Parks and Rec puts a $10 fee on top of my price and then will provide a class room at one of several community Center’s. And as we don’t have any sq footage yet, this may be helpful.
I may suggest we want to charge $20-30 and save up and buy more soldering stations with each class.
I may suggest we want to charge $50-70 and the attendee pick from a selection of mini kits. But I don’t want to pre buy a lot of them out of my pocket.
Or it may be best, to approach this through a more organized group like Boy Scouts or YMCA or Home School Groups or others and work out arrangement all at once ahead of time, rather than putting it out on Lansing Park and Rec. with so many options.
So before I did this, I wanted to drive up some energy and people and ask some of the other hackerspaces about it. I host thought I would host a Solder Clinic at our month FLOAT meeting, and try to get some volunteers.
Any comments, idea, suggestions or resources would be helpful.
Thanks.
Michael P. Flaga, mic...@flaga.net
Josh Williams
Dale Grover has led a lot of really awesome Solder workshops, hopefully he will respond. I think he usually tries to have on hand higher end soldering irons that he has amassed. This I think typically means more time learning how to solder, rather than figuring out the kinks in a cheaper soldering iron.
Price wise, AHA has run, or worked with people doing solder workshops that cost individuals $10 or less. We do this with the makershed 2010 solder badges (almost out!) I think Dale has often used the WeeBlinky (sp?). The latter provides more learning opportunities, the former is a little quicker to put together.
If your goal is outreach / membership drive, who is your target audience? $50 puts you out of reach of a lot of people.
Look forward to hearing more,
- Josh W.
Michael Flynn
What is so fancy about high end soldering irons- is it just temperature control? That sounds like a good project to build: Modify a cheap one to incorporate a thermostat.
Tyler Worman
IKEA. It allows him to control the temperature fairly decently. I'll
see if he has had any issues with it.
Works similar to the linked instructable below, but he didn't have to
build the box:
http://www.instructables.com/id/10ish-DIY-Variable-Temp-Soldering-Iron-Controller/
- Tyler