Park(ing) day Sept 20

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Michael Diedrick

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Aug 9, 2013, 8:56:35 AM8/9/13
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Great and glorious makers:

I'm new around here, moved to Baltimore a month ago, but I was a founding member of Milwaukee's Makerspace and helped it grow.  At some point I'd like to be a member of Node, but that's not what this email is about.

I think Node would be a great candidate for setting up a space in Park(ing) Day, a global event that transforms parking spaces into tiny parks and exhibit and teaching spaces.  I'd love Node's space to 1) be a space to show what the Node is and does, and 2) have an open fix-it/break-it day for anyone that wants to bring small appliances or electronics, and staff the event with capable makers who show how to take things apart, fix things, and even put them back together.  We'll have plenty of duct tape just in case, of course.

It would require that we get the word out -- which will require that we write a press release and pass it to everyone we know (I'm happy to write that), and that we build an awesome space, and that could be as simple as a few benches with a pirate sail at the end, and maybe the whole thing is on pallets or planks or sod, whatever we want.  Or it could be even more complex and we can get plywood cut as a screen at the fab lab or somewhere, or if others here have connections or ideas on transforming a parking space into an awesome space.  Anyone with connections to landscaping places or greenhouses, or any other materials folks that could transform the space, we'll need 'em.  I'll find out about electricity and any requirements.  And it would require set up and take down, and we need to staff it.

Overview:

Baltimore Photos:

AIA's page on it (I emailed them already):

In the Sun:

If the group is interested, I'd be happy spearhead this, but ima gonna need good makers to help with ideas, design, staging the space somewhere, set up and take down, etc.  If you are, let's meet next week to start planning our world^H^H^H^H^Hparking space domination!

Michael

Matthias Lee

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Aug 10, 2013, 12:53:04 AM8/10/13
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Sounds like a great Idea to me!
I'm in and willing to invest some time into this..

We could see whether we can continue with what we have left over from the geo-dome project.
As far as I remember we have a DIY wind-turbine and a solar panel we could futz with


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Matthias Lee

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Aug 12, 2013, 3:16:25 PM8/12/13
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Looks like this thread was broken due to digest reply.. adding replies here:

Ben Liyanage wrote:
This sounds like a cool idea.  I'm not sure what kind of time I'd have to put towards it though.  What are you thinking of doing for this?

One idea might be making DIY solar garden lights.

Steve wrote:
That sounds like a pet project of mine. MarijuaNIX. :p

Matthias Lee wrote:
Stephen Lee and a group from JHU had started and ultimately abandoned a Geo Dome project last year some time. At the end they donate the materials, so we have a 24"x36" solar panel as well as a DIY windmill(PVC pipe blades and one massive DC motor). 

I am sure we could rig something together to try to harness both for something cool. I started looking at the parking day "manual" http://parkingday.org/src/Parking_Day_Manual_Consecutive.pdf .. 
It would be great if we could get some large potted bushes or something to provide us with some shade
Perhaps we could get a sponsor or something to provide us the greens, I mean we will not be "needing" them for more than one day..

For an unrelated project I have checked out some Thujas at Green Fields on Falls road for about $60 each.. Not sure which plants/bushes/trees would be the best for this.

Todd Blatt

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Aug 12, 2013, 3:22:44 PM8/12/13
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The following weekend is silver spring maker faire

Message has been deleted

nwf

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Aug 18, 2013, 10:27:50 PM8/18/13
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This sounds like a fantastic plan.  I can help out to some extent in the upcoming weeks; does anybody remember the last known state of the low-resolution display?  Having that around could be visually impressive.  We could also run paper rockets again.

--nwf;

Matthias Lee

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Aug 18, 2013, 10:54:21 PM8/18/13
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I wonder where a good place would be to set this up..
In front of the node? or perhaps a more trafficked area? Of course i would suggest we should do it in-front of Charmingtons (perhaps even partner with them for refreshments & wifi)


On Sun, Aug 18, 2013 at 10:27 PM, nwf <nwfi...@gmail.com> wrote:
This sounds like a fantastic plan.  I can help out to some extent in the upcoming weeks; does anybody remember the last known state of the low-resolution display?  Having that around could be visually impressive.  We could also run paper rockets again.

--nwf;

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Robert Blake

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Aug 19, 2013, 8:20:59 AM8/19/13
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I'm the keeper-of-secrets for the low-resolution display. I think I
could get it up in a weekend with help. I might not have a weekend free
for 2+ weeks though.

Michael Diedrick

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Aug 21, 2013, 11:32:37 AM8/21/13
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In my opinion, the parking space in front of the Node doesn't do what we would want -- big public outreach.  Charmington's would be nice and public, but there are actual permits involved so we'd have to figure out what those are.  There's the big construction across the street that might dampen our fun, and we'd be nowhere near other folks doing similar things.  My worry about Charmington's, aside of permits, would be that we're too independent and will therefore reach out to less folks, get less press, etc.

The good people of AIA Baltimore would be happy to host us in Mount Vernon, we'd be in a bank of design and architecture firms, as denoted by the map here: http://www.aiabalt.com/associations/8045/files/PARKingDay%20Map.pdf  If we're interested, they're asking if we want one space or two, and I'm asking the size and access restrictions; I assume all entrances / exits are street-side.  The location is on Chase, right around the corner from Brewer's Art.  My worry about Chase is that we're not sure about electricity or wifi, I'm checking on electricity.

I'd like to propose we message everyone in the group that we'll meet on it this Thursday as part of the weekly.  Thoughts?  Do you have wider group messaging that this?

Michael

jerry w

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Aug 25, 2013, 2:52:01 AM8/25/13
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Traditionally, Things that Occupy parking spaces are portable and bring their own power, so maybe show how to do that the green way?

DIY soap box derby
Solar, storage, lithium, or old school iron, etc

I've wanted a welding lab in a shipping container for some time
Portable (occassional use for multiple spaces, bike shop/coop tall bike, parking art, etc)
Conversion/ reuse. (Containers abound)
Modular ( fits, double wide, based on hackerspace photo? From this list?)
Useful
New to those unfamiliar, Balt steel town, neoindustrial, etc.  recent threads on how welding class is/went, etc

That said missed first WEL122 on Thurs night, same day announcement, sign.  Intro day, attendance etc





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