Originally published at: November Classes and Events at the Claremont MakerSpace – The Claremont MakerSpace
Greetings Upper Valley Makers:
What will you learn or make in November? This month’s calendar includes many of our regular offerings in woodworking and fibers, as well as several new classes in jewelry making, mending and linocut printing. There is no cost to participate in our Amateur Radio Club Meetup or to volunteer to join CMS Community Quilts to help make quilts for local non-profits. The CMS lobby is now a gallery for our Fall Artist in Residence, recycled metal artist Jane Kolias. Come join us at the Claremont MakerSpace, we think there are many classes and events that might interest you.
For most classes and events, CMS MEMBERSHIP IS NOT REQUIRED. That said, members receive a discount on registration and there are some classes/events that are for members only (this will be clearly noted in the event description).
Class policies (liability waiver, withdrawal, cancellation, etc.) can be found here.
Instructors: Interested in teaching a class at CMS? Please fill out our Class Proposal Form.
Tours: Want to see what the Claremont MakerSpace is all about?
Contact Us to schedule your tour where you can learn about all the awesome tools that the CMS offers access to, as well as how membership, classes, and studio spaces work.
Upcoming Events
Events that are currently open for registration.
Make a Silver Band Ring
Nov. 5, 2024 6 p.m. — 8 p.m.
Are you interested in learning how to work with silver, but you’re not sure where to start?
Do you want to make a beautiful silver band that you can show off to your friends and family over the holidays?
Maybe you just want to get to know the Claremont Makerspace?
This class is for you!!
This class will introduce students to the absolute basic jewelry skills of filing, soldering, sanding, and polishing. At the end of our two hour session, everyone will walk away with a brand new piece of jewelry that they made themselves.
This class will be designed for complete beginners, but you’re more than welcome to join if you have some jewelry making experience already and want a little refresher course (you can also look out for more intermediate classes I’ll be teaching later!).
About the Instructor(s): Theodore is a jeweler and commercial fisherman from Homer, Alaska. He got his start in metal work taking welding classes in high school, but discovered jewelry making when he attended Dartmouth college and began working at the school’s Jewelry studio, falling in love immediately. That was over three years ago now, and Theodore has since graduated from Dartmouth and is doing jewelry work in the Upper Valley area and teaching classes here in Claremont. Theodore’s specialties in jewelry lie in fabricating unconventional forms and metal overlay work, as well as a Japanese metalsmithing technique called mokume gane.
Class Fees: $70 members/ $80 non-members
Materials Fee: $10 included in the class fee
Prerequisite(s): none
Skill Level: beginner
Age requirement: Youth + Adult (15 years and older)
Safety requirement: close toed shoes and hair-ties
Hand Sewing and Mending
Nov. 6, 2024 6 p.m. — 7 p.m.
Do you have clothes that you LOVE but could use a patch or two? Has a hole where you really don’t want one?
This class is to help you mend your clothes with needle and thread by hand and to learn and practice hand stitching techniques!
Use it up, wear it out, make do or do without!
Please bring 1-3 articles of clothing that you want help fixing or mending with you to class.
About the Instructor(s): Lily Kaplan is a recent graduate from Clark University in Worcester, MA, born and raised in Massachusetts. I have been sewing for a few years now, mend and make my own clothes. Sometimes you love the clothes you have, want them to last as long as they can, and want to fix what you already own!
Class Fees: $40 members/ $45 non-members
Materials Fee: none
Prerequisite(s): none
Skill Level: all levels
Age Requirement: Any age (children under 16 years old must be accompanied by their adult)
Stick Welding for Beginners
Nov. 8, 2024 6 p.m. — 8 p.m.
Stick welding is the entry level technique to all other welding skills. Whether you’re a beginner, an artist looking for a different medium or just wanting to learn a new skill, this is the place to start!
You will learn the basics of welding safety, how to strike an arc, how to start making the bead on a flat piece of steel and how to continue to strike an arc and carry it to form the bead.
Students should bring to class: Safety glasses, leather boots, and leather gloves.
About the Instructor(s): Sheldon Heselton has an A.S. in Welding Technology from Manchester Community Technical College and he is a certified welding inspector through the American Welding Society. His experience is mostly in stick welding, but he can weld in multiple processes and he does ultrasonic weld testing and magnetic particle weld testing. Sheldon has worked on power plant construction sites, and also inspections for welded bridges and other components at welding shops.
Class Fees: $110 members / $120 non-members
Materials Fee: $10 included in the class fee
Prerequisite(s): none
Skill Level: beginner
Age requirement: Youth and Adult (15 years and older)
Learning VCarve and the ShopBot
Nov. 11, 2024 6 p.m. — Nov. 25, 2024 8 p.m.
Learn VCarve and the ShopBot
Back by popular demand! We are planning a set of three training sessions for users to learn the VCarve software application and the ShopBot. The VCarve application by Vectric is used to design parts, which are cut by the Shopbot. The ShopBot is a computer-controlled router that can cut various materials with a high degree of precision. These three training sessions are intended to get you proficient in using these systems. After these sessions, the successful student will be well-prepared for certification on the ShopBot.
Please note: This class meets for three sessions on the following dates:
November 11, 2024 6:00 – 8:00 pm
November 18, 2024 6:00 – 8:00 pm
November 25, 2024 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Bring to class: A laptop computer would be helpful, but not essential.
Session 1, VCarve part 1:
The first session will introduce the user to 2D design using Vectric VCarve. We’ll start with a review of user interface and progress to using its CAD features draw parts we plan to make. The use of various drawing tools will be discussed in addition to managing and importing vector files. We will use these drawing tools in VCarve to design a sign.
Session 2, VCarve part 2:
The second session will introduce the selection of router bits and how to control the chip load of the bit in the ShopBot. We will also review router bit management using the tool database. When our sign design is complete, we will discuss the CAM features in VCarve and construct tool paths. We will learn how to save and export these toolpaths for cutting the sign in the ShopBot.
Session 3, Using the ShopBot:
This session will start with a review of the safety features of the ShopBot. This will be followed by a discussion of the machine components, holding down the work piece and setting the X, Y and Z axis. Finally, we will discuss the workflow used to manage the created toolpaths and, finally, cut the sign we designed in class.
About the Instructor(s): Russ Scaduto received his doctorate in biochemistry from Indiana University and then spent 34 years at the Penn State University College of Medicine where he conducted research and taught graduate and medical students. Retirement in 2018 brought Russ to New Hampshire, where he joined the Claremont MakerSpace to further pursue his woodworking hobby. Last spring Russ was juried in as a craftsman in the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen.
Class Fees: $120 members/ $145 non-members
Materials Fee: none
Prerequisite(s): none
Skill Level: Intermediate
Age requirement: Adult (18 and up)
November Open Electronics Meetup
Nov. 12, 2024 6 p.m. — 9 p.m.
Bring your electronics projects and supplies and have fun visiting with other Electronics Enthusiasts. Work on your projects in our stocked Electronics and Digital Fabrication Lab. In addition to the MakerSpace’s soldering irons, diagnostic tools, and parts library, there will be some LED soldering kits and soldering irons available for purchase as well.
Hang out, finish your projects, think about future projects, and just enjoy being around other electronics enthusiasts.
Tiffany, the electronics shop lead, will be available to help you set up, find parts, and offer support.
Class Fees: Free for members and $5 for non-members.
Materials Fee: None (LED soldering kits and personal soldering irons are available onsite for purchase
Prerequisite(s): None
Skill Level: Any
Age requirement: Youth and adult (15 years and older). Under 15 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian partner.
Make a Linocut Printed T-shirt
Nov. 13, 2024 6 p.m. — 8:30 p.m.
In this class, you will make a wearable and washable linoprinted t-shirt of your own design!
Learn how to create and carve a design into a linocut 5×7 stamp, and print it onto a t-shirt. You will leave with the stamp you carved that you can use forever to print on whatever you’d like in the future: patches, fabric, pillowcases, paper. Personalize your clothes and make your own art prints! You will also leave with a lino carving tool to make more carvings in the future.
About the Instructor(s): Tess is a traveling artist focusing on metalsmithed jewelry and linocut prints on patches and upcycled clothing. She has been creating linocut prints for 4 years.
Class Fees: $80 members/ $90 non-members
Materials Fee: $40 included in the class fee
Prerequisite(s): None
Skill Level: Beginner
Age requirement: Youth + Adult (15 years and older)
Safety requirement: none
Wear clothes you don’t mind getting paint on.
Make a Beautiful Cutting Board!
Nov. 14, 2024 6 p.m. — Nov. 21, 2024 8:30 p.m.
Would you like to learn how to use basic shop machinery to make a lovely hardwood serving/cutting board? Then this is the course for you. Starting with raw lumber you will learn how to make a useful and beautiful piece that can serve you or a special friend for years to come.
You will learn about wood selection, milling it “foursquare”, and designing a layout. Then you will practice gluing it up and sanding it (wet and dry) before applying mineral oil and beeswax.
All tools, materials, and safety gear will be provided – though, students are welcome to bring their own tools and gear.
About the Instructor(s): Peter Gunn is a long time high school history teacher who loves wood from trees to the table. Eight years ago he began taking woodworking courses and has been practicing steadily ever since. He loves working on the lathe and with the jointer and planer to reveal the beauty of wood and make useful things. Learning to make a cutting board encouraged him to develop his skills and nurtured his appreciation of what wood can become. During the holidays in 2020, when Covid altered so much of our world, he began making cutting/serving boards to raise money for local food pantries. Over three years and two hundred boards later, he is excited to share his knowledge. He hopes people will enjoy making something uniquely beautiful and growing their skills and self-confidence in the process.
***This class meets twice***
Thursday November 14, 2024 6pm-8:30pm
AND
Thursday November 21, 2024 6pm-8:30pm
Class Fees: $75 CMS members/ $100 non-members
Materials Fee: $25 included in class fee
Prerequisite(s): none
Skill Level: Beginner
Age requirement: Adults only (18 years and older)
Amateur Radio License Exam Session
Nov. 16, 2024 10 a.m. — noon
W1CMS is proud to host Twin State Radio Club’s testing session. This is an opportunity to get your Technician license or upgrade from Technician to General or from General to Extra.
The doors open at 9:30 a.m. for registration, and testing begins at 10:00. In preparation, be sure to read and follow the instructions from ARRL, https://www.arrl.org/what-to-bring-to-an-exam-session. Drop-ins are OK, but it would be helpful to know who is planning to attend.
If you or someone you know is interested, contact [email protected].
Jeweler Saw Skills Workshop
Nov. 19, 2024 6 p.m. — 8 p.m.
Come learn to use a jewelers saw (or coping saw) to cut out precise shapes from sheet metal! This class will be focused around getting students comfortable using this essential, and somewhat finicky, jewelers tool.
Once comfortable with cutting straight lines, curves, and sharp turns, students can try their hand at cutting out a complex shape of their choice out of copper sheet to take home and turn into a necklace, earring, Christmas tree ornament, or just a good old piece of windowsill clutter.
There is no specific end goal/project for this class, and there is no promise of taking home a finished item, but students can pace themselves however they like during their learning process, and if you would really like to have something to take home at the end of the night, we can make that happen!
This class is open to anyone who is interested in jewelry making, and while experience is recommended, it is not required.
About the Instructor(s): Theodore is a jeweler and commercial fisherman from Homer, Alaska. He got his start in metal work taking welding classes in high school, but discovered jewelry making when he attended Dartmouth college and began working at the school’s Jewelry studio, falling in love immediately. That was over three years ago now, and Theodore has since graduated from Dartmouth and is doing jewelry work in the Upper Valley area and teaching classes here in Claremont. Theodore’s specialties in jewelry lie in fabricating unconventional forms and metal overlay work, as well as a Japanese metalsmithing technique called mokume gane.
Class Fees: $70 members/ $80 non-members
Materials Fee: 0
Prerequisite(s): none
Skill Level: intermediate / all levels
Age requirement: Youth + Adult (15 years and older)
Safety requirement: hair-ties
Open Sew-In
Nov. 20, 2024 4 p.m. — 6:30 p.m.
About the Instructor: Allison Zito received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the University of the Arts. Her artwork has been exhibited in numerous museums including The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, The Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, MA, The Delaware Art Museum, The Pennsylvania State Museum in Harrisburg, and The Philadelphia Museum of Art. Allison has decades of teaching experience, having taught a variety of classes at The Philadelphia Museum of Art, at Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, PA, and at the University of Pennsylvania Morris Arboretum. She has taught Studio Art in the Upper Valley at AVA Gallery and Art Center, Craftstudies at Hanover League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, ArtisTree, and Claremont Maker Space with stunning results. Allison Zito was awarded The Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 for her work as an artist and art educator. In 2019 Allison was awarded an Artist in Residency at The Claremont Maker Space. There she created an art installation addressing the issue of Global Warming and she organized a symposium on site, to inspire positive action within the greater community. Allison created two local public art murals in 2021, one for The Sullivan County Conservation District in Unity and Allison created the Bee and the Monarch Medallions on the Lebanon Art Tunnel Way Pollinator Mural. Making a statement and creating beautiful art as a way to open a conversation that leads to a better world, is the cornerstone of Allison’s career as an artist and art educator.
Age requirement: Adults (18 and older)
Class Fees: Free for members and $10 for non-members.
Materials Fee: None
Wire Wrapped Jewelry for Beginners
Nov. 20, 2024 6 p.m. — 8 p.m.
Have you ever wanted to make your own wire wrapped stone pendants or earrings? This is the class for you! In this two hour class you’ll learn how to use basic jewelry tools to create unique copper wire wrapped stone jewelry and leave with a finished piece that you can wear home. No prior experience necessary!
About the Instructor(s): Shastina Ann-Wallace has been metalsmithing and making wire wrapped jewelry for 15 years. In addition to being a working artist, Shastina has enjoyed teaching a wide variety of art classes to kids and adults over the last 10 years. Shastina is passionate about sharing the joy of art making, empowering people to find their own creative voice, and fostering an appreciation for the process.
Class Fees: $75 members/ $85 non-members
Materials Fee: $25 included in the class fee
Prerequisite(s): None
Skill Level: Beginner
Age requirement: Youth + Adult (15 years and older)
Safety requirement: none
CMS Community Quilts
Nov. 21, 2024 2 p.m. — 7 p.m.
Helping hands needed to make warm, comforting quilts! Only basic skills needed. Do you know how to use a sewing machine, iron, or rotary cutter? This is not a quilting class, but we will guide you along through the whole process of making twin and crib size quilts for those in need in our area.
Our space is reserved from 2pm to 7pm, but please come when it is convenient for you, even if you can only spare an hour.
Sponsorship: All materials are provided thanks to a generous donation from a local quilter. The Home Depot is supporting this program by providing storage containers to manage the quilting materials. BJs Wholesale Club is also supporting this program via a gift certificate to purchase additional supplies. Other sponsorships are in progress to cover the additional expenses to run this charitable program.
About the Instructor(s): Michelle Goldsmith has been sewing since she was eight and quilting since she was eighteen. She has experimented with many different sewing, quilting and mixed media techniques. Michelle has had many pieces of her work in shows and juried exhibits.
Class Fees: Free! Please volunteer your time to help this worthy cause.
Materials Fee: none
Prerequisite(s): sewing experience helpful, but not necessary
Skill Level: all
Age requirement: Youth + Adult (15 years of age and older)
Stick Welding for Beginners
Nov. 22, 2024 6 p.m. — 8 p.m.
Stick welding is the entry level technique to all other welding skills. Whether you’re a beginner, an artist looking for a different medium or just wanting to learn a new skill, this is the place to start!
You will learn the basics of welding safety, how to strike an arc, how to start making the bead on a flat piece of steel and how to continue to strike an arc and carry it to form the bead.
Students should bring to class: Safety glasses, leather boots, and leather gloves.
About the Instructor(s): Sheldon Heselton has an A.S. in Welding Technology from Manchester Community Technical College and he is a certified welding inspector through the American Welding Society. His experience is mostly in stick welding, but he can weld in multiple processes and he does ultrasonic weld testing and magnetic particle weld testing. Sheldon has worked on power plant construction sites, and also inspections for welded bridges and other components at welding shops.
Class Fees: $110 members / $120 non-members
Materials Fee: $10 included in the class fee
Prerequisite(s): none
Skill Level: beginner
Age requirement: Youth and Adult (15 years and older)
Learn How to use the Mid-Arm Quilting Machine
Nov. 23, 2024 6:30 p.m. — 8:30 p.m.
Intro to Mid Arm Quilting Machine is designed for people looking to learn how to use our mid-arm quilting machine, a Brother Dream Quilter 15. It can be used to quilt all sizes, from baby quilt to king size. Premade clothing can also be fitted onto the frame for quilting! The cost of the class includes a follow-up certification session. Members may use the machine on their own after passing the certification.
About the Instructors:
Allison Zito serves as Shop Lead in the Fibers Department at Claremont MakerSpace. She has been teaching The Mid Arm Quilting Classes for six years.
Allison Zito received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The University of the Arts. Her artwork has been exhibited in numerous museums including The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, The Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield MA, The Delaware Art Museum, The Pennsylvania State Museum, and The Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Allison has decades of teaching experience, having taught a considerable variety of classes at The Philadelphia Museum of Art, at Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, PA, and and at the University of Pennsylvania Morris Arboretum. She has been teaching studio art in the Upper Valley with excellent results at AVA Gallery, Claremont MakerSpace, CraftStudies at The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen and Artistree.
Allison was awarded an Artist in Residency in 2019 at Claremont MakerSpace where she created an art installation and symposium to inspire positive action, addressing the issue of Global Warming. In 2021 Allison Zito created an outdoor mural for The Sullivan County Public Cidery Building. She was part of a team of five artists who created a mural in Lebanon, NH. You can see her Bee and Monarch Medallions in the Lebanon Art Tunnel Way.
Allison Zito was awarded the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 for her work as an artist and her work in arts education.
Class Fees: $90/member $100/non-member
Materials Fee: none
Age Requirement: Adults only (18 and older)
Skill Level: All levels
Prerequisites: none
CMS Amateur Radio Club (W1CMS) Monthly Meetup
Nov. 24, 2024 1 p.m. — 3 p.m.
The Claremont MakerSpace has an Amateur Radio club! Before makers, hackers, and DIY, there was Amateur Radio.
Join us on November 17 at 1 p.m. for our monthly meeting (every third Sunday) You do not have to be a licensed ham to participate, just bring your curiosity and energy! Everyone is welcome! Each month, we feature a presenter (45 minutes to an hour), and after we adjourn to MakerSpace’s Digital Fabrication and Electronics Lab for open-time kit building, sharing, studying, and socializing.
This Month’s Presentation: See How Antennas Work, is a visual demonstration of various phenomena related to radio communications and different types of antennas. Originally, it was a one-hour program for understanding the concepts encountered in studying for the entry-level Technician Class Amateur Radio License. Topics included Frequency, Wavelength, Polarization, Dipoles, Ground Planes, and Directional Antennas (Quads and Yagis). Working antenna models were set up to receive 432 MHz radio energy across a room, detected by small light bulbs. Audience participation helped to make this a success. The use of light bulbs instead of meters was more dramatic and less mathematical, an important consideration for newcomers. 432 MHz was chosen because of available equipment (a Microwave Module Transverter), and because practical antennas are small enough to easily transport. A one-half-wavelength dipole is about 13 inches (33 cm) long, and many antennas can be easily constructed from No. 12 house-wire and wooden supports. Going to a much lower frequency would result in larger antennas and require a longer room. Going to a much higher frequency would make construction tolerances too critical especially when accounting for the wire leads to the light bulbs. The program was well received and was later expanded to cover topics encountered in the General Class and Extra Class Exams. Quite a few model antennas were constructed; some of these (such as the half-square and Moxon rectangle) are normally used at H. F., where they would be too large to fit in a room. Many topics can be demonstrated, including phasing and stacking of antennas. These topics can be chosen by the audience if time is limited.
Presented by: Dale Clement, AF1T, of Henniker, New Hampshire, has been involved with varied aspects of Radio Communications and Technology for many years. Dale’s Electronics career has included employment in Short-Wave Radio Repair, Antenna Design and Development Engineering, Research, Design, and Development of Satellite Communications Circuitry, and Electronics Instruction. His RF experience spans the range from VLF through SHF Microwaves.
Dale owes much of his RF background to a nearly life-long enthusiasm for Amateur Radio. Home-built equipment first got him “on the air”, and he still enjoys designing and constructing station gear and antennas. Pursuits include worldwide DX Contacts, HF and VHF Contests, Meteor-Scatter, Microwave Experimentation, and EME (Earth-Moon-Earth) Communications. Dale has a 10 GHz (3 cm) World- Record Rain-Scatter Contact, and a 902 MHz (33 cm) World Record Moon-Reflected Contact. He has an Extra-Class License (call sign AF1T), is a Life Member of the American Radio Relay League, and of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. Dale strives to be well-rounded. He is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, where he studied geography (especially paleontology and geophysics), mathematics, and engineering. His non-radio interests are many and include travel (with his wife, W1MKY), hiking, folk music, calligraphy, and volunteer work.
What is Amateur Radio?
Amateur Radio (often called ham radio) is a popular hobby and service that brings people, electronics, and communication together. People use Amateur Radio to talk across town, around the world, or even into space, all without the Internet or cell phones. It’s fun, social, educational, and can be a lifeline during times of need.
How is Amateur Radio used?
Amateur Radio is used for a variety of recreational and service-related activities. Amateur Radio operators, also called “hams,” use Amateur Radio equipment to engage in two-way personal communications with other hams, as well as:
- Aid communication during public events, such as parades and road races
- Act as a vital communications link during emergencies and disasters
- Advance their technical skills and build their own radio components (ever wanted to talk to an astronaut in orbit?)
- Participate in competitive events and earn awards in contests
Who can become a ham?
Anyone of any age who is not a representative of a foreign government can be an Amateur Radio operator in the US. Before you can get on the air, you’ll need to be licensed and know the rules to operate legally. In the US there are three license classes — Technician, General, and Amateur Extra. The Claremont MakerSpace has resources and support available to help you learn and prepare to take your exam.
You can learn more about amateur radio here: arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio
Make a Stamped Silver Ring
Nov. 26, 2024 6 p.m. — 8 p.m.
Are you interested in learning how to work with silver, but you’re not sure where to start?
Do you want to make a beautiful silver band that you can show off to your friends and family over the holidays?
Maybe you just want to get to know the Claremont Makerspace?
This class is for you!!
This class will introduce students to the absolute basic jewelry skills of filing, soldering, sanding, and polishing. At the end of our two hour session, everyone will walk away with a brand new piece of jewelry that they made themselves. Everything about this class is the same as the simple band ring, but in this class we will have letter and number stamps that you can use to personalize your band ring.
This class will be designed for complete beginners, but you’re more than welcome to join if you have some jewelry making experience already and want a little refresher course (you can also look out for more intermediate classes I’ll be teaching later!)
About the Instructor(s): Theodore is a jeweler and commercial fisherman from Homer, Alaska. He got his start in metal work taking welding classes in high school, but discovered jewelry making when he attended Dartmouth college and began working at the school’s Jewelry studio, falling in love immediately. That was over three years ago now, and Theodore has since graduated from Dartmouth and is doing jewelry work in the Upper Valley area and teaching classes here in Claremont. Theodore’s specialties in jewelry lie in fabricating unconventional forms and metal overlay work, as well as a Japanese metalsmithing technique called mokume gane.
Class Fees: $85 members/ $95 non-members
Materials Fee: $10 included in the class fee
Prerequisite(s): none
Skill Level: beginner
Age requirement: Youth + Adult (15 years and older)
Safety requirement: close toed shoes and hair-ties
Happy Makin’!
We are grateful for all of the public support that our 501(c)(3), non-profit organization receives. If you’d like to make a donation,please visit the Support Us page of our website.