Looking at the slide we will be using to build our new laser cutter.

The beginnings of a real world video game

Colouring and the start of a dart board clock

The internals of a real life loveable BMO from Adventure time

A cape for a convention outfit

Fixing a laptop hinge

Making a new ground sheet for a tent

Our Open Nights are every Wednesday evening, from 6.30pm onwards.

These photos are just a taste of the varied projects you can see people working on. As always, if you plan to come along, be sure to bring a project with you.

The Red Ant Vibrobug, one of the bugs that can be made at the workshop.

Build your own robot bug and then race it against others in this workshop for children and adults on Saturday, 15 June.

The small robot is a great way to learn how to solder, with only six points to solder, a coin cell power board and pre-cut perspex. The bug then vibrates across a smooth surface, giving you a creepy crawling bug that’s fun for all ages.

Once everyone has built and personalised their bugs, there’ll be the Great Robot Race, where the owner of the best robot will win a unique one-off kit from Kitronik.

Run by Rob Haywood from Kitronik, the workshop will run from 10:00am to 12:00pm, and is for children aged 8 and over. Tickets cost £10. Adults must accompany all children, but if there just to supervise, adults are free.

To book your ticket, please visit the Eventbrite page.

Nottingham Hackspace is happy to announce the third annual Hackspace Open Day on Saturday, 1 June, from 11:00am – 5:00pm.

This free event is your opportunity to peek inside the Nottingham Hackspace and to see what amazing projects members have worked on within the space – everything from 3D printers and laser cutters to smoothie-making bicycles and film props!

We’ll also have people on hand to give tours, talk about membership, and to show you what you can do at a Hackspace. From knitting to soldering to colouring to lock-picking, it’s all available at the Nottingham Hackspace!

This event is free and open to the public for all ages.

Arduino Uno board. Photo from Nick Hubbard.

Nottingham Hackspace will be hosting an all-day Introduction to Arduino Workshop, run by James Fowkes and Ian Dickinson, on Saturday, 8th June.

The Arduino system is a microcontroller board and software designed for extreme ease-of-use and learning, and has been wildly successful all over the world – not just in electronics, but for all sorts of maker projects. If you want to learn how to incorporate electronic control into your projects, this is definitely the workshop for you.

This workshop will cover:

• What an Arduino is, and how to program it
• Components and tools
• Basics of electronics (voltage, current, resistance, etc.)
• Arduino input and outputs
• Controlling high-power components
• Analog output
• And more!

Aimed for complete beginners, this workshop doesn’t require you to have written a single line of code, switched on a soldering iron or even own an Arduino to take part. All the electronics equipment, including Arduino boards, will be provided on the day, but you will need to bring a laptop to program the Arduino with. It would also help if you installed the Arduino software onto your laptop before the workshop.

This workshop will run from 11am to 4pm, with a break for lunch at 1pm, and will cost £10, which includes use of all tools, boards and components, and free tea or coffee.

Arduino boards and kits will also be on sale for further exploration of this fantastic system.

This workshop is now sold out. However, you can join the waiting list on the EventBrite page.

Join us on Saturday, 16 March, in our Shrink Plastic Workshop.

Shrink plastic is a piece of plastic that you can stamp, trace or draw an image on, colour it in using coloured pencils or markers, then it’s shrunk down in the oven to a fine-detailed firm plastic piece that can be used as a mobile phone charm, keychain, brooch, magnet, pendant and more.

In this workshop, you’ll receive at least one A6 piece of frosted shrink plastic, full instructions, and use of the markers and coloured pencils in the space, to make any number of small items.

This workshop is all ages, with parental accompaniment required.

There will be a small range of images you can trace from, but if you have a particular style in mind, please bring it in.

This workshop will cost £5 and will include the shrink plastic, use of the markers and pencils, any fixings you want to attach it to things, free tea or coffee, and a tour of the hackspace.

To sign up for the workshop, see our Eventbrite page.

If you have any questions, get in touch with Kate on kate@katebolin.com.

Screenshot of the BBC Click website

You can see the Nottingham Hackspace and some of its members on BBC’s Click this weekend or on the BBC website.

LJ Rich (@LJRICH) came to Nottingham to visit Phenoptix and the Hackspace as part of her piece on DIY tech. From Minty Boost kits to Raspberry Pis to laser cutting, the news piece covers a wide range of electronics and ideas that you can explore at the Nottingham Hackspace.

Click airs on the BBC News channel, and can be seen at 7:30pm on Saturdays and 1:30pm on Sundays.

If you are interested in seeing what you can do with tech, come see us on Wednesdays at our Open Hack Nights!

Do you enjoy the gentle strumming of a ukulele? Can you play one? Or do you want to learn?

Nottingham Hackspace is having weekly meetings of The Ukulele Orchestra of Hackspace, a group of ukulele enthusiasts who want to learn, play and enjoy this simple and beautiful instrument.

The meetings are held on every Monday, from 7pm to 9pm. Some ukuleles will be available to practice on, but if you have your own, please bring it in.

No experience is required, so if you’re a total beginner or a ukulele maestro, come along and make some noise!

Find out more about The Ukulele Orchestra of Hackspace on the Nottinghack Wiki.

PLEASE NOTE: We will not be meeting on Monday, April 1st.

Learn how to turn your image into a laser-cut rubber stamp in this informative workshop, run by Dr. Matt Little, on Thursday, 21 February, from 7pm – 9pm.

Bold, single-colour images work best for rubber stamps, giving you a quick way to mark cards, labels, books, fabric, and more!

For £5, you will receive materials to make one stamp, including stamp pad, laser-ready rubber, and wood to create a handle. Materials to make larger stamps will also be available for purchase.

There are limited spaces available for this workshop, so please contact Matt at matt@re-innovation.co.uk to book your place.

For more information on the process, see our Wiki page on Laser Stamps. And if you have any questions, talk to Matt at matt@re-innovation.co.uk.

Doc Little’s Stick Man LED costume. See the costume in action on Vimeo.

Play with LEDs, EL wire and lasers ahead of Nottingham’s popular Light Night on Thursday, 7th February.

Dr Matt Little will be on hand to discuss how to best use electronics and lighting to create one-of-a-kind art projects ideal for Light Night on Friday, 8th February.

As the MyNottingham website says:

Light Night transforms the city and truly brings it to life after dark with a blend of entertainment suitable for all ages. Many activities are unique to Light Night so don’t miss your chance to explore, experience and see the city in a new perspective. Whatever your tastes, there’s bound to be something to entertain you and your family. Light Night gives Nottingham a real buzz with lots happening indoors and outdoors and special offers in restaurants and other venues.

This group skillshare will be free to attend, with LEDs, EL wire and lasers available for sale on the night.

So if you ever wanted to learn how to light up the night, please attend!

Want to learn to make unique and delightful machines?

Nottingham Hackspace will be hosting another night of Martin Raynsford’s Miraculous and Miniature Mechanical Marvels, on Tuesday, 12 February. In this workshop, you will create fantastic wood and metal creations to entertain and delight.

The three kits available on the night will be:

• Hand-Cranked Marble Machine
  Made from laser-cut wood, this miniature marble run is available on the night for £10, with all wooden parts, nuts, bolts and enough balls to fill the machine up as well as spares. See the machine in its cranktastic action!
• Spiral Staircase Marble Machine
  Made from laser-cut wood, this miniature marble run is available on the night for £10, with all wooden parts, nuts, bolts, and enough balls to fill the machine up as well as spares. See the machine in its spiralling action!
• Useless Machine
  The wonderful and ridiculous Useless Machine, available on the night for £15, with all laser-cut wooden parts, battery pack, and all mechanical parts. See the machine in all its tense action!

If you already own one of these kits, feel free to come along and learn how to build your own mechanical marvel!

The workshop will start at 7pm, and includes free tea or coffee and a tour of the Hackspace.