Weeknotes

Laser Cutter Improvements

9th June 2015
"Laser Cutter Improvements"

DoES Needs You!

As you’re all probably aware, one of the best things about DoES — other than the sense of community, great prices, wealth of knowledge, networking opportunities, amount of different tools available… there are too many best things! — is our laser cutters. Sophia the Smaller Laser and Gerald the Gigantic Laser are the most popular and busy machines in the workshop, and are a valuable asset, not just for DoES, but for the whole Liverpool area.

From time to time, they do need minor repairs, and we try to carry those out as quickly as possible. However, it is finally time for them both to have the kind of overhaul that has been necessary for a while, to ensure that both cutters keep running at optimum capacity for you, for as long as possible.

To ensure this, we are going to be buying various bits of new hardware to keep Sophia and Gerald happy –

  • a chiller for each cutter so they’ll cut more powerfully and for longer, even on hot days,
  • a new, more powerful extractor fan for Gerald (that won’t need vacuuming out every 2 weeks!),
  • built in ducting, to simplify using the cutters, and improve the airflow control (less smoke in the workshop),
  • a new lens for Gerald,
  • new, fresh mirrors for both cutters,
  • a dedicated CO2 extinguisher for the cutters.

As you might imagine, this kind of upgrade won’t be cheap, and that, hopefully, is where you come in.

We’re asking for help from the DoES community to put towards the cost of these upgrades. We expect them to cost around £1400, (although £850 would cover the cost of the chillers and extractors) and want to raise as much of that as possible by 3rd July, at which point we will take whatever is collected, and get to work improving!

We understand that you all give so much to the DoES community already, and thank you for that, but hopefully you’ll be able to help us past an investment hump, and make your workshop even more epic.

How to donate

The best way is by bank transfer to:

Account Number: 65487257
Sort Code: 08-92-99
Reference: LaserPledge

Make sure to include that reference so we know you’re not paying hotdesking!

If you’d like an invoice for you accounts, just email accounts@doesliverpool.com to ask Sean for the amount you’d like to donate.

You can also give any of the organisers cash, if that’s easier for you.

Or you can donate by Paypal:




[olimometer id=1]

We have collected: [olimometer_progress id=1] out of the [olimometer_target id=1] target

Week 209 – Look Ma, We’re On the Telly! (And the Radio… And the Newspapers…)

8th June 2015
  • weeknotes
  • Weeknotes
  • Comments Off on Week 209 – Look Ma, We’re On the Telly! (And the Radio… And the Newspapers…)
"Week 209 – Look Ma, We’re On the Telly! (And the Radio… And the Newspapers…)"

Each week we’ll endeavour to publish some details of the interesting things that members of DoES Liverpool have been up to over the past seven days. You can find out a bit more about them in our introductory post.

And remember, if you’re involved with DoES Liverpool at all, let us know what you get up to so we can include it here!

Things of Note

Coming Up in the Next Week

Tuesday 09 June, 7:00pm-9:00pm JavaScript User Group
Wednesday 10 June, 6:00pm-9:00pm Maker Night
Saturday 13 June, 10:00am-5:00pm Maker Day

Somebody Should

The DoES Liverpool to-do list is stored in the issues of our Somebody Should repository on github. Head over there if there’s something you’d like to report, or if you want to help out fixing things.

Issue counts: 82 open, 76 closed

1 new issue:

No issues closed

Community Content

DoES exists to support the community that uses DoES. If you use DoES, then you are part of that community. If you would like to publicise something related to DoES, you can email hello@doesliverpool.com with the formatted content for us to use as a new blog post. Tell us what you’re up to, and we’ll show the world what epic stuff happens at DoES!

Week 208 – I Really Want to See Those Fingers

1st June 2015
"Week 208 – I Really Want to See Those Fingers"

Each week we’ll endeavour to publish some details of the interesting things that members of DoES Liverpool have been up to over the past seven days. You can find out a bit more about them in our introductory post.

And remember, if you’re involved with DoES Liverpool at all, let us know what you get up to so we can include it here!

Things of Note

Coming Up in the Next Week

Monday 01 June, 6:00pm-9:00pm Sewing Club
Wednesday 03 June, 6:00pm-8:00pm Liverpool Linux User Group

Somebody Should

The DoES Liverpool to-do list is stored in the issues of our Somebody Should repository on github. Head over there if there’s something you’d like to report, or if you want to help out fixing things.

Issue counts: 81 open, 76 closed

8 new issues:

3 issues closed:

Thanks ReddbridgeMark, DefProc!

Community Content

DoES exists to support the community that uses DoES. If you use DoES, then you are part of that community. If you would like to publicise something related to DoES, you can email hello@doesliverpool.com with the formatted content for us to use as a new blog post. Tell us what you’re up to, and we’ll show the world what epic stuff happens at DoES!

Week 207 – Fixing Old Guitars With 3D Printing

25th May 2015
"Week 207 – Fixing Old Guitars With 3D Printing"

Each week we’ll endeavour to publish some details of the interesting things that members of DoES Liverpool have been up to over the past seven days. You can find out a bit more about them in our introductory post.

And remember, if you’re involved with DoES Liverpool at all, let us know what you get up to so we can include it here!

Things of Note

Coming Up in the Next Week

Tuesday 26 May, 6:30pm-9:00pm Geek Up – Francis Irving talks about Sharing humanitarian data at the United Nations
Wednesday 27 May, 7:00pm-9:00pm IoT Liverpool
Thursday 28 May, 4:30pm-6:30pm RSA Livecast: Designing a World Where People Come First

Somebody Should

The DoES Liverpool to-do list is stored in the issues of our Somebody Should repository on github. Head over there if there’s something you’d like to report, or if you want to help out fixing things.

Issue counts: 76 open, 73 closed

5 new issues:

1 issue closed:

Thanks amcewen!

Community Content

DoES exists to support the community that uses DoES. If you use DoES, then you are part of that community. If you would like to publicise something related to DoES, you can email hello@doesliverpool.com with the formatted content for us to use as a new blog post. Tell us what you’re up to, and we’ll show the world what epic stuff happens at DoES!

Week 206 – Community WiFi and Connected Device Prototypes

18th May 2015
  • weeknotes
  • Weeknotes
  • Comments Off on Week 206 – Community WiFi and Connected Device Prototypes
"Week 206 – Community WiFi and Connected Device Prototypes"

Each week we’ll endeavour to publish some details of the interesting things that members of DoES Liverpool have been up to over the past seven days. You can find out a bit more about them in our introductory post.

And remember, if you’re involved with DoES Liverpool at all, let us know what you get up to so we can include it here!

Things of Note

Coming Up in the Next Week

Monday 18 May, 6:00pm-9:00pm Sewing Club
Tuesday 19 May, 7:00pm-8:00pm Liverpool Drones Meetup
Wednesday 20 May, 5:30pm-7:00pm Friends of the Earth

Somebody Should

The DoES Liverpool to-do list is stored in the issues of our Somebody Should repository on github. Head over there if there’s something you’d like to report, or if you want to help out fixing things.

Issue counts: 72 open, 72 closed

1 new issue:

1 issue closed:

Thanks DefProc!

Community Content

DoES exists to support the community that uses DoES. If you use DoES, then you are part of that community. If you would like to publicise something related to DoES, you can email hello@doesliverpool.com with the formated content for us to use as a new blog post. Tell us what you’re up to, and we’ll show the world what epic stuff happens at DoES!

Week 205 – Look at the Size of That Pie!

11th May 2015
"Week 205 – Look at the Size of That Pie!"

Each week we’ll endeavour to publish some details of the interesting things that members of DoES Liverpool have been up to over the past seven days. You can find out a bit more about them in our introductory post.

And remember, if you’re involved with DoES Liverpool at all, let us know what you get up to so we can include it here!

Things of Note

Coming Up in the Next Week

Tuesday 12 May, 7:00pm-9:00pm JavaScript User Group
Wednesday 13 May, 6:00pm-9:00pm Maker Night
Wednesday 13 May, 6:00pm-8:00pm @MerseyNet Community WiFi Brainstorming
Thursday 14 May, 10:00am-11:00am Organisers’ Meeting
Thursday 14 May, 6:00pm-8:00pm Bitcoin Meetup

Somebody Should

The DoES Liverpool to-do list is stored in the issues of our Somebody Should repository on github. Head over there if there’s something you’d like to report, or if you want to help out fixing things.

Issue counts: 72 open, 71 closed

1 new issue:

No issues closed

DesktopProsthetics

7th May 2015
"DesktopProsthetics"

Copyright Jason Abbott

image with thanks copyright Jason Abbott

DoESLiverpool are developing an iteration of the Enabling the Future project within the “Build Your Own: Tools For Sharing” Exhibition at FACT 4 June – 31 August 2015 with the Crafts Council and in association with Norfolk Museums Service and Norwich Hackspace. Ross Dalziel, Patrick Fenner and Adrian McEwen who are permanent deskers at DoES Liverpool are helping facilitate and support a ‘production line’ area in the FACT show within their main gallery 1 on the ground floor to 3D print open source designs of upper limb prosthetics. It’s inspired by a local family the Abbott’s who used our workshop to print hand parts independently. You can see an image of Baylee Abbott above.

Over the course of the exhibition FACT Gallery Assistants and DoESLiverpool will assist the public in testing and building 3D printed prosthetics using the open source design “The Raptor Hand”. The public will have the opportunity to play, experiment and understand what prosthetics are and how access to rapid prototyping and open source digital making tools can help people make the world the way they want it.

By working with Reach in the NorthWest, the association for children with upper limb deficiency, we’ll be helping a number of children (primarily) from the North-West and, when the exhibition tours, East Anglia where Norwich hackspace are assisting. In addition, the exhibition which tours to Norwich will raise awareness within the Reach community and the general public about some of the uses for 3d printing. It’s worth noting that the Raptor Hand is more of a tool rather than a fully functional prosthetic device and has very limited grip strength.  For more details on the design and its suitability check out http://enablingthefuture.org/faqs-general/

DoESLiverpool if you are new to us, as an organisation, do not do projects in a sense; we simply help our community to realise their projects with the facilities we have. Our community is essentially anyone who wants to do something with us. Part of the ‘deal’ of this project is that DoESLiverpool and Norwich Hackspace can keep the new larger 3D printers, Ultimaker 2’s, so that if people do need to print more hands in the future at DoESLiverpool, we will have extended our facilities so that they can. If a group grows and develops around the activity in the exhibition then that group can continue to use DoESLiverpool to support it like the many diverse groups that call DoESLiverpool home.

We are managing the project on github which we hope will aid Norwich hackspace when they help with their side of the tour.

There are a few dates of specific activity the public need to book on to aside from the public launch on the Thursday 4th June at 6pm. Booking details will follow on Eventbrite

Outside of these workshop dates the public can visit the exhibition and see the hands gradually being printed and finished so just like the DoES workshop but a little more formal and with more context and a visual explaination of the process of building the printed hands for DesktopProsthetics. Gallery assistants will be able to explain the process and show some of the completed parts as they are printed and prepped ready for assembly

Week 204 – Keep Watching the Skies (and the Seas)

4th May 2015
"Week 204 – Keep Watching the Skies (and the Seas)"

Each week we’ll endeavour to publish some details of the interesting things that members of DoES Liverpool have been up to over the past seven days. You can find out a bit more about them in our introductory post.

And remember, if you’re involved with DoES Liverpool at all, let us know what you get up to so we can include it here!

Things of Note

Coming Up in the Next Week

Monday 04 May, 6:00pm-9:00pm Sewing Club Cancelled for the Bank Holiday
Wednesday 06 May, 6:00pm-8:00pm Liverpool Linux User Group New arrival to DoES!
Saturday 09 May, 10:00am-5:00pm Maker Day

Somebody Should

The DoES Liverpool to-do list is stored in the issues of our Somebody Should repository on github. Head over there if there’s something you’d like to report, or if you want to help out fixing things.

Issue counts: 71 open, 71 closed

1 new issue:

1 issue closed:

Thanks DefProc!

Week 203 – Showing Off In Newcastle (at MakerFaire UK)

27th April 2015
  • weeknotes
  • Weeknotes
  • Comments Off on Week 203 – Showing Off In Newcastle (at MakerFaire UK)
"Week 203 – Showing Off In Newcastle (at MakerFaire UK)"

Each week we’ll endeavour to publish some details of the interesting things that members of DoES Liverpool have been up to over the past seven days. You can find out a bit more about them in our introductory post.

And remember, if you’re involved with DoES Liverpool at all, let us know what you get up to so we can include it here!

Things of Note

Coming Up in the Next Week

Monday 27 April, 6:30pm-9:00pm Maker Night
Tuesday 28 April, 6:30pm-9:00pm Geek Up – Thiago Hersan “Small Data: personal apps for affective communication”
Saturday 02 May, 10:00am-3:00pm Introduction to Laser Cutting

Somebody Should

The DoES Liverpool to-do list is stored in the issues of our Somebody Should repository on github. Head over there if there’s something you’d like to report, or if you want to help out fixing things.

Issue counts: 71 open, 70 closed

2 new issues:

1 issue closed:

Thanks DoESsean!

Week 202 – Scoreboards, Stencils and Shining (Good Night) Lamps

20th April 2015
  • weeknotes
  • Weeknotes
  • Comments Off on Week 202 – Scoreboards, Stencils and Shining (Good Night) Lamps
"Week 202 – Scoreboards, Stencils and Shining (Good Night) Lamps"

Each week we’ll endeavour to publish some details of the interesting things that members of DoES Liverpool have been up to over the past seven days. You can find out a bit more about them in our introductory post.

And remember, if you’re involved with DoES Liverpool at all, let us know what you get up to so we can include it here!

Things of Note

Coming Up in the Next Week

Monday 20 April, 6:00pm-9:00pm Sewing Club
Tuesday 21 April, 7:00pm-8:00pm Liverpool Drones Meetup

Somebody Should

The DoES Liverpool to-do list is stored in the issues of our Somebody Should repository on github. Head over there if there’s something you’d like to report, or if you want to help out fixing things.

Issue counts: 70 open, 69 closed

3 new issues:

No issues closed

Scroll to top