Maker Faire 2015

Last year, I found out there were some workshops which were part of the Science Festival... Alas, I was busy during those days and could not bring Ace there.

So this year, when I found out that that as part of the Singapore Science Festival 2015, there is going to be a Maker Faire (which is like a fair for people who create things such as- engineers, inventors, scientists, craftsman), I thought Ace will definitely love it.. given that he is such a hands on kid.


True enough, the event was like a dream come alive for him!!!:) Cos he got to fiddle with tools and make things that he liked:)



When we first arrived, we were a little overwhelmed and did not know what to expect. So we just anyhowly walk around. Ace said he wanted to do a course that taught people how to connect circuits and we had to wait a little because the workshop was about 20 min away.. so we walked around  a little...

We came to this section that was manned by GroundUp Initiative and saw someone making bricks. I asked Ace if he wanted to try... And he said YES... BUT in the end he just watched mostly because he did not want to get his hands dirty :) haha..

Putting in the correct amount of ingredients like sand and concrete powder..

When it was dry, Ace was willing to touch it.. once it became wet and they added water.. Ace took out his hands and just watched.. hahaha.. In the end didn't even make ONE brick..

Someone came and asked if Ace wanted to attended a workshop that will teach him how to make kampong toys.... but the timing clashed with the workshop that he wanted to attend.. so I asked him to decide.. In the end, his love for making things won..

But hor, I duno to say he is lucky or wat... he walked into the workshop room and instead of going to the table where some children were already starting to make this kampong toy... he walked towards an Uncle who asked him what he wanted to make and without any hesitation, Ace replied with a big grin,"A gun!"

And I tell you.. this workshop, is like paradise for him. I wished we had a big house with a workshop room for him and his dad to get started on projects cos I know Max is a rather hands on person too :) hahah... But I guess this is like second best option lor...

We are very interested to sign Ace up for more activities with them and learn how to make toys lah.. make furniture even:)

 

Ace had so much fun sawing, drilling, sanding the pieces of wood to make his gun lor.. and the uncles all so helpful.. started off only one helped him.. then another one came to help.. and he will tell them the design he has in mind and they will tell him what is the next step...

Max just sat and watched Ace:) Happy to rest!

Uncle teaching Ace the SAFE and correct way to saw wood...

Look ma! I can use a driller!!!!

Uncle showing Ace how to sand the edges so the gun will be safe to play with ..

Screwing the different parts together. I think hor, because this is not in their usual list of things they make with the children.. it was also a challenge and fun thing for the uncles too:) hahaha

Meanwhile, I saw some stormtroopers walk past:)

And I took a peep at the children making the kampong toy... I guess is blessing in disguise for Ace.. cos these children were just sanding and pasting using glue.. not half as fun as what Ace is doing.. at least from Ace's perspective:) hahaha

More sanding and more drilling...

Done!

As luck will have it, someone is teaching people how to make rubberband gun and so Ace HAD to UPGRADE his toy gun which was good to look at for now but cannot be used to shoot anything..

So what you do is you saw a small piece of chopstick and put a under a flat piece of wood.. and tighten one end of the wood with rubberband... the round chopstick acts like a lever and the wood will hold the rubberband when you load it.. so when you press the side tilted up, the rubberband is released and can shoot some distance away...

Loading the gun...

Trying it out... We found that the rubberbands around the lever needs to be super tight for it to fly faster...

So uncle helped Ace adjust a little more..

And finally, SUCCESS!!!!

And once he started making things, he was like on the go lor... he said he wanted to make a CAJUN...

SO first you had to design your cajun..

Someone had spelling error...

So have to turn it around and redesign.. i think he realized simplicity is best.. so he just signed his name and put his fav phrase - YOLO on it.. hahaha

Before he got started, gor gor told him it will take 20-25 mins and Ace said he still wants to do it.. so they are now getting ready to nail the supporting piece of wood in...

The gor gor demo once how to nail the nails in and where to do it.. and Ace had to do the rest...

As you can see, Max was standing as far as possible so that he does not have to do all the dirty work.. hahahahahaha.... He says let Ace do..

But in the end.. Ace do halfway also tired cos he already used alot of energy making his gun.. So his dad came to help a little...

Once his dad came to help though, Ace started complaining that he was tired lah.. this lah.. that lah... his hand pain lah...

Eventually became his dad's job... hahaha..

I really admire this mother who completed one by herself on her daugther's behalf!:) sart!

Not only did the gor gor teach Ace how to make one.. he also taught Ace how to play:)

I have seen the Cajun alot when I watch live bands play and always wondered how it produces the sound it does.. now that I have seen how it is made, I know.. and now that I know how it works, I also understand why people like to use this instrument:)

I told Ace he can go and learn this when he is done with Guitar but Max says this one should be able to pick up on your own :)

We walked around a little and saw this really interesting thing...

It is called a Bartop (Desktop) Arcade Cabinet. This cabinet is designed to mimic the feel of an arcade machine with arcade joystick and buttons. With a few hundred dollars, they will provide you with the cut out boards and stickers for you to run your favourite game emulators using a PC. You can also convert your old game consoles (Playstation 3 or Xbox 360) into a cool piece of retro display furniture as well as a functional arcade machine.

So cool right? It is available as DIY kit and they can also set up for you.. and the best part is.. the person who is doing this.. turned out to be Max's Navy Batch boy ;) hahahaha.. (If you want more details PM me and I will link you up.. cos they dun have a website now...)

Ace is very interested and I think it is pretty cool too.. I just fear if we do have this, he will stop doing homework lor!:) hahahahaha

The cabinet is available as a DIY kit (empty cabinet with or without joystick and buttons) and artwork can be customised according to your favourite game themes and characters.

Saw this interesting thing.. which is like a sensor... tat senses movement in sand to create instant topographical maps... so cool right?:P

We saw this Hover craft workshop and wanted to sign Ace up but sadly, they are full.. so they took down our names and numbers to let us know if they have classes later in July or August.

Then we queued immensely long for this making of circuit board...using household items..

First you need to select a design and then hotpress the design onto this plate they give you..

After it is hotpressed, you need to do etching.. which is the "corroding" away the copper parts... using vinegar and hydrogen peroxide..

Ace's plate is hotpressed:)

We waited close to half an hour before we got a chance to do the etching cos each plate took about 15 min to etch and one container can only do three at one time... and the pple before us did a few each...

After etching have to use thinner to remove the printing...

Then got to drill hole for the circuit..

After that have to do soldering too... Max says hor, he feels like his is back in Poly lor:) haahaha

Max says let Ace try....

Then they fixed a bulb and battery and it lights up!:) cool!

Ace loved it so much he did not want to go home but we had to get elsewhere.. so we told him we will bring him back again the next day..

Next day though, he woke up and changed his mind.. I think also good lah.. He has been there and done that for all the make this make that stalls I think.. hahhaa:)

Just that his only regret is he wanted to see the three D printing things being done but when we were there, the person in charge was having lunch..

Anyway, this is great fun and we are definitely going again next year!:)

Previous Post: I Follow Lee Hsien Loong!