What is Twitter? Are tweets, tags, and other Twitter text causing you confusion? The Midsouth Makers will be hosting an “Introduction to Twitter” class on Friday, July 15th from 7:30pm until 8:30pm to guide you through the twists and turns of Twitter! Learn the basics with us in this fun and free class taught by an actual human being! We’ll be hosting the class at Republic Coffee (2924 Walnut Grove Rd) in their large conference room in the back. Sign-up for this class at the following link: http://www.midsouthmakers.org/events/ (though you are always welcome to show-up on Friday even if you haven’t signed up!).  Feel free to email us any questions, comments, or critiques at info@midsouthmakers.org.  #seeyouthere!

Topics to be covered include:

• What is Twitter?
• Creating an account
• Twitter vocabulary
• Best Twitter practices
• and more!

So if you – or someone you know – would like more information on Twitter, sign up on our Events page, then come see us on July 15th!  And remember, there is no charge for this class.

Saturday, June 25th, the Midsouth Makers are hosting a class on basic vehicle maintenance.  If you’re interested in learning more about your car or truck and how to perform common maintenance tasks on your own, feel free to sign up at http://www.midsouthmakers.org/events/.  This class will be performed using hand tools, both to show “how” and “how easy” it is to do these things.

We will be covering the following topics:

• “Under the Hood”
  • Alternator
  • Distributor Cap
  • AC Compressor
  • Battery
  • Serpentine Belt
  • Power Steering Pump
  • Spark Plugs
  • Air Input Ducts
• Standard Fluids
  • Oil
  • Transmission
  • Power Steering
  • Brake
  • Windshield Wiper
• How to check air pressure
• How to change air filters and windshield wipers
• How to change a serpentine belt
• How to change out spark plugs and wires

If we have enough time, we will also attempt to cover how to change a tire and go over some more advanced topics, such as sensors, fuel rails, and a few other things, in Dealer Service Alternative you will get anything done by the best professionals. It is important and essential to take manage and care of your car.

We look forward to seeing to you there!

Update!:

For those of you that were not able to attend for one reason or another, we made a DVD for sale so you too can learn the secrets of fiberglassing. Of course, those that attended may also purchase a copy of the DVD as well. The cost of the DVD is $5.00 payable as a donation to the group. If you are interested in purchasing a copy of this DVD, please let us know and Kevin will have them at the meeting this Friday for pickup.

The long awaited, highly anticipated event of the year is finally about to take place! Meeting Sharon Stone? Nope. Getting to blow up Mount Rushmore? Wrong again!

Learning how to fiberglass?  Bingo! This Saturday, June 11th at 11:00, the Midsouth Makers will be hosting a how to work with fiberglass 101. The cost is only $5! Ever wonder what is fiberglass? Come learn the basics class which will teach you the fundamentals of working with fiberglass enabling you to start using your new skill immediately to start making really cool stuff.

If you have something you would like to try your hand at custom fiberglassing, please feel free to bring it with you! There should be plenty of resin and matting to go around!

Details:
WHEN: Saturday June 11th 11am
WHERE: 2203 Freemont Rd. Memphis, TN 38114
COST: $5 per person

It WILL be HOT, but if fiberglass insulation makes you itch, then wear long sleeves! Preferably a light cotton shirt that you don’t mind disposing of afterwards.

We hope to see you there!

Haunted by old computer parts? Frightened by the prospect of having them go to waste? This Friday, May 13th at 7pm we’re going to break the curse of broken electronics with our first de soldering class! Come by the space and you’ll learn how to exorcise the demons that plague your old hardware by learning how to remove solder and reclaim your parts for good!

Image copyright Becky Stern

There is no cost to participate, however any donations to the group would be greatly appreciated.

You won’t need a young priest or an old priest, simply bring the following supplies if you can (if you cannot, don’t worry, we will share!):

• Soldering Irons
• Picks (dental type)
• Alligator Clips
• Tweezers
• Solder Suckers
• Stainless Steel/Brass scrub pads
• Circuits that you wish to desolder

We will provide participants with the following items and our assurances that they are free of any bad luck:

• Solder wick
• Solder flux
• Brass wool
• Kapton tape
• Helping Hands
• Alcohol (for cleaning flux)

All black cats, broken mirrors, and open umbrellas are welcome! Sign-up at http://www.midsouthmakers.org/events

This Friday February 18th at Republic Coffee we’ll have members showing off their Arduino projects and answering questions about the Arduino platform. We’ve had a lot of interest in getting started with various Arduino boards so come learn more about the great things you can do with an open source platform.

What is an Arduino? Arduino is a physical computing platform and a software development environment for controlling various things like motors, sensors and even entire devices. The hardware and development environment are open source and there is a very large community of developers and hardware hackers out there working on projects. The hardware is also quite inexpensive. There are also “Getting Started” kits that are a package of items to help you hit the ground running with your Arduino.