Monday January 16th, 23rd and 30th: three weeks of basic electronics classes, 7pm-9pm.

The Basic Electronics Class is designed to help Arduino hackers and beginner electronics enthusiasts learn some of the important theory and terminology that everyone needs to know. The first set of three classes will attempt to cover as many fundamentals as possible. If you’re confused by ohms law, how to choose and use basic components, or even what basic electronic components are used for, this is the class for you!

Bring general electronics questions, or project ideas as the second half of each class will be an open discussion about electronics topics.

The class will be taught by Andrew Kilpatrick. Andrew has designed all kinds of electronics including his own line of musical equipment: www.kilpatrickaudio.com Andrew has been involved with Hacklab Toronto since 2008.

Update: Due to overwhelming demand, we’re now requiring RSVP/tickets: Hacklab Electronics Class at Eventbrite. Get yours while they last!

Hacklab is announcing three workshops for the end of 2011:

Monday Nov 28th, 7-9pm: RepRap Users Group & Workshop
Come to hacklab.to to play with 3D printers! See RepRap.org. We’ll have our MakerBot Cupcake working, plus a good chance of having a functional RepRap, and several other printers under construction. Bring your own and we’ll all help each other! Newbies welcome, want to come see what a 3D printer looks like and learn how it works? Maybe even get inspired to build your own? This night is for you!

Monday Dec 5th, 7-9pm: Soldering Workshop #5
RSVP at Eventbrite (limit 10 people)
For total beginners, or those with some experience. Learn how to solder. Soldering is a method of assembling an electronic circuit using a hot iron and solder, a metal which liquefies at a fairly low temperature. Instruction by Eric is free, and we’ll have a variety of interesting kits on hand for you to purchase as learning templates. You’ll take your kit home at the end of the night, working, guaranteed! Open to the public – you do not have to be a member of hacklab to attend.

Monday Dec 12th, 7-9pm: Arduino Total Beginners Workshop
Arduino Beginners Workshop. For total beginners. All are welcome, no RSVP required. Eric will show you how to get started with Arduino, the super-friendly microcontroller platform that even artists love. We’ll cover getting the software installed and going, hooking up the Arduino, and a little bit of basic programming, via explanation of the Examples. You too can cut and paste your way to a working project! You’ll need to bring your own Arduino (any kind will do) and a laptop on which you can install software. Also please bring any cables required to attach your Arduino to your laptop – typically this means an A to B USB cable. If you do not have an Arduino, you can purchase one at Creatron, only a few blocks away from hacklab at 255 College Street.

All workshops are free and open to the public.

We’re playing board games at hacklab again at 3pm this afternoon (Sunday October 30th)! We’ve got Dominion and Settlers of Catan, both are award winning super popular games. Or bring your own favorite game!

Gamfternoon is free and open to the public!

Monday October 31st: Halloween, no workshop. Make your own costume and get out there and impress :-)

Monday November 7th 7-9pm: Arduino Projects Workshop
Got an Arduino-based project or idea for project that you’d like some help with? Come to our Arduino Projects Workshop! All levels welcome, from complete beginner to seasoned Arduino user, there is always more to learn. We’ll help each other out! If enough beginners show there may also be a guided lesson similar to the last workshop for total beginners. If only a few, Eric will individually help those people get started and work through a few basic examples. Bring your own laptop, Arduino (any kind will do) and USB cable. Instruction is free and open to the public, no RSVP is required.

Monday November 14th 7-9pm: Learn how to Solder
For total beginners, or those with some experience. Learn how to solder. Soldering is a method of assembling an electronic circuit using a hot iron and solder, a metal which liquefies at a fairly low temperature. Instruction by Eric is free, and we’ll have a variety of interesting kits on hand for you to purchase as learning templates. You’ll take your kit home at the end of the night, working, guaranteed! Instruction is free and open to the public, RSVP here (limit 10 people):
http://hacklabto-soldering.eventbrite.com/

Also, reminder that Monday October 24th (next week) is the T-shirt hacking workshop, bring your old T-shirts and make them fresh!

(updated: added the fact that both workshops are 7-9pm)

Come visit hacklab Sunday October 16th, 3pm onwards as we revive the “gamfternoon” gaming sessions of hacklab lore. There will be a copy of Settlers of Catan and Dominion (with Seaside expansion) on hand, or bring your games to share with others for the afternoon. The more the merrier, invite all your friends! Non-members totally welcome, the door will be unlocked. We’ll be repeating these gaming sessions every other week, so: Oct 16th, Oct 30th, Nov 13th, etc.

Free and open to the public.

Hacklab will be having a t-shirt hacking workshop on Monday October 24th, 7-9pm. We’ll be working with t-shirts and doing things like:

– laser cutting them, ala Diana Eng
– boxy to foxy, like this: Boxy to Foxy
– stylishly cut up your t-shirt, like this:
Cut up the Back of your T-shirt
Revamp an old t-shirt.

Or any other t-shirt hack, if you’re keen and you find some instructions, let’s try it out! Bring your old t-shirts and let’s make them fresh again!

We’ve received some queries for further details on the Arduino Workshop. So here’s some more info for those of you thinking of coming:

Arduino Total Beginners Workshop
Monday Sept 12th 2011, 7pm-9pm

You’ll need to bring your own Arduino (any kind will do) and a laptop on which you can install software. Also please bring any cables required to attach your Arduino to your laptop – typically this means an A to B USB cable. If you do not have an Arduino, you can purchase one at Creatron, only a few blocks away from hacklab at 255 College Street.

As before, all are welcome, no RSVP required. Eric will show you how to get started with Arduino, the super-friendly microcontroller platform that even artists love. We’ll cover getting the software installed and going, hooking up the Arduino, and a little bit of basic programming, via explanation of the Examples. You too can cut and paste your way to a working project!

The Hacklab.TO Monday Workshop series is starting again! Each Monday we will be offering a way to get started hacking. Learn some basic skills, meet some friends, and see what hacklab is all about!

Monday Sept 12th: Arduino Beginners Workshop. For total beginners. All are welcome, no RSVP required. Eric will show you how to get started with Arduino, the super-friendly microcontroller platform that even artists love. We’ll cover getting the software installed and going, hooking up the Arduino, and a little bit of basic programming, via explanation of the Examples. You too can cut and paste your way to a working project!

Monday Sept 19th: Learn how to Solder. For total beginners, or those with some experience. Learn how to solder, which is one method of assembling an electronic circuit. Instruction by Eric is free, and we’ll have a variety of interesting kits on hand for you to purchase as learning templates. You’ll take your kit home at the end of the night, working, guaranteed! RSVP here: http://hacklab-soldering.eventbrite.com/.

Monday Sept 26th: 3D Printing. For hacklab members only. Come learn how to use the makerbot from Christopher. Note: this is not a modeling workshop, you will not learn how to design 3D parts. You’ll learn how to use the Makerbot to actually print them. RSVP here: http://hacklab-3d-printing.eventbrite.com/.

Hope to see you at a workshop soon!

Come one, come all, to the 3rd Train Overlord Hackathon. Saturday August 6th, 1pm onwards.

The plan for the Hackathon is to put up way more track. With super awesome acrylic base. But if you’ve got passion to hack on the engine, the software, or whatever, come and hack! The more the merrier.

What is Train Overlord? It’s hacklab’s robotic denizen, our friendly robot overlord, who rules with an iron rail. (well, actually, the rails are aluminum, but the overlord doesn’t let that stop him). The Train Overlord is controlled wirelessly, there is a web interface, and you can download an app on your smart phone to control him directly from your phone. Our goal for the Train Overlord is to have him able to ferry empty cans from the desk to the recycle bins, on command. To that end, the Train Overlord is equipped with a winch mechanism. He also sports a laser, because what self-respecting robot doesn’t have a laser?!?

Anyway, come join us and hack on robots, no experience necessary! Saturday August 6th, 1pm onward.

Come visit hacklab this Sunday, 3pm onwards as we revive the “gamfternoon” gaming sessions of hacklab lore. There will be a copy of Settlers of Catan and Dominion on hand, or bring your games to share with others for the afternoon. The more the merrier, invite all your friends! Non-members totally welcome, the door will be unlocked. We’ll probably repeat gaming sessions on a regular basis, though dates and times may change.