Makin’ it on Broadway – Metrix in Seattle
So I thought that since I was already in Seattle for business that I’d stop in to one of the local hackerspaces. After a little searching online, the one that looked the closest and most promising was the Metrix Create:Space. After finding my way by bus to Broadway East in the Capitol Hill area of Seattle, I hiked up Broadway for a few blocks. Pretty soon the little arrow on my Android phone suggested that I should be right at the front door. However, I didn’t see any signs of life in the nearby store windows at 7:30pm. Then I wandered into a little alcove and the Metrix sign was lurking at the bottom of a flight of stairs.
Even from the outside this place looks interesting, but this place is definitely a play ground for grown up kids who love to make stuff! They have laser cutters, a powder bed 3D printer, a CNC router, 3D printers (kits and custom), electronics/PC boards/Cheese&Peanut Butter all in the same vending machine, guys working on a quad copter, stuff powered by Raspberry Pi’s, Arduino kits, a whole room devoted to textiles, and more quirky people than a starship full of tribbles.
To top off the serendipity of the evening, I just happened to wander in on 3D printing night! Evidently every Thursday evening, locals bring in their 3D printing projects (RepRaps, OpenBeam Delta Bots, and others). So there was a whole table full of 3D printers in various stages of coming to life.
Two of the coolest sights of the evening were a steam punk Raspberry Pi cube (courtesy of Wilson–on the right in the last photo below) and a couple of home grown salt crystal lamp shades.
In addition to the 3D printing stuff (home grown as well as a Z printer and some other cool 3D printer paraphrenalia), Metrix also serves up resources for laser stenciling, CNC router jobs, textile DIY, and more.
I’m still a little new to the whole Maker scene, but I have to say that Matt (below left) has definitely put together one of the coolest spaces that I’ve seen. The stuff in the the shop is cool, but just edgy enough that I feel like I could probably build the stuff I saw. If you’re looking for a fun night out in Seattle, the Metrix guys are open until midnight! Come prepared for fun.
Check out the Metrix Create:Space on the web at http://metrixcreatespace.com/.
Muahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!! Ok, now that I have that out... I can get to work. For as long as I can remember, I have been making things. This habit used to be called "Inventing" but has lately been repurposed by the Maker community with the term "Maker". While there are some subtle differences between Inventing and Making, I have discovered my passion for both by inspiring a new generation of Makers. In this quest to spark creative thinking and problem solving through practical and exciting projects, I draw on my background in biomedical research, high energy fiber laser development, and 15 years of building laboratory devices. As an experimental physicist with a PhD from Case Western Reserve University, I have seen research and development from many angles and am now bringing that experience to middle school and high school students who want to make everything from catapults to cybernetic augmentations. Through the medium of Making and Inventing, students are transformed from passive observers of education to active learners. This powerful shift fosters deep insights, creative expression, collaborative thinking and a host of other skills that are difficult to learn in traditional settings. Along with my wife Debby, an accomplished constructivist educator, I am on a quest to transform education and am looking for like-minded collaborators to bring hands-on learning to future generations.
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