NextFab Studio Blog

NextFabulous Social THIS THURSDAY! 5/17 @ Nodding Head

itsuki-nfs — Mon, 14 May 2012 08:11:00 -0400

Come join us at our NextFabulous Social this month @ Nodding Head on 5/17.

Get away from your project and your computer and have a drink! Meet other fellow makers in town and find out what they are up to and share your ideas!

Nodding head Brewery and Restaurant

1516 Sansom, philadelphia, PA

5/17/2012 @6PM

Weekly Staff Picks, May 13, 2012

gregghigham — Sun, 13 May 2012 10:13:00 -0400

This weeks picks include science merged with art and art and science in food and science for the “just because we can” category.

Tree Piece Helmets Wooden Sports Helmets - Brandon

Catia V6 Bend Part Design – Adam

Laser cut seaweed (nori) makes fish taste 3 days fresher! - Evan

Everything but the Paper Cut 3 Dimensional Cut Paper Art – Brandon

JETMAN Need I say more? - Seth

The Pingry School Inaugural Achievement in the Arts Award

rachel-nfs — Wed, 02 May 2012 16:36:25 -0400

NextFab recently fabricated the inaugural Achievement in the Arts award for The Pingry School in New Jersey. The design incorporates acrylic and brushed stainless steel, and required the use of our sheet metal forming tools, as well as our Trotec Flexx 300 UV laser. The award was designed by the school’s Fine Arts faculty member Miles Boyd.

RED BULL FLUGTAG is coming

itsuki-nfs — Tue, 01 May 2012 12:45:27 -0400

RED BULL FLUGTAG is coming :

Get your friends and start thinkingflying machines because Red Bull Flugtag Philadelphia is officially coming to The Camden Waterfront on Saturday, September 15^th. Applications are now being accepted for this outrageous flying competition that will take place on the banks of the Delaware River. Applications can be downloaded at www.redbullflugtagusa.com and are now being accepted either online or via snail-mail. If you’ve got the guts, want the glory, or just know someone you’d like to push off a 30-foot high ramp, don’t miss what could be the flight of your life! Don’t let the ground hit you too soon by missing the June 15^th deadline.

Weekly Staff Picks, April 29, 2012

gregghigham — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 09:50:42 -0400

Here are our Staff picks for this week. We’ve got Robots, Clothing mods, an Arcade, Etsy and Software links today. We hope you enjoy them!

How to Train your Robot Teaching kids between 5 and 7 to program by using parents as the CPUs to carry out a set of instructions prepared by the children. The author describes how he observed the children naturally discovering principles such as parametrization, abstraction, composition and unit testing. - Alex

Refashionista Fun clothing hacks. I’ve got a ton of old clothes just waiting to be made into new ones! - Christine

Regretsy outs an Etsy re-seller who imports furniture from Bali. - Stephanie

Caine’s Arcade Very maker-spiritual cardboard arcade built by a 9-year-old boy. - WanTing

The Zooming Presentation Editor PPTs are booooring. Check out this new way to present using typography and motion. - Ross

Philly Tech Week: NextFab features Toool

itsuki-nfs — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:18:00 -0400

Thank you Babak Javadi and Deviant Ollam from the US division of TOOOL, The Open Organization of Lockpickers for the amazing lock-picking workshop yesterday. And thank you everyone who attended. It was a great mix of people. I hope you all had fun and walked away with some lock-picking skills.

The TOOOL Lockpick Workshop is a fun physical security demonstration and participation workshop run by The Open Organisation Of Lockpickers, a non-profit organization. We got to learn about the history behind mechanical locks, experiment with exotic lock designs, and test your skills against your friends and others.

It was a great turn out. Everyone had a hands-on experience to lock-pick and practice. We had a good amount of positive feedbacks from the attendance! We have to do this again! Get ready!!

NextFab 2 Preview Party, a set on Flickr.Here are the photos...

rachel-nfs — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 15:35:57 -0400

NextFab 2 Preview Party, a set on Flickr.

Here are the photos from the NextFab 2 Preview Party. It was a great success!

Thank you to our wonderful sponsors, RedBull, Jet Wine Bar, Rex 1516, The Sidecar Bar and Grill, P’unk Ave, Flying Kite, SOGT law, Equipois Inc., OLIN, JSA, Trolly Car Cafe, inHabit, The Designated Sketcher, U3 Ventures, The Science Center and Design Philadelphia.

Also thank you to our awesome exhibitors and participating artists and supporters who and attended. Congratulations to the raffle and auction winners!

Weekly Staff Picks, April 22, 2012

gregghigham — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 10:03:51 -0400

Here are our Staff Picks for this week.

The Tricorder Project Open source project aims to build StarTrek Tricorder- want to help? - Evan

Republic Bike Customized bikes: Republic Bike. You can customize your bike based on shared design. - WanTing

Phantasm CS This is a plug-in for Illustrator that adds several useful tools including embedded image capabilities and vector toning. There’s a free trial period. Great for laser work. - Stephanie

Computers Powered by Crabs Research shows that logic gates (OR, XOR, and AND) can be simulated by herding soldier crabs through tunnels, meaning a crab-based computer is at least theoretically possible. - Alex

Say Hello to Tegris Ever wonder how laser cutting machines are made? Quench your curiosity! - Seth

Philadelphia Woodworks Grand Opening: Sunday, April 22nd

yulia-nfs — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:51:02 -0400

Philadelphia Woodworks Grand Opening: Sunday, April 22nd 2pm – 7pm

Professional Grade Members Woodshop for Hobbyists, Artists and DIY Enthusiasts

4/3/2012, Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia Woodworks Members Workshop (philadelphiawoodworks.com), a “collaborative for woodworkers” developed by first‐time entrepreneur Michael Vogel, opened its doors on March 1, 2012. Located in Manayunk with convenient off‐street parking, Philadelphia Woodworks is a community workshop where woodworkers of all levels finally have easy and affordable access to professional‐grade tools, expert training, on‐site lumber, storage facilities and a woodworkers supply store. Members craft their membership to their needs, availability and skill level. The Grand Opening of the facility, which also includes an art and furniture gallery, will be on Sunday, April 22, 2012 starting at 2pm, at which point Philadelphia Woodworks’ Founding Membership program (and membership discounts) closes.

The 8,000 sq. ft. members shop boasts over $100,000 in tools and equipment; the lumber yard and woodworkers supply store is fully stocked with both domestic and exotic hardwoods as well as a full range of project supplies. The lumber yard also features an exclusive collection of one‐of‐a‐kind reclaimed and salvaged materials from Provenance Mill Works.

Membership options range from unlimited access during open business hours (6 days per week) to pay‐per‐use access. For Michael and his team, the safety of members and those around them is paramount. Members, once safety certified on each tool, have full access to cabinet tablesaws, planers, jointers, bandsaws, drill presses, miter saws, lathes, power sanders, router tables, hand tools, woodworking library and hands‐on samples of fine joinery, all maintained daily by Philadelphia Woodworks staff.

Background

As an undergraduate architecture student, Michael developed a hobby for woodworking at UPenn’s professional‐ grade woodshop that, with graduation, joining the work force and living in a small Center City house, ground to a disappointing halt. Even if he’d had the space to set up a home shop, the cost of equipment, maintenance and the absence of knowledgeable woodworkers around him all kept Michael from creating his own shop. And without any furniture‐grade communal woodshops in the area, there really was no place that Michael could pursue his passion for woodworking. That was until he left a 10‐year career in the business world to create one.

Michael explains his concept this way: “Your work, your projects, our shop – just imagine what you can build! We are part of the collaborative economy that is providing consumers unique ways to share and co‐op products and services, save money and enhance their lifestyles by offering members what they could otherwise not afford or maintain on their own. Many people dream of a hobby in woodworking but can’t realize that dream because of the financial commitment for even basic equipment, much of which goes unused for the bulk of its life. We have invested in the highest quality and safest equipment available, put it all under one roof with supervision and guidance, and then opened it to shared users—people who appreciate fine craftsmanship and want to master it for themselves. Our members’ primary responsibilities are to have fun, to be creative and to be safe.”

The Grand Opening will be held on Sunday, April 22, 2012 starting at 2pm. Activities will include woodworking demonstrations from renowned local furniture makers and artists, drawings and prizes, tours of the shop and full access to Michael and his staff for questions. A reception will follow at 5pm. Sponsors of the event are all local and include The Center for Art in Wood, Paul Downs Cabinet Makers, Woodcraft of Downingtown, Penn State Industries and The Independence Seaport Museum.

A press day for photos, videos, tours and interviews will be held on Monday, April 16, 2012 from 12pm ‐ 4pm. Recent articles on Philadelphia Woodworks can be found on the company’s website at: philadelphiawoodworks.com/press‐room/. If attending the press day, please RSVP by email or phone (267‐331‐ 5880; info@philadelphiawoodworks.com).

Photos of Philadelphia Woodworks can be found online at philadelphiawoodworks.com/photos/

Weekly Staff Picks, April 15, 2012

gregghigham — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 10:09:39 -0400

Here are our Weekly Staff Picks for April 15, 2012

Thoughts on Code and Art Interesting commentary about algorithms in art and architecture from Marius Watz. - Stephanie

The Power Pot A kickstarter project selling a pot which produces electricity while boiling water/tea/etc. - Alex

The Flat Clock Great web interface that allows you to design and order a customized wall clock. Based on the options you have control over, it looks like the geometry for the clock face is being generated in the background by some sort of automated Grasshopper script running in Rhino. When I showed this to Evan, he mentioned that it’s quite similar to Nervous System’s Cell Cycle 3D web application, which does something similar for 3D printable jewelry. - Alex

Sound you can Touch 3D print a custom iPhone case with your favorite sound from SoundCloud. $25 for one. - WanTing

An Engineer’s Guide to Cats A well thought out and thorough video guide to cats for engineers, by engineers. - Seth

Artistic Rebuttal Book Project 2012 Benefit

yulia-nfs — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:42:36 -0400

Passing this along to all artists and creative people who might find it interesting. Please consider attending this event.

PHILADELPHIA, PA—The Artistic Rebuttal Book Project (ARBP) is teaming up with Replica Global, a graphic design firm and digital printing press in Center City Philadelphia, to raise funds to print this year’s National Edition of the book. All are invited to donate $10 at the door to attend the ARBP’s 2012 Benefit on Thursday, May 3 from 6:00-9:00 at Replica Global, located at 33 South 18th Street, Philadelphia, PA. Guests will enjoy light refreshments, interactive arts activities for all ages, including a rebuttal-making and screen-printing station, and will be able to purchase ARBP posters, sketchbooks, T-shirts and more.

ARTISTIC REBUTTAL BOOK PROJECT

Started by Philadelphia artist Amy Scheidegger in 2011 after overhearing a conversation between a group of teenagers about the worthlessness of a degree in the arts, the project collected 275 rebuttals to the “IS ART WORTHLESS?” debate from individuals in 22 states. Statements came not only from artists, but also from mail carriers, students, corporate employees, and elementary school teachers, to advocate for the importance of art in social change, world events, everyday life, personal growth, and as an economic driver.

Returning for another year and a second book, this year’s submissions have a theme: Art is an instinct. “Artists often feel an inward impulse to create,” says Scheidegger. “Artists of all types feel a sense of accomplishment - a very personal reward - from this impulse to do, make, and perform. When this creation is shared, others are often moved, inspired, or rewarded themselves. Born from this internal drive, a work of art has so many different ways of affecting people. I want to capture this in this year’s book.”

For more information on the Artistic Rebuttal Book Project, please visit www.artisticrebuttal.com.

Weekly Staff Picks, April 8, 2012

gregghigham — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 09:42:00 -0400

Here are our links for this week. We hop you enjoy them. Happy Holidays from NextFab Studio!

Sketch Furniture Use motion capture to draw a piece of furniture and print it out. - WanTing

Sand Flea R/C car/robot that can jump 30 feet into the air. - Carter

Peter the Elephant Here is an elephant using a tablet. - Seth

Flexible Plastic eReader Display is about to be released in Europe. It’s about time. - Gregg

Edible Cookbook A cookbook whose pages are made from fresh pasta — the pages are imprinted with a lasagna recipe so the pages become the layers of the lasagna. - Alex

Business & Arts Partnership Award

itsuki-nfs — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 10:43:00 -0400

Congratulations everyone!! NextFab Studio and Breadboard have won the Philadelphia Arts & Business Council “Business & Arts Partnership Award: Small Business with an Arts and Cultural Organization”.

“The Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia helps drive the cultural vitality and economic development of the Greater Philadelphia Region by strengthening the partnership between business and the arts and cultural community.” Read more…

Mix It: Opening Night Party

itsuki-nfs — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:18:13 -0400

Mix It: Opening Night Party:

Games, music and technology collide at the tapping of the Science Festival Beer by Yards Brewery. Enjoy a cold Weizenbock while creating music and building gadgets with NextFab.

Tickets are now available :

Buy Science Festival Tickets Here

Online event registration with TicketLeap

“NEXTFAB BENEFITS OUR DEVELOPMENT OF DESIGN INTENT”

yulia-nfs — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 11:30:07 -0400

As an award-winning landscape architecture, urban design, and planning practice with studios in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, OLIN develops projects ranging in scale from master plans for entire urban districts to intimate garden spaces and residences. In developing these projects, OLIN often relies on models to articulate concepts in ways that are engaging and easy to understand. To help develop and fabricate these models, they turn to the expertise of the NextFab staff, who have helped them bring many of their major design endeavors to life… <read more>

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

itsuki-nfs — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:45:00 -0400

Call For Submissions

Show your work at NextFab 2 Preview Party

Deadline: April 12, 2012

NextFab Studio is calling for artwork and design products to be displayed at The NextFab 2 Preview Party on April 19th, 2012 at our new flagship location: 2025 Washington Avenue, Philadelphia. Attending the event will be the entire extended NextFab community, including hundreds of artists, inventors, entrepreneurs, businesses, and non-profit arts and educational organizations.
Exhibitors selected for the event will receive free admission to the event, and are invited to sell their works with no gallery fee.
The exhibit space features white painted 14’ ceilings, white masonry walls and a drive-through roll-gate loading entrance. Floor standing, table top, wall-hanging, video projected, and audio works will all be considered. All work needs to be delivered on April 17th and be picked up on April 20th or April 21st. Exhibitors are responsible for their own delivery and installation/de-installation.
Work should preferably be made at least in part at NextFab, or made at least in part using processes and technologies available at NextFab, including laser cutting/etching, CNC machining/routing, 3D printing, 3D modeling, digital embroidery, electronics, e-textiles, computer graphics, digital printing, and animation. Consideration will be given to a very broad range of submissions, including concepts and unfinished works.

Applications must include:

Artist name, resume, contact information (including email address and phone number)
What part of work (if any) was performed at NextFab or employed NextFab services
Work description: including size, material(s) if any, list of digital fabrication techniques used, if any, and a summary of the general concept, inspiration, or application (maximum 200 words)
Photographs (digital, maximum 2 MB per photo, maximum 3 photos per work)
Any special exhibit facilities required (electricity, digital projector, audio system, etc.)

Please submit your application HERE :
http://www.nextfabstudio.com/submissions
If you have any questions, please contact us at info@nextfabstudio.com

About NextFab 2:

The location, formerly a custom ironwork shop run by old-world craftsmen, will be reconfigured by Philadelphia architecture and design firm inHabit into an engine of tomorrow’s creative economy - 21,000 sf of cutting edge equipment and facilities with expert staffing, numerous classes and workshops, and accessible design, engineering and custom fabrication services. Find out more…

Preview Party:

Thursday, April 19, 2012 from 6pm to 9pm is your opportunity to get a sneak preview of the future home of Philadelphia’s premiere facility for artistic and technological innovation. Enjoy complimentary food and drinks, an open bar, music and video entertainment, while exploring exhibits and demonstrations of works of art and technology by members of the NextFab community. Find out more…

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Weekly Staff Picks, April 1, 2012

gregghigham — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 10:30:00 -0400

Here are our Staff Picks for this April Fool’s Day. We hope you enjoy them.

Heavy Equipment Playground Hey, kinda reminds me of us. - Carter

NoLab Super 8 Digital Video Cartridge “The Kodak Super 8 system is a brilliant film format that inspired thousands of wonderfully well made Super 8 cinema cameras. Unfortunately, the proprietary film cartridges are no longer in production and existing supplies are quickly diminishing…Give new life to your Super 8 camera with the Nolab Digital Super 8 Cartridge. Shoot 720p HD video with any Super 8 camera.” - Alex

Shake Shack Philly Unveils Wall of Green “…the Union Square Hospitality Group has erected a living “wall of green” filled with planters containing lush foliage until the construction ends later this summer” - Alex

Motorcycle drifting vs Automobile Drifting Video Lots of tire smoke. Pretty amazing vehicular control. - Adam

Two Photon Polymerisation Miniature, High Speed 3D printing. - Brandon

Urban Nomads Portable emergency housing, cooking, camping, medical and event structures, trailers and cases. Very interesting. In German, though the info section has an English translation. - Rachel

Call For Submissions Show your work at NextFab 2 Preview...

itsuki-nfs — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:20:00 -0400

Call For Submissions

Show your work at NextFab 2 Preview Party

Deadline: April 12, 2012

Artist name, resume, contact information (including email address and phone number)
What part of work (if any) was performed at NextFab or employed NextFab services
Work description: including size, material(s) if any, list of digital fabrication techniques used, if any, and a summary of the general concept, inspiration, or application (maximum 200 words)
Photographs (digital, maximum 2 MB per photo, maximum 3 photos per work)
Any special exhibit facilities required (electricity, digital projector, audio system, etc.)

Please submit your application HERE :
http://www.nextfabstudio.com/submissions
If you have any questions, please contact us at info@nextfabstudio.com

Check out this limited edition invite for Ryan Hinkle’s...

rachel-nfs — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:11:00 -0400

Check out this limited edition invite for Ryan Hinkle’s Skyscapes at The Traction Company (4100 Haverford Ave.) Come to the reception on April 14, 2012, 5:00 - 8:00 PM. Sponsored by NextFab Studio.

NextFab’s Dream Weaver

yulia-nfs — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:18:17 -0400

If you’re interested in the future of high-tech textiles, we would like you to meet NextFab designer Christine Zapata. Christine combined an interest in sewing with her background in Industrial Design and developed an e-textiles workshop at NextFab where students are able to experiment with the latest technology in a hands-on, creative setting. And you won’t believe the materials they have to work with… <read more>