Ideas Lab

Want to gain practical skills in Sydney’s newest makerspace?

These 2-hour weekly sessions are a great opportunity to get hands-on experience with our equipment and guidance from expert makers.

Bring a simple idea or project you’d like to explore, or we’ll set you up with a starter project.

You’ll access 3D printers, a laser and dye cutter, electronic kits and hand tools including soldering irons. Each week, 2 experienced facilitators will show you the ropes and discuss your ideas.

These sessions will you help better understand maker projects and processes and the potential uses of makerspace equipment.

Saturday 7 December 11am-1pm
Saturday 7 December 1.30pm-3.30pm
Saturday 21 December 11am-1pm
Saturday 21 December 1.30pm – 3.30pm

Suitable for ages 16 years and over

Experience level: A desire to expand technical design knowledge, making skills and hands-on experience of makerspace equipment is beneficial

Wear: Enclosed shoes and no loose-fitting clothing or jewellery

Bring: Your projects. Materials like LEDs, electronic sensors, cardboard and craft materials will be available.

We aim to deliver inclusive and accessible events. If you have any access or communication needs, please contact us.

Darling Square Library opens on Monday 28 October.

If you’ve ever felt like you need an extra hand, this workshop is for you. Explore prototyping, mechanical construction, laser-cutting, and the creative use of electronics to build your own moving robotic arm.

In this 5-hour workshop, you’ll design and laser-cut your own parts to make a robotic arm. Then learn how build and incorporate the electronic circuitry and complex components needed to get it going. It will even be able to grasp objects.

What you’ll learn

• Basic robotic principles and prototyping and mechanical techniques
• Basic electronic circuit-building using littleBits. littleBits include components like DC motors, dimmers and light sensors that can be added to your sculpture to create movement and interactivity
• Incorporating Arduino microcontrollers and more complex electronic components. Arduino is an open-source electronic prototyping platform that can control a variety of sensors and components including fans and motors
• Laser-cutting, including how to prepare designs in Adobe Illustrator.

What you’ll get to take home

• Your very own moving robot arm.

Bookings and class size: Maximum 12 people – bookings are required
Suitable for: Ages 16 and over
Experience level: This is a beginner program with no required knowledge. An interest in electronics, robotics and prototyping would be beneficial
Wear: No loose-fitting clothing or jewellery and enclosed shoes
Bring: Yourself – all materials provided.

We aim to deliver inclusive and accessible events. If you have any access or communication needs, please contact us on 02 9265 9333.

Facilitator: Tully Arnot

Tully is a visual artist and educator with a strong interest in DIY electronics and kinetic sculpture. He completed a Bachelor of Design and Master of Fine Arts at UNSW Art & Design and is also an artist-educator at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Darling Square Library opens on Monday 28 October.

Make your mark with a personalised 3D-printed bookmark in this hands-on 3-hour workshop. Guided by expert facilitator Heike Roberts, you’ll explore the basics of 3D design using computer-aided design (CAD) software. Learn the fundamentals of preparing files for the 3D printer, then sit back and watch your unique design become a real bookmark.

What you’ll learn:

How to create and manipulate a unique design with Autodesk Tinkercad. Tinkercad is a CAD app for 3D design, electronics and coding
CAD drafting and 3D printing skills
How a 3D printer works, including the different components and possibilities of what can be printed.

What you’ll make:

Your very own personalised 3D-printed bookmark. Your design will be printed after the workshop and we’ll let you know when it’s ready to collect (please allow up to 2 weeks)

Monday 6 January 2020: 10am – 1pm
Monday 6 January 2020: 1.30pm – 4.30pm

Bookings and class size: Maximum 12 people – bookings are required
Suitable for: Ages 12–15
Experience level: This is a beginner project with no required knowledge
Wear: Enclosed shoes and no loose-fitting clothing or jewellery
Bring: A bottle of water and a snack. All work materials are provided.

Parents/guardians are required to remain in the library during the workshop.

We aim to deliver inclusive and accessible events. If you have any access or communication needs, please contact us on 02 9265 9333.

Facilitator: Heike Roberts

Heike has worked as a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) educator for over 10 years. As part of the Modfab team, she has trained teachers and students across Australia in design, CAD and 3D printing.

In this electrifying workshop, you’ll design and build a light-up paper circuit, integrating it into a 3D sculptural form. A paper circuit is a low-voltage electronic circuit made with conductive copper tape, LEDs and a battery on paper or cardboard.

Join expert facilitator Laura Jade to discover the amazing world of electronics. Over 3 hours, you’ll learn about different currents, voltage, circuits and resisters as you build your glowing paper-circuit sculpture to take home.

What you’ll learn

• How to build a working circuit that connects LEDs and batteries to make your sculpture light up
• Using copper tape and a soldering iron to complete the circuit
• Observation and creative problem-solving
• How electricity, voltage and currents work.

What you’ll make

Your very own 3D paper sculpture with glowing LED lights. Your design will be printed after the workshop and we’ll let you know when it’s ready to collect. Please allow up to 2 weeks.

Monday 6 January 2020: 10am – 1pm

Monday 8 January 2020: 1.30pm – 4.30pm

Bookings and class size: Maximum 12 people – bookings are required
Suitable for: Ages 12–15
Experience level: This is a beginner project with no required knowledge. For young makers interested in DIY projects, making, creating, crafting, hacking, tinkering, and learning
Wear: Enclosed shoes and no loose-fitting clothing or jewellery
Bring: A bottle of water and a snack. All work materials are provided.

Parents/guardians are required to remain in the library during the workshop.

We aim to deliver inclusive and accessible events. If you have any access or communication needs, please contact us on 02 9265 9333.

Facilitator: Laura Jade

Laura is an illumination artist and interaction designer. For over 10 years, Laura has created and delivered workshops for events, festivals, schools and museums. She is the creative director of Brainlight, an interactive brain installation that lights up with the power of your mind.

Create cool geometric patterns and mathematical art with your very own cycloid drawing machine.

In this 3-hour school holiday workshop, you’ll get to build a gear-driven drawing machine for you to take home and continue creating. With facilitator Laura Jade, you’ll learn how to create a DC motor circuit and switch that lets you control the drawing machine.

What you’ll learn:

How to build a DC motor circuit to move a gear-based drawing machine with 2 gears, a switch and a battery
Using a soldering iron to complete the circuit
Observation and creative problem-solving
How electricity, voltage and currents work.

What you’ll get to take home:

Your very own working cycloid drawing machine.

Wednesday 22 January 2020: 10am – 1pm
Wednesday 22 January 2020: 1.30pm – 4.30pm

Bookings and class size: Maximum 12 people – bookings are required
Suitable for: Ages 12–15
Experience level: This is a beginner project with no required knowledge. For young makers interested in DIY projects, making, creating, crafting, hacking, tinkering and learning
Wear: Enclosed shoes and no loose-fitting clothing or jewellery
Bring: A bottle of water and a snack. All work materials are provided.

Parents/guardians are required to remain in the library during the workshop.

We aim to deliver inclusive and accessible events. If you have any access or communication needs, please contact us on 02 9265 9333.

Facilitator: Laura Jade

Laura is an illumination artist and interaction designer. For over 10 years, Laura has created and delivered workshops for events, festivals, schools and museums. She is the creative director of Brainlight, an interactive brain installation that lights up with the power of your mind.

Want to gain practical skills in Sydney’s newest makerspace?

This 2-hour weekly session is a great opportunity to get hands-on experience with our equipment and guidance from expert makers.

In our regular Wednesday Maker time sessions, we’re celebrating the Sydney Lunar Festival.

We’ll have fantastic pepakura templates to create your own zodiac animal mask. Pepakura is a fun new papercraft technique that combines origami and scale modelling to create sculptural shapes. The 3D masks cover your entire head and looks amazing when complete.

You can also bring your own simple idea or project you’d like to explore to this session. We can also set you up with a starter project.

You’ll get access to 3D printers, a laser and dye cutter, electronic kits and hand tools including soldering irons. Each week, 2 experienced facilitators will be on hand to show you the ropes and discuss your ideas.

These sessions will help you better understand maker projects and processes and the potential use of makerspace equipment.

Book now
Wednesday 29 January, 4.30pm-6.30pm
Wednesday 5 February, 4.30pm-6.30pm

Bookings and class size: Maximum 12 people.
Suitable for: Ages 16 years and over
Experience level: A desire to expand technical design and knowledge, physical making skills and hands-on experience of makerspace equipment is beneficial
Wear: Enclosed shoes and no loose-fitting clothing or jewelry
Bring: Your projects. Pepakura templates and some materials like LEDs, electronic sensors, cardboard and craft materials will be available.

Turn up the volume on your very own FM radio in this 3D design and electronics workshop.

You’ll assemble an FM radio circuit and research, design, 3D print and laser-cut a bespoke outer case. You’ll use sketches and computer-aided design tools to help you create your case, and you can customise it whichever way you please. The only limitation is your imagination.

You’ll need to attend every session to complete the course and your radio.

What you’ll learn

• Basic skills in computer-aided design (CAD), 3D printing, laser cutting and electronics
• Designing products using Autodesk Fusion and exporting them to a 3D printer
• Soldering and assembling electronic products
• Creating a bespoke casing around electronic products

What you’ll get to take home

Your very own FM radio, personalised with your bespoke outer-case design.

Important info

Bookings and class size: Maximum 12 people – bookings are required

Suitable for: Ages 16 and over

Experience level: This is a beginner program with no required knowledge. An interest in bespoke small design manufacturing is beneficial

Wear: Enclosed shoes and no loose-fitting clothing or jewellery

Bring: Yourself – all materials provided.

We aim to deliver inclusive and accessible events. If you have any access or communication needs, please contact us.

About the facilitator: Ben Roberts
Ben is an experienced broadcast engineer and trainer for Modfab in rapid-prototyping technology. Modfab is a leader in 3D printing workshops and provides education in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) to all ages.