Class Description: Ever wonder what is actually happening inside the "magic black boxes" of modern technology? In this hands-on introductory workshop, you'll pull back the curtain on digital electronics. We will cover the absolute fundamentals of electricity, voltage, and current, and introduce the component that sparked the digital revolution: The Transistor.
Using a solderless breadboard, you will build a functioning transistor-controlled LED switch circuit from scratch, and you get to keep the hardware kit (including the breadboard and power module) to continue experimenting at home! No prior electronics experience required.
Class Restrictions: Age restriction will be 14+. All minors must register alongside a participating adult.
About the Instructor: Shihanur Tahmid is an Electrical and Computer Engineering student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the founder of ElectroSpark CAS. Deeply passionate about hardware architecture and semiconductor fundamentals, Shihanur specializes in breaking down complex technical concepts into hands-on, practical engineering experiences. His goal is to demystify the "black boxes" of modern electronics and show students how everyday computing functions are built from the silicon up.
Students will learn basic engineering skills, how to build a “STEAMbot” robot, learn how to control the STEAMbot, and learn how program it to perform tasks. At the end of the class the student takes home the STEAMbot.
An Extra STEAMbot Kit can be purchased for a guardian assisting an under 18 Student, for $50. Please use the appropriate Ticket type to add the extra kit.
About the Instructor: Mr. Perez is a semi-retired engineer with over 45 years experience in various engineering fields. Mr. Perez worked mainly at small companies but worked for Apple, RSA Data Security and Qualcomm and was the editor for several computer standards. His current goal is to encourage more young people to consider careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM). Mr. Perez started The STEAM Train, LLC to offer a low cost robotic kit so more young people could have a real robot at home.
Red Mountain Makers Membership & Board Meetings are held the second Sunday of each month in the classroom with a call-in option on discord, unless otherwise announced.
All members are welcome and encouraged to attend*.
Meetings start at 6pm and go until adjourned.
Learn to make an elegant hand-crafted “Baron” Fountain Pen OR a Roller Ball Pen!
The “Baron” fountain pen is trimmed with nibs, clips and other elements made out of the highest quality silver plating which gives each pen a distinguished look in addition to durability. Experience in turning would be helpful but is not required.
The fountain pen features an ultra-smooth threading removable cap that screws on to both the bottom and top of the pen. The Baron Fountain Pen not only is a great looking pen, but it is also light weight and one of the smoothest writing instruments available for everyday use and has a two-tone German made nib with an iridium tip. The artistic fittings are hand worked and polished and the solid metal external components add to the pens expensive and hardy feel.
The Baron comes with both a siphon pump and blue ink cartridge. This hand-crafted pen will make a unique gift to others or yourself and will be completely one-of-a-kind!
The Baron Rollerball was designed for comfort, style, and function with its classic design and six striking facets on the nib.
The Baron Rollerball is extremely easy to make and includes a ceramic tipped Schmidt cartridge for ultra-smooth and effortless writing.
Each pen will be turned from beautiful exotic woods such as: King Cocobolo, Olivewood, Burmese Rosewood, Cherry Burl, Boxelder Burl, Red Mailee Burl, Bocote, Spalted Tamarind, Box Elder, etc. Students may choose silver plated or gold for the pen kit.
About the Instructor: Terry Tingle is a long time member of the Alabama Woodturners Association and is a member of The American Association of Woodturners. Terry has been teaching students how to turn pens for years, some of whom have had their exhibitions in Art and Craft Shows throughout Alabama, including Mentone.
Are Minors allowed? Yes, accompanied by parent.
What to wear: You must dress safely and appropriately. Arrive for class in long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long sleeves should be avoided if possible and rolled up if necessary. Long hair must be tied back and dangly necklaces, earrings or other accessories shall be removed before starting the class. Additional protective gear will be provided as needed. Masks may be required depending on circumstances.
Age: there are no age restrictions to the class, though minors must be supervised by a guardian at all times. Please read carefully the disclaimers and guidelines and contact us with any questions or concerns.
Refund and Cancellation Policy
Develop fundamental skills in joining metal objects under the instruction of Stephen Charles, a former Welding Engineer and owner of Metalcraft Creative. This is an introductory class with no prior experience necessary. It includes a crash course in the MIG welding process, metal cutting, grinding, as well as the basics of hand tool use and shop safety.
Students will leave with a wide familiarity of skills and studio techniques.
NOTE: This class is a pre-requisite for the other welding process classes (stick and TIG) as well as any Project-Based Metalcraft classes.
What to wear: If you use glasses to read, please bring them. If you can't see, you will struggle welding well. At RMM, you must dress safely and appropriately. Arrive for class in all-natural fiber clothing (100% cotton), long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long hair must be tied back. Nylon, polyester, spandex are flammable and should not be worn around welding equipment, or processes that can produce hot fragments, sparks, or flames. Additional protective gear (hood, jackets, gloves) will be provided as needed.
About the Instructor: Stephen Charles is a former Welding Engineer with many years of experience in production welding and custom fabrication. He has taught hundreds of beginners in the basics of welding and fabrication. Also, he’s pretty funny, so if you don’t have a sense of humor just laugh when everyone else does and no one will notice.
Get introduced to the beautiful craft of woodworking by making your own cutting board! You will choose from a variety of designs composed of different native hardwoods, learn proper assembling, gluing, sanding and finishing techniques and will be taught how to correctly use thickness planer and orbital sander.
After this 3-hour course, you will bring home a stylish ~ 8.5" x 11" handmade board that you can show off to your friends and family. Choose your design from these beautiful options:
What to wear: You must dress safely and appropriately. Arrive for class in long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long sleeves should be avoided if possible and rolled up if necessary. Long hair must be tied back and dangly necklaces, earrings or other accessories shall be removed before starting the class. Additional protective gear will be provided as needed.
About the Instructor: Terry Tingle is a long time member of the Alabama Woodturners Association and is a member of The American Association of Woodturners. Terry has been doing woodworking since 2014, and has taught students how to create cutting board designs, cut segments, glue and use a variety of clamps, and how to use planers and orbital sanders, and how to use the right finishes to preserve cutting boards. Terry is knowledgeable and experienced in making long grain, edge grain, and end grain cutting boards. He especially enjoys seeing the expression of a student who has just learned how to make something that looks great and is so useful. And cutting boards make great gifts!
Learn the beautiful craft of pen-turning! In this introductory course to wood turning, you'll be shown how to turn a beautiful wooden pen on the lathe.
Over a couple of hours, you'll produce a gorgeous piece that is a perfect present for a dear one (or for yourself!) and learn the basics of woodturning, safety behind the lathe and its operations, as well as the different gouges to use in the process. Affectionately dubbed the "Cigar Pen,” this big body pen never gets lost on a desktop or in a purse. The large body fits comfortably in your hand for easy writing. The Cigar Pen features a high-quality, long-lasting mechanism and a durable finish. This kit utilizes a Parker style refill and a premium double twist mechanism for flawless smooth action. Excellent gift for any man in your life. Also easier to hold for people with arthritis. This pen comes in Chrome, Gold, or Black.
For a little bit fancier pen, make the Ultra Cigar pen with a “Maple Burl” pen blank for just $20.00 more:
In this class, students will create their own pair of hanging pyramid planters from raw clay, all while learning foundational techniques for the medium. This is an introductory class that requires no prior experience with clay. Come get your hands dirty and hear a bit more about the ceramic process!
Based out of Hoover, AL, Hannah Dempsey has been honing her skills as a ceramic artist for nearly a decade.
She specializes in wheel thrown pottery, though frequently incorporates handbuilt elements into her work. A staunch believer in function over form, Hannah seeks to marry to the two, infusing whimsy into everyday objects.
The Mesa pen
This one-piece twist pen is similar in styling to the Sierra & Gatsby, the lower band has rows of inlaid black diamond shapes. This is an elegant and intricate looking pen that would make a great gift. Takes a Parker refill.
This pen comes in 5 different finishes:
Gunmetal, Gold, Gold and Gunmetal, Chrome and Gold, and Chrome.
Pictured from top to bottom:
Gunmetal - with a double-dyed Maple Burl blank
Gold - with a Box Elder blank
Gold and gunmetal - with a double-dyed Maple Burl
Chrome and gold-with a blue Maple Burl
Chrome - with a blue stabilized Maple Burl
These pens are offered with Maple Burls, Doubled dyed Maple Burls, or Boxelder blanks. Multiple CA coats are applied to every pen before assembling.
In this class, students will craft their own ceramic trinket shelf from raw clay. While this is an introductory class that requires no prior experience with clay, this template is slightly more advanced. We will be utilizing techniques not covered in other workshopsCome ready to learn and get your hands dirty!
December's Game Night is 2nd to last Saturday of the month.
Our free monthly game night is held in the classroom at the Red Mountain Makers Makerspace on the last Saturday of each month. Come join us for a night of fun and adventure!
We have a variety of Tabletop games to play, like Wingspan, Sushi GO, Tokaido, Ticket to Ride, and more. You’re also encouraged to bring your own.
Game Night is a regular free event typically held on the last Saturday of the month. You DO NOT need to be a member to attend, all are welcome!
Registration not required but encouraged to help us plan.
Click link above to register!
Spend an hour long session with hot glass artist Garrett Pesta of whimsieshotglass to make as much glass art together as you can. From color pickup to shaping and blowing, what comes out is truly your work of art. Items include bowls, vases, flowers, ornaments, etc. No experience required!
Scroll down to register! Hour long sessions are $135 and can accommodate up to 4 people. The price is $135 no matter how many attend, so come make your own set of one of a kind pieces, or share the hour with friends, family or loved ones! Design options may vary based on number of guests.
To request sessions for more than one hour or more than 4 people, please email classes@redmountainmakers.org.
About the Instructor: Garrett began teaching at a young age, first as a martial arts instructor and later at a trade school for massage therapy. While teaching massage, he found a glass studio in town and was accepted as an apprentice under Daniel Bell of Red Flower Studios and Jeremy Thomley of Hot Glass Mississippi. After about a year, Garrett was hired on as an assistant in the shop. For 2 years he assisted full time in the studio while honing his glass basics. The shop focused on customer experiences and instruction. In an industry where most artists are fighting for four hours of furnace time Garrett was thrown into 12 hour days 6 days a week. After his assistantship Garrett was placed in charge of student glass experiences for 2 seasons.
During the off time he found his way out to Utah and Texas for more education and glass work experience in other studios. After moving to Birmingham , Garrett began growing his education in furnace building with the help of Charlie Correll of Correll glass studio and now has his own portable furnace for demos and classes on the go allowing him to open his own studio: Whimsies Hot Glass. The name comes from an old glassblowing term for the creative items a glassblower may get to make at the end of the work day for themselves; whimsies are all the beginnings of glassblowers personal creativity and so it will be your beginning as well!
While his focus and passion is in student experiences, blow your owns and classes Garrett's personal work can be found at local artist and makers markets in the Birmingham area.
What to wear: At RMM, you must dress safely and appropriately. Arrive for class in all-natural fiber clothing (100% cotton), long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long hair must be tied back. Nylon, polyester, spandex, or other synthetics are not allowed around machines, equipment, or processes that can produce hot fragments, sparks, or flames. Additional protective gear will be provided as needed. The CDC has a guide to acceptable cloth masks that help prevent the spread of infection.
In this class, students will craft their own mug from raw clay, all while learning foundational techniques for the medium. This is an introductory class that requires no prior experience with clay. Come get your hands dirty and hear a bit more about the ceramic process!
Develop fundamental skills in joining metal objects under the instruction of Jon Webber. This is an introductory class with no prior experience necessary. It includes a crash course in the MIG welding process, metal cutting, grinding, as well as the basics of hand tool use and shop safety.
About the Instructor: My name is Jon Webber. I've accumulated 10 years experience working as a production welder and eventually owned my own fabrication business. I look forward to passing on some of what I've learned to the next generation of welders and hobbyists alike! The best part of this class: You'll not only your improve your skills, but also get to take your impressive foot stool home when you're done!
Prior welding experience, such as the Intro to MIG class, is required for this course.
In this welding project class, under the guidance of a fabrication instructor, you will learn and apply basic fabrication skills while constructing a functional footstool (15"x15"x12") using 1” square tubing and 1/8" sheet metal. The focus of the class is to learn a variety of functional metal working skills; how to read a measuring tape, proper fit-up technique, distortion control, how to ensure a square, and finally the opportunity to apply your welding skills in welding and grinding your project stool.
What to wear: At RMM you must dress safely and appropriately. Arrive for class in all-natural fiber clothing (100% cotton), long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long hair must be tied back. Nylon, polyester, spandex, or other synthetics are not allowed around machines, equipment, or processes that can produce hot fragments, sparks, or flames. Additional protective gear will be provided as needed.
Usher in the Halloween season! In this class, students will craft their own pair of pumpkins from raw clay, all while learning foundational techniques for the medium. This is an introductory class that requires no prior experience with clay. Come get your hands dirty and hear a bit more about the ceramic process!
EXPLORE
SUPPORT US
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL!
810 4TH AVE N, BIRMINGHAM, AL 35203, UNITED STATES | 205.588.4077 | secretary@redmountainmakers.org
RMM is a proud Birmingham AL nonprofit | © 2021 | Nonprofit Tax-ID: 46-2234591
Click seal below to view our profile at Candid