The Snail

Check out our new page about The Snail we are building. Clink on the the link “The Snail” above.

Dorkbot

Zolie and I got a chance to see Dorkbot last Wednesday at:
Polly Harrold’s Sometime Gallery
4701 San Leandro, #15c
Oakland CA 94601

Thanks Karen

dorkbot

Jeremy Bornstein – Introduction to Soapmaking

He gave us a no nonsense demo of the basics of soap making which included scaring his volunteer with a caustic solution of lye that they had to hold out an open window. Now I know just enough we might have to make some at our next craft night. Zolie enjoyed trying out her new word “Soap!”

http://soap.ramified.org/
http://jeremy.org

Jeff Wishnie – Harsh Computing: Designing Computing and Communications System for Way Out There

Jeff had some great stories of setting up communications systems and computer labs in very remote places. I enjoyed his story of finding a bee hive in one of the communication towers after the system had stopped working. Zolie started to get sleepy, so we packed it up for the night and went home.

http://inveneo.org/

DV Rogers – Parkfield Interventional EQ Fieldwork (PIEQF)

I got to meet DV again, but missed his talk. Next time!

The Parkfield Interventional EQ Fieldwork (PIEQF) is a geologically interactive, kinetic earthwork that will take place in the township of Parkfield, Central California between the 28th June and 28th September 2008. This machine controlled installation converges a USGS reported Californian earthquake list with the near real time control of a hydraulically actuated earthquake shake table. Each time an earthquake occurs, an array of 1/2 inch and 5/8 inch steel rods attached to the shake table will oscillate and resonate, reflecting the dynamic nature of the Californian landscapeBorn in New Zealand and raised on earthquakes, D.V.Rogers has spent a a good part of the past ten years re-engineering an earthquake shake table. Collaborating with seismologist Andy Michael of the US Geological Survey in Menlo Park, this summer the shake table will be installed on the San Andreas Fault in the remote central Californian township of Parkfield.

http://blog.allshookup.org

Space for lease in my building

Leased

$1175 / 1200ft² – Space for lease with Skylight and roll up door to St. (Oakland west)

Light industrial/Office space located in the hub of West Oakland near Emeryville with great freeway access.

Space includes:
1200 sqft
High ceilings, Skylight
Office
Roll up door to street
wifi
Sink with cold water
Great building with lots of trades, makers, artists, and crafts.
No live/work

$1175/month

510 444 7007 for an appointment

Jon

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/off/699019742.html

Camino’s is now Open!

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Opening Night Party at Camino’s Restaurant. The food was great, conversation, warm fire, warm night, and great cocktails. Here is a recipe, more or less, I picked up from the bartenders.

Metal work I did for them

more blogs

Camino’s

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PTDR 2008 Big Wheel Places 1st!

Power Tool Drag Races

The Big Wheel 15′ Drag racer built by myself a few years back took 1st place (design) at the races held at Ace Auto in SF. Alan and I both got a chance to race and we actually won a race! We strongly believe we lost the rest of the races due to the wind, uphill course, lack of quality 110v power, wrong t-shirt, lack of support form our sponsors, not enough NITROUS, no cheerleaders, too little red, white and blue, and the fact that we ran the bar. Next race we plan to incorporate more smoke in hopes no will notice were not really moving too fast. The fire behind our seat in the last race helped distract the attention away from the real winner significantly.

I’m really glad I have such great friends that put on such great events! Make sure to support these events by any means necessary!

Big thanks to John, Big Daddy, Hal, Katie Bell, the bands, the racers and especially to Charlie, and Puney.

The Bar raised a bunch of Money for Todd! Here is the next event for him.

Link

More Picture

Scott Beale

Power Tool Drag Races this Weekend

This is the best white trash event I have ever been to! What more can you ask for, beer, girls, grease, greasy girls, racing, sun burns, and every DIY engineer freak the bay area has to offer. I will be out there with the Big Wheel Racer beating the greasy socks off of everyone again and taking home the prize money to feed my family for another year!

link

Laughing Squid info

CAMINO Restaurant opening in Oakland

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More Lighting By Jon Sarriugarte

I made ceiling light fixtures, fire tools, cook grills and wall sconces for Alison and Russel several months ago and I got a chance to see some of it installed today.

Their new place is on the upper stretch of Grand Avenue in Oakland, Chez Panisse Cafe veteran chef and produce buyer Russell Moore has taken over the former Country Home Furniture store to open Camino (3917 Grand Ave.) which should open in the next few weeks. Camino’s cooking will be all about the fireplace — a huge, waist-high stone one that Moore plans to use for rustic dishes like lamb a la ficelle, baked fish and lots of stuff cooked in cazuelas, with pots of beans bubbling in the coals. It feels alot like the Basque boarding house eatery’s I grew up in with the long family style tables and open hearth kitchen. Allison Hopelain, Moore’s partner in life and Camino, will be general manager. In addition to her own small gardening business, Hopelain has worked at Quince, Bar Tartine and Zuni.

To keep up on the official opening date see:

link

More Fixtures

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Boiler Bar at Roboexotica 2008 in SF this Saturday!

Update:

We have decided for safety reasons to cancel our participation in this event. There is just not enough room for fire. Please come by, the robots look amazing!

Roboexotica

Roboexotica USA!

What could be better in life than robots and cocktails? Well, nothing! Roboexotica is the premier cocktail making robot event which happens in Vienna each year. This week it comes to San Francisco. Join us for good music, cocktails, and robots that pour you drinks, insult you, and test your BAC. Several different artists from around the Bay Area and Europe will be presenting their work for your imbibing pleasure.

This Saturday the first US Robexotica exhibition is opening at Space, 354 5th St. San Francisco.

The Austrian cocktail robots that came to the Bay Area for Maker Faire will be joined by several local creations, ones that have been to Vienna for Roboexotica before, and some that haven’t.

You are invited to join the Boiler Bar presenting VOLT/AGED whiskey at the grand opening on Sat. May 10th from 8pm-2am!

Don’t forget to Vote in SF Weekly “Best Of” for the Boiler Bar as the Best Bar in town!

It’s on the last page of the link below.

Maker Faire 2008

Wow we had the best time this last weekend at Maker Faire.

I want to thank the crew and performers for blue collar job well done!

The whole crew minus Tackett.

More Photo’s

Scott Beale

Losmorob

Maker Faire This Weekend!

We are loaded and on our way to Maker Faire.

Hope to see you all out there.

Info