Classes and Workshops

Classes

Please contact Alex via the "Contact" link at the top right of this page (or by sending email to Alex@SteampunkLaboratory.com) to inquire about current classes offered.

Workshops

Beginning in early 2009, the Steampunk Laboratory will offer 4 day workshops (conducted Saturday and Sunday over two consecutive weekends, 9am to 5pm), which will provide students with hands-on introductions to various art/tech skills.  These will be taught at the Milo Arts center, at 617 E. 3rd Ave, Columbus, OH, 43201.  The next workshop is planned for January/February (schedule to be determined by student interest/availability).

Next Workshop : Learn to Build a Steampunk Glowing Display Case (January/February 2009)

This is a hands-on project which will instruct each student how to build their own 6"x6"x4" electric "Steampunk" display case.  At the end of the workshop, students will be able to take home their finished project as well as most of the tools used to construct it.  The display case consists of a a wooden box of the students' construction, stained to appear antique, with brass fixtures and a clear display window.  Within the case will be an image and/or text of the student's design, created with GiMPshop image editing software, and then galvanically etched in brass or CNC engraved in wood.  The image will be illuminated by "theater-style" LED lamps which fade in and out, wired to a switch and a transistor circuit, and soldered together by the students.

This workshop will provide hands-on experience with the following skills:

• wood staining and simple carpentry (fabricating a small wooden box, adding hinges, a clear display window, drilling mount holes, etc)
  
• circuit board fabrication and soldering (assembling circuit components from a diagram, soldering connections, measuring voltages)
  
• digital photography / GiMPshop image editing tutorial (creating personalized designs using a digital camera, scanner, a computer drawing tablet and professional software)
  
• galvanic etching of brass sheet (placing a personalized "mask" design on brass sheet, and then electrically etching it into the metal)
  
• CNC engraving (converting a personalized design into CNC code, and programming a computer-controlled router to engrave the design into wood)
  
• online "blogging" about the progress of students' projects (writing text and uploading pictures on students' own webpages within the Steampunk Laboratory website)
  

Students will also be able to take home their very own lab notebook, toolbox, digital multimeter, electronic circuit "protoboard", soldering iron, CD of GiMPshop image editing software, and more. In short, it is the goal of this workshop not just to introduce a few new skills, but to provide the knowledge, confidence, and tools to empower students to continue developing their creativity and talent on their own.

This workshop will provide the foundational skillset necessary to use for subsequent projects.  Exact scheduling and other details will be selected based on student interest.

If interested in participating in this workshop, please contact us for specific dates and class fees.  Thank you!