The Makers’ Alliance, Inc. is a corporation founded to create a community-operated physical lab and space, where people can meet, work on projects, and teach what they have learned. The space can be viewed as a fusion of a Fab-Lab, clubhouse, and community outreach.

Overall the goal of The Makers’ Alliance, Inc. is to provide infrastructure and collaboration opportunities for all people interested in learning about technology and art beyond the current standard model.  This will help build the technology and science community in the Greater Cleveland area.  The central component of this is the encouragement for knowledge exchange, learning and mentoring for all residents in Northeast Ohio.

 Our space is located at:

5363 Broadway Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44127

Any mail or packages should be sent  to:

1453 Wayne Ave.
Lakewood, OH 44107

The Corporation

The Makers’ Alliance, Inc. is an Ohio non-profit incorporation, currently applying for its 501c3 IRS designation.  The board is made up of 4 directors and 2 members-as-large.  The membership is open to anybody who supports the organization, and all decisions are made by democratic vote as laid out in the bylaws, which are available upon request.

The Makers’ Alliance is also not alone in its endeavor, as of this writing hackerspaces.org lists 219 active hackerspaces internationally, with almost 80 here in the United States.  This large network of similar spaces provides both a template and a support network. 

Typical Functions

• Hold skill-shares, classes, and events for the benefit our members and the community in general

• Work on small and large Do It Your Self projects

• Develop new and ongoing Open Source hardware projects

• Work on personal and team inventions

• Game and Computer animation development

• Public Demonstrations of scientific concepts and new technologies

Possible Classes

• Soldering 101 – Kit building

• Arduino 101 – Make your own Arduino and Learn to Program it!

• Arduino 102: Sensors and Relays

• Build Your Own Retro Computer

• Put Your Arduino on the Web

• Radio and Antenna Design

• Code Your Own Spam (or Awesome) Filter!

• CPUs 0x0065: Intro to computer processors

• Blender 101: User Interface and Basic Modeling

• Introduction to Electronics

• DIY Paper Engineering

• Blender 101: User Interface and Basic Modeling

• Beginning PHP

• Electrocardiogram!

• Arduino Web Server

• PCB Design with EAGLE

• Radio and Antenna Design

• Fire the Laser!

• Learn to rapid prototype

• Hacking the Nintendo!
   

Public Demonstrations

The Makers’ Alliance believes that the public should know what science really is… FUN!  Our goal with public demonstrations is to not only draw interest towards the group, but to demonstrate science principals in fun and interesting ways.

• Tesla coils / Singing Tesla coils

• High voltage can crushing / quarter shrinking

• Nitrogen ice-cream making

• Bio-feedback demonstrations

• Technology/art installations 
   

Labs

The Makers’ Alliance lab is meant to be democratic.  This means the lab will be of an open design, allowing the interests of the membership to control its layout.  Some configurations and sections may include:

• Basic shop setup – Hand tools, Basic power tools (drills, various saws, etc), air compressors, vacuum system, safety equipment, workbenches, etc.

• Metal working – Welders, various cutting tools, oxy-acetylene cutters, plasma cutters, milling machines, metal lathes, etc.

• Wood working – Clamps, various saws, sanders, lathes, jointers, various joining tools, chisels and other hand tools, finishing equipment, etc.

• Electronic fabrication – Soldering stations, multi-meters, DC power supplies, function generators, oscilloscopes, basic components, microcontroller kits, microprocessor kits, logic analyzers, circuit board fabrication, etc.

• Robot fabrication – Using a combination of metal and electronic fabrication, along with motor equipment, pneumatic equipment, etc.

• Programming and Networking – Full computer lab, consisting of multiple types of machines and operating systems.  Separated networks and computer systems for the exploration of protocols, network and system defense, programming, maintenance of various systems, etc.

• Car and Engine Workshop – Air tools, lifts and hoists, electrical diagnostic equipment, crawlers, etc.

• Chemical Workshop – Glassware, Bunsen burners and heaters, sensors and gauges, fume hoods, safety equipment, etc.

• Biological Workshop – dissecting tools, sequencing equipment, heart monitors and other diagnostic equipment, bio-feedback equipment, other equipment similar to chemical workshop, etc.

• Audio/Visual Workshop – Various instruments, synthesizers, various electronic music devices, developer game consoles, various speakers, video screens,  etc.

• High Voltage Lab – Faraday caged area, safety equipment, HV generators, capacitor arrays, specialized HV tools, etc.

• Amateur Radio Station – Permanent station with multiple radios, antenna configurations, computers, etc, allowing for testing, radio and antenna theory, etc.

Classrooms

As education is central to our mission, classrooms are needed to both instruct, and allow members to teach.  A few different configurations would be optimal given the wide range of topics that could be taught:

• Lecture – basic desks/tables, whiteboards, projectors.

• Computer Labs – Lecture style, plus individual computer stations.

• Project Labs – Hardened lab benches, various outlets and supply pipes for instruction of electronics, chemistry, biology, etc.

Other Facilities

In order to encourage the maximum amount of community and collaboration, other, more recreational areas are needed.

• Meeting rooms with conference tables, white boards and projectors.

• Full bathrooms, including high-flow body showers (for decontamination if necessary) – nobody enjoys body odor

• Full kitchen

• Unofficial meeting areas, with couches, chairs, tables, etc.

• Recreational area, with couches, game consoles, vending machines

• Project showcases and news centers

• “Crash space” – quiet cot rooms when working on a long project, or realizing one is too tired to drive home.