The Reuseum.com

Through the summer of 2009, the Reuseum will be organizing and participating in some great events. Community involvement is a passion and we believe that the relationship and value that we bring to ours is what gives us the ability to grow. Below are set dates for various workshops and projects that we will be providing as a source of public creativity and education for people of all ages.  We are currently looking for sponsors, volutneers and collaborators to help with any of the events listed below so if you have ideas then drop me a note @ info@reuseum.com or on Twitter.com (@reuseum)

July 16th-”Ignite Boise Rubberband Dragster Race.”
People who attend IgniteBoise2 will have a chance to create “Rubberband Dragsters” that are made from reused household items and race them for awesome prizes during the half hour intermission.
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Schedule as follows:
5:00(30?) doors open, register, build cars- David from the Reusuem will provide a craft table and materials to make cars before speaking begins.
6:00 Ignite!
Intermission-Dragster Race and awards.

Apart from the core ingredients like having the same size rubberband, innovation and unique design is encouraged.
Full Kits and instructions will be available for free or donation in advance of the race at the Reuseum in Garden City, (visit reuseum.com for hours and location).
At doors open entrants will be able to submit a car according to guidelines such as this great link by PBS:
http://pbskids.org/designsquad/projects/rubber_band_car.html

Common ingredients for the cars are:

2 CD’s,
a kabob skewer
5″x6″ piece of cardboard
uniform size rubberband
A thread spool, a straw or 2 washers for axle
tape or glue

assembly time for a car is <20 min.

any other Q’s? let me know!

Regards,
Dave

Check out IgniteBoise and what it’s all about @ igniteboise.com!

July 23rd- BEAMbot Workshop at the Meridian Library

Come with a friend, by yourself (plenty of cool people to meet, btw) or especially a younger who might like to build a cool machine!
Where: Meridian Public Library (click for address), 1pm-4pm

By building a small robot (BEAMbot) Participants will learn the fundamentals of: Hand soldering, Electrical Circuits, hands on learning, methods of re-using household electronics in new applications, and will gain exposure to the local DIY community.

The concept of a BEAMbot is the sustainable function of a robot using recycled parts and is a great learning tool for those who would like to step into the world of technology by doing something creative.

Fostering Community collaboration, education for job skill sets and scientific study, exposure to art and self sustaining technologies, awareness of production waste vs. recycling process. Everyone who comes to this workshop will be using materials and components that were taken from household electronic appliances and excess waste from large establishments

September 19th- Boise Bot Competition “Out-Think, Out-Maneuver, Destroy”

WHEN/WHERE: TBA. If you have an idea for a venue, please email Info@reuseum.com

An all around competition designed to highlight and challenge the talent and ingenuity of creative hobbyists, students and geeks through a tournament in which robots that they design and build will compete.  Three different “bot” classifications can be entered into three different styles of competition based on how to overcome an obstacle.

The three competitions are based off of the three ways to overcome and obstacle.  One person may enter a robot for any and all competitions allowed.  Multiple bots may be entered, or one so you can try for the Ironbot Trifecta.  Anyone may enter and build a bot to compete with, or you can come and rally as a spectator for your favorite robot and place nonsensical bets on the success or failure of said robot.

The three categories for ’Bot sizes are:

Bug (small)-Up to 9VDC.  Less than 3 lbs. Can be autonomous or remote controlled. These are the easiest and smallest robot to build.  Dave from the Reuseum will be hand etching boards and assembling kits for anyone who would like to make a bug to compete.  Competitions available to the Bugs are:  Time Maze, Gyro Soccer and Sumo Battle.

Kitty (Med)- Up to 15VDC.  Less than 15lbs.  Can be autonomous or remote controlled.  Competitions available to the kitties are the Time Maze, Gyro Soccer, and Sumo Battle. (however if entered into Sumo Battle, Kitties MUST be remote controlled.)

Beast (Large)-Up to 120VDC & 100lbs. MUST be remote controlled for safety reasons.  Beasts can be entered into Battle only, this will be a demo exhibition only and will be operated in a safe and fun space.  Beasts with unique capabilities can also be entered for display and demonstration only.

Kits for Bug-sized robots and parts for bigger robots are available at the Reuseum!

The Three Competitions:

Out-Think-”the Timed Maze”

Competitors will steer their robot through a maze for the best time.  Open to Bugs and Kitties.

Out-Maneuver-”Gyro Soccer”

Open to Bugs and Kitties.  Competitors will square off one-on-one and try to kick a ball in their opponent’s goal FTW!

Destroy- Sumo Battle & Junkyard Melee

Sumo Battle- A tournament composed of matches of three, sixty second rounds, may the best bot win.  Open to Bugs and Kitties.

Melee will be the Gladiator-style junkyard deathmatch of our biggest “bots”  teams may enter one robot at a time.  If you are interested in making a Beastbot, please contact Info@reuseum.com about safety ground rules and we’ll put you on “that” list.

Remember-You can build one robot and enter all three competitions to win the Ironbot Trifecta, or you can make three ‘bots that each enter one for better chances, or you could just enter one bot in one competition.

Check out these links for more info on using recycled parts for robots and the BEAMbot movement online @ solarbotics.net and Instructables.com!

Check back to see what other awesome stuff we are planning! Other things in the works inlcude another BEAMbot workshop @ the Reuseum and an Arduino outfitting clinic for those who use that great prototyping device!

April 18th, 2pm to Late

Example of a Tabletop Joule Thief via Instructables.com

We will be making desklamps out of a particular circuit called a joule thief.  These are designed to use a (or many) LEDS to “steal” the remaining voltage out of batteries that might otherwise be considered dead.  Often they still have some remaining life but not enough to drive a circuit.  With a joule thief, the circuit actually pulls the remaining power out of the battery.  The desktop lamps we make here will save you valued energy and provide a personalized use and aesthetic to your environment.  Some communities have created art projects to power public streets with these lamps that also go by the moniker of energy seeds.  At this particular workshop we will all have the opportunity to add them to our homes.  Workshop goers will be able to bring their own “vase” to build their lamp into, insuring that everyone comes out with a personal art piece. 

Cost of the workshop is $25.00, including all parts necessary, tools and facility.

You can reserve your kit here, or at the store.

Hope to see you there!

Boise, Idaho’s first Ignite was held on Thursday, March 19th at the Egyptian Theater.  honor it was to be a part of such a great event.  Many thanks to the organizers, volunteers and sponsors who worked so hard for free or gave out of their own pockets to bring us together. Also I am so proud of Boise, what a great hometown, we are blessed. Watch out for IgniteBoise 2! www.igniteboise.com

The Reuseum seeks to provide a service to its community by providing many avenues of re-use and repurposing before anything ever hits the recycling plant or the landfill.  Ingenuity and innovation are key factors in finding insight into what exactly is useful and need not be thrown away.  We would ask your support and consider the benefits of donating used items or buying second hand for your desired purposes. Nothing is useless to a healthy imagination.  In these times it seems the saying “make do or make do without” has a very pertinent meaning.  Let us learn to thrive with that cause in mind.

Curiosity. While lethal to most cats, remains a nominal concern for most humans

First of all much thanks to the Idaho Statesman for their article on our store. Also thanks to www.Getlofi.com and www.makezine.comfor giving us a shout, go check out their sites if you would like to have your mind expanded daily.  Our third community workshop was an all-purpose event.  Among the options of things to hack and make were webcams, noisemaker synth kits ala Forrest Mims III’s chap books, and an plain ol’ toy hacking goodness.  By the end of the night we had a remote controlled spycam, an anatomical structure made out of vintage resistors, several hacked toys controlled by an Arduino, and had peeked at the burned out insides of an audio oscillator from 1941.  The point we seek every time we host a workshop is to achieve a face to face forum of people with different ideas coming together and sharing them.  I feel like I got to meet a few new good people and hope and many more stop in to find out what the Reuseum is all about.  Many thanks go out to all of the great interesting people who came down, and especially to those who took a courageous step and decided to try something new for the first time.  In case you didn’t get to make it this time, we still have all of the parts for your DIY project, so don’t hesitate to visit the store and collect your goodies for some ingenious fun.  Our next workshop won’t be until March so don’t sit on your hands, get creative!

Pete makes a spycam sculpture.

webcam desktop using spare parts

Lenny the Lego-cam

Greetings and a big thank you to everyone who is a fan and supporter of our small surplus and DIY outlet.  This year was both fun and challenging, but some very cool culture and community has been fostered here In the next year we hope to continue to provide a practical and creative source for your home projects, collector’s itch, industrial needs or just browsing through cool obscure stuff.  In 2009 the Reuseum will continue to host small community workshops targeted towards fun creative activities and work to foster the independent spirit of makers and engineers in the Treasure Valley, focusing on the philosophy of sustainability and repurposing technology. We also offer a variety of services including trade and intake of your unwanted or unused technology or strange whatchamacallits so that we can continue to find cool inventory for our store.   In uncertain times like these innovation is at the core of creating prosperity, here at the Reuseum you can find something to apply your curiosity to and learn, or create that machine that only used to be a dream on a budget that you won’t mind either.

Hi there and thanks for visiting the web page.  Now the only better thing to do would be to actually visit the store!  Over the last six months the Reuseum has slowly begun to be cultivated into not just your average surplus store, but a center for home hobbyists, engineers, artists, geeks and tinkerers to come down and find resource for their projects and ideas.  Everyone that comes in provides a very unique take on the store and gives the store potential to be a true facility of innovation, creativity and practicality.  In the near future more people will realize what true value lies in the knowledge of craft and ingenuity.  As a further commitment to our service to those who already know, available at the Reuseum this holiday season starting December 6th will be a series of fun kits to build based off of the very versatile 555 timer IC.  These range from toy pianos to door sensors and everything else in between.  Come down and get an insanely awesome experience through learning and community, worktables are open every Sunday for a small fee and no one should miss the chance to come create a cool gadget on the cheap!

Reuseum is well stocked with Odd, Unusual, Unique, and “one of a Kind” items for the worlds of Science, Industry & Electronic surplus.

Also, we have a huge supply of older Electronic Components (Capacitors, Resistors, Switches, wire, & Etc.)

Cool stuff comes and goes fast - make sure and stop by often.

Come see us at “The Reuseum” Surplus Outlet Store!