Roadside Mysteries

Yet another Hacker Space

It’s the SSD

or the Solid State Depot and their domain name is BOULDERHACKERSPACE.COM. Founded in 2010, the group is well organized and have over 500 members on MeetUp (although the actual paid membership is lower)

Solid State Fun!

Probably not called the Boulder Hacker Space due to the bad press that the term HACKER gets these days, I was not sure from talking to the members why it was called a depot that is Solid State. From a purely electronics viewpoint there should be no relays or vacuum tubes in the depot; I’m sure like most spaces, the original founders were electronic geeks who hacked only transistors and IC’s.  Tubes and relays are cool too, but the Vacuum Tube Depot sounds more like a place for vintage radio buffs or maybe a place to get your vacuum tube on like the Tube Depot.

At the intersection of technology, science, art, and culture:

It’s an Art Hacker space

Actually it’s at 3519 N. Elston Ave. in Chicago. If you visit, most likely someone is there. If the door is locked, just knock! It’s just that easy!

Textile Hackers

But on this day the Chicago Public Library was having a grand tour, so I decided to add myself to the guest list and have a look at this wonderful maker space!

Hacker Bits

A hacker space is not a group of evil nefarious computer hackers trying to steal things. At least that’s what it says on their web site.

An older CNC milling machine

Hacker spaces are not trying to teach their  members how to break the law. I hope not, but many of the hacker spaces teach lock-picking (for fun!)

Small scale router/mill

PS:1 is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986

Food Preparation Hack

Or it might be the Food Lab. Like Workshop 88, this hacker space is sponsored by the Milwaukee based School Factory.

Fermentation Hack

Across from the food lab is the fermentation area– well, they are sponsored by a group in Milwaukee after all. Hacking beer seems to be a common thing in a number of areas around the country.

Metal Fab/welding Hack

They have nice metal working facilities here and the welding that they do is primarily inert gas arc welding. There are no fume hoods for stick welding or oxy-fuel torches.

Dust collection Hack

The woodworking area is fairly large so it is important to have a large capacity sawdust collection system.

Bar Hack

Looks like someone built a bar at the front of the space probably to dispense the home-brewed beer

Wood hacking equipment

I don’t have all these kinds of tools in my basement… which is why belonging to a maker space makes  perfect sense.

SEM Hack

PS:1 claims to be the only work space to have a working scanning electron microscope. I used to use one at Gould Electronics (back when they were a real company) and I would like to see something like this at a Colorado maker space someday.

Metal deposition Hack

There seems to be an issue with dust. The sputter coater shown here (and any other associated equipment) should be isolated from  all the other hacker activity. Even with the dust collection system, you still are going to have some dust.

Some weird Johnson thing?

Or maybe it is a horizontal band saw? It looks like an antique, but I will guess the Pumping Station got it for free.

It’s a hackerspace!

OK, not near Rout 88, but it used to be

Suburban Chicago has a hackerspace, once located in Naperville (near Route 88) but now it’s in Glen Ellyn, Illinois in an alley in back of the 400 block of Main Street.

Metal Lathe/Mill

There will be other posts on this blog about hacker spaces and you might see similar pieces of equipment here and there. While most spaces seem to concentrate on electronics and computer programming, it’s always good to see some heavy machine tools around.

Finishing table

This place is in the basement of a store front on main street. There are no divided rooms so much of the activity takes place along a corridor. Space is a premium like most hacker spaces so organization is key.

Woodworking area

The Workshop was founded in January, 2011 and has some association with the Space Federation run by the School Factory. The Federation helps maker spaces obtain non-profit status and will suggest ways to make spaces a safe environment.

Hand Tools

I haven’t been to a hackespace that didn’t have peg boards. I don’t have any in my basement– just cardboard boxes with some labels on that that say ‘Wrenches’ and ‘String’ and ‘tape’ and ‘glue’… stuff like that.

Art

Near the front entrance you can find some artwork on the wall and a nice comfy couch. To the left (not shown) is an old video arcade game and opposite this wall is a meeting area with room for up to a dozen guests.