Category Archives: Greencastle’s Makerspace

Artistic Endeavors, Greencastle's Makerspace, Laser Cutting

Collaboration

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After a quick move to our new location on Jackson Street, our new laser cutter/engraver setup.

Interesting projects can often happen at a makerspace since it brings together people with different skill sets to help others create things. So it’s no surprise that when an artist, woodworker, and a maker got together to create a centerpiece that something pretty darn good looking came out of it!

Several months ago the Greencastle / Putnam County Development Center were asked if we could make a centerpiece for their 40th anniversary luncheon. And while we love working with other organizations in our community, normally our focus is on helping others make things or connecting them with others in our community. The ask also came when much of our equipment was still in storage and we were working out of temporary location until we found a new location for the makerspace.

Black acrylic centerpieces representing how these companies are the 'rock' of the Greencastle / Putnam County Developement Center over the years.
Final centerpieces, made of laser engraved black acrylic on a locally sourced black walnut base.

So when we finally met in person to come up with ideas & specific details, there was only a month until the actual event. Not much time, especially considering they were looking for a dozen centerpieces that represented 7 of their donors and we had to still pull some of the equipment out of storage to recommission it. Just getting logo from each was a task too, but in the end we came up with something that three of us were able to complete in time for the event. A great exercise that reinforced the power of collaboration using some of the makerspace tools.

Greencastle's Makerspace, Putt Putnam County

Mini-golf Building Time!

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It’s August & it’s time to start building those holes for Putt Putnam County that you’ve been thinking about – or just start building one even if you haven’t been thinking about it!

We started the first event in 2016 and the goals are pretty simple again this year: build a mini-golf hole – then join us and others in the community on Friday October 2nd to play a round in downtown Greencastle. Setup starts at 4:30 and the official event will be from 6-8:30 pm. More details on our Putt Putnam County webpage.

Last year saw a record number of holes and people playing mini-golf. Even though our new makerspace location is at 9 North Jackson Street, we’ll still be having the event on Franklin Street. And if you need help building a hole, we’re always glad to help, stop by during our Open Shop times or contact one of us for assistance.

Greencastle's Makerspace

A New Beginning

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The makerspace has landed at a new location at 8 N Jackson Street in downtown Greencastle!

The front of Castlemakers new location
The new location as seen from Jackson Street.

Moving is always a ‘project’, especially when you have to put things into storage then move it to another space. We’ve still got a lot to do, but we’re really excited about our new location on the square across from the Buzz Bomb.

Renovation work on the new Castlemakers location
Inside our new spot during renovation.

We’ll be moving in gradually, there’s a few things that still need to be completed in this historic building. It is slightly larger and much more open than our last location, which means we’re still figuring out how to arrange things. And of course when you have tools and equipment like we do it takes some time to setup and reconnect everything. But don’t prevent you from stopping by, we’ve already having Open Shop hours in the new space. Look for a future event announcement after everything is out of storage and more organized.

We’re incredibly grateful to Putnam County Museum for finding us a place to temporarily store things – good storage is hard to find! And also to the Putnam County Public Library for letting us use their conference rooms & store a few speciality equipment carts so we could continue to operate.

CNC, Greencastle's Makerspace, Makerspaces

Helping Other Organizations

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One of the things we are proud of is trying to help other organizations when they have a problem or need. So when we got a text about Greencastle’s Parks & Recreation Department needing help in using a recently purchased Computer Numeric Control(CNC) machine, we were more than willing to oblige!

First finished picket for the Emerald Park fence.
The first peice we helped Greencastle Parks & Recreation to make on their CNC.

It turns out they had gotten the CNC to engrave pickets for the Emerald Palace 2.0, the playground in Robe Ann Park that was being refurbished. Donor names were going to be put on the picket fence around the play area, but having trouble with using their new CNC to get the job done.

We’ve have a CNC at the makespace, although a different manufacturer, and alos teach classes on how to use a CNC, so glad to help esp since several of our members have a CNC in their home shop also.

Making Pickets for the Emerald Park on a CNC machine.
Castlemakers helped them get their CNC cutting material once they got the right software and plugins to use it.

One of the things we’ve learned over the years in using and teaching others their operation is in general and specifically for some manufacturer’s there’s a lot of tacit knowledge involved in using one. While a CNC can look relatively inexpensive to buy one, like a lot of other things, without the proper knowledge and software you can get overwhelmed pretty quickly. Or depending on the project it can get expensive quickly by breaking bits or ruining the material you’re using.

After helping them figure out the software they needed and some quick ‘lessons learned & what to watch for’ from one of our more experienced members, they got the job done & the playground is now open. Makerspaces can provide, knowledge, experiences, and assistance to others – along with a lot of other things to help you get things done!

Greencastle's Makerspace, Makerspaces

What Happened to Castlemakers?

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We’ve had an eventful year since January! You might be wondering what happened if you recently walked down Franklin Street and just looked in the windows. After nearly 10 years at our Franklin Street location, an ownership change meant we had to find a new location for the makerspace. And fast.

Castlemakers front room without anything in the building!
It’s been over 10 years since the makerspace was this empty!

Unfortunately with the sudden change and timing, it left our board with some tough calls. We made the difficult decision to put everything into storage until a suitable new location was available. We’ve finally been able to find some alternatives, with hopes to a new physical location settled next month. Watch for an announcement soon of our new location.

We continue to still operate thanks to some quick scrambling, our members, & the Putnam County Public Library(PCPL). Three of our frequently equipment items are now on carts that we pull out when meeting at the library. And have been doing classes at the library laso.

And of course we still have perhaps the most important element of a makerspace: the knowledge, skills, and experiences of a makerspace. Drop in during our Open Shop hours when you get a chance!

Entrepreneurship, Greencastle's Makerspace

Encouraging Entrepreneurship

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One thing we haven’t talked a lot about is the makerspace Entrepreneurial Fellowship program. It’s a program to encourage entrepreneurship from the ground up. Over the years we’ve had a number of people come into the makerspace wanting to produce prototypes or make small quantities of something to sell – items they made can still found in shops locally and online. Our idea is to discover and support more people that thought about selling or making a product or service, then help them to actually do it.

wooden winter ornaments made by Jasmine who is one of our entrepreneurial fellows.
Winter themed ornaments made on our laser cutter, before painting, that were designed and for sale by Jasmine.

Thanks to a partnership with Main Street Greencastle, and financial support from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation(IEDC), we’ve formalized a program that supports and encourages people to take the next step in creating a business. Many people hear from others they should offer a product for sale or think about selling an idea they made. We’re helping start more cottage industry businesses that sell products at markets, through other stores, certainly online, and that might grow into something bigger.

At the core of the program is access to makerspace tools, resources (including entrepreneurial makers), and other resources they need. We’re innovating with them along the way to determine what works best, not surprising that this is a new/possibly first of it’s kind program. It’s certainly attracting some interest, not only from IEDC’s Community Collaboration Fund, but we were also featured on Inside Indiana Business when we started started the program. Our first cohort group is now filled and we’re planning a second. If you’re interested please read this program description and fill out an application!

Greencastle's Makerspace, Putt Putnam County

2025 Putt Putnam County

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Early arrivals at Putt Putnam County in 2025

With a record number of mini golf holes, this year’s event exceeded our expectations with 24 community built mini-golf holes. People started showing up as quick as we could get the holes set up – it was a great evening for everyone to play mini-golf. With perfect weather the crowd grew into the largest I’ve seen yet!

View from the courthouse square of Putt Putnam County in 2025
It didn’t take long for lines to play appear by Indiana Street.

There really was so many creative mini-golf holes, you really can’t describe them all. This year we added a section for the pre-engineering high school class and some of them certainly raised the bar with lights and moving parts. And while they were popular, many of the simpler holes were still big hits with the players. And in many cases simple paid off in that they held up better and were still operating as intended at the end of the evening.

Scouts troops 99 and 999 had mini-golf holes near Vine Street.
Holes extended to Vine and Franklin Streets with Scouts Troops 99 & 999 anchoring us on one end.

Which points out one of the many things folks learn from making something and then using it. Of course there’s the challenges of working with others, almost all of the holes were built by a family, group, or team of students, and the inevitable compromises that have to be made when you’re dealing with a deadline.

And by the end of night we were treated to an extra special surprise, fireworks! What a great way to finish up, can’t wait to see what next year’s event brings…

Final picture from in front of the makerspace as we wound down for the evening…
Greencastle's Makerspace, Makerspaces

What’s a Makerspace?

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It’s been nearly 10 years ago since we last wrote about what a makerspace is and having been with Castlemakers for so long my description has evolved. In the early days we had a tendency to focus on our tools and equipment and what additionally we could provide.

Doug points out the differences between 4 and 2 cycle engines.

Since that time I’ve realized it’s more than just equipment, a good makerspace includes people that offer experiences and skills to others. Today when I describe a makerspace to others I think of it as access to tools, equipment & knowledge that others might not have, education and skills that’s available/ offered to others, and a community of people that’s willing to help and share experiences. Those things together create an ethos and opportunities for others in a community – whether they’re part of the makerspace or not.

Many makerspaces, like Castlemakers, are organized as a nonprofit with an educational mission – but there are many other flavors of makerspaces serving different audiences and needs. Castlemakers uses Open Shop times, general public classes, and public event participation to help share our that wealth of experiences and knowledge to others in the west central Indiana region. I’ll write about Open Shop times happenings in a later post, but in the meantime stop in and discover what we have to offer!

Greencastle's Makerspace

Reflections on 2023

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As a nonprofit organization we elect our board & officers during January and use the annual meeting to look back to help with planning going forward. The pandemic hit us hard like many organizations that rely on volunteers, people, and contact with others. Even with our conservative nature and financial reserves it was a challenge; we made it through but the aftereffects continued throughout 2022. And like everyone else utility and other costs went up significantly. Sometimes as much as 20%, which is difficult for a small all-volunteer nonprofit. After some downsizing and cutbacks however, by the middle of 2023 it appears we turned the corner – and since seeing more interest, donations, and volunteer activity.

While members help cover our costs, donations from other organizations are critical also. Walmart Foundation‘s Local Community Grants have really made a difference in letting us continue our program efforts – many people don’t realize how Walmart through their foundation helps many local nonprofits. We’ve also received in the last 2 years a grant from Buzzi Unicem and were a Darrell Wiatt Family Philanthropy Essay Contest recipient through the PCCF – both greatly appreciated.

Individual private donors have also made a difference, we’ve listed many of those on our contributors webpage. You can also help – stop by during our Open Shop hours and ask to learn more, or you can donate directly through our website, or help out by volunteering with our organization!

3D Printing, Greencastle's Makerspace

Resin 3D Printing

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Last year we had a Stereolithography (SLA) 3D printer donated to the makerspace and finally made time to get it up and running. The makerspace has been using using fused filament fabrication (FFF or FDM) since we moved into the physical makerspace and myself longer than that, but have resisted making the leap to other forms until now.

Resin 3D printing workstation at Castlemakers.
Our Resin 3D Printing workstation

SLA so far has been pretty much what I expected: really great resolution and detail but it’s more complex dealing with the uncured resin. Post-processing time and especially cleanup is more involved than FFF, so processing 3D prints in batches makes a lot of sense. We haven’t experimented much with different resins, cost of the resin feels like it it is much more than FFF printing, although it’s a difficult comparison since SLA prints use a lot less resin and the uncured resin can be reused if you’re careful.

Resin printed Eiffel tower at Castlemakers
Eiffel Tower Printed at 50 microns

But oh, what resolution compared to FFF printing! You’re hard pressed to see the height layer lines when printing at 50 microns (yes, that’s .05 mm or .002″) and ours will let us print at 20 microns if you’re willing to take the time. X and Y dimensional resolution is at 75 microns (.075 mm/.03″), which is something you’re not going to see coming out of a filament nozzle printer. Of course for those levels of detail it will take longer to print, although the Digital Light Processing (DLP) system helps make the individual layer printing time much shorter.

There’s some other minor differences, like the way you have to think about supports since the prints are pulled out upside down out of the resin tank. But it’s a nice tool and addition to the makerspace. Stop by sometime & we can show you what we’ve printed. We always have a class in November or December for folks to learn about 3D printing by making holiday ornaments, watch our events webpage or sign up for our newsletter to find out that date and more.