Tag: media

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TOG in the Irish Times

TOG was mentioned in the Irish Times on 10th June 2014: No wasters: how to repair a throwaway culture.

Tog, a collaborative makers’ space or “hackerspace” based in an old warehouse on Chancery Lane in Dublin, will help out at the cafe. Tog shares knowledge and tools in everything from 3D printing to knitting. One of its innovations is the Twitter Knitter, whereby Becky Yates, a software engineer, has repurposed a 45-year-old knitting machine to knit tweets.

Next door to Tog is a marketing company, and Tog members love scavenging from its waste. One find was a quantity of rubber ducks, which have been fashioned into a Duck Matrix display. “We’re terrible for puns in this place,” says Tríona O’Connell, part of Tog and a PhD research scientist at Dublin City University.

Ireland’s second Repair Cafe takes place on June 28, at Christchurch Hall, Sandymount, Dublin 4, 2pm-5pm. Some TOG members have previously helped out with the Repair Cafe.

The Twitter Knitter has been shown at Dublin Mini Maker Faire 2013 and at HACK/CHANGE (photos).

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Selfficiency, at tog

The engine of the car that Adam is converting to electric
The Fiat Punto Engine, in the Beginning

Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of the great things your fellow space-members are up to. One of our members, Adam Sheridan, solved that problem by getting interviewed on Midlands radio last week (listen here).

His site, Selfficiency, is a mixture of brief articles on eco-technology and self-sufficiency, and some great in-depth projects. He makes paper logs, has a recipe for bio-diesel, and is working on converting two cars; a Fiat Punto and a Nissan Serena, to electric. He provides very detailed videos that show you all the steps, even the important ones that normally get cut out in “here’s one I made earlier” style. The whole site is living and breathing, and updated regularly, but if that’s not enough you can also get your Twitter fix.

The fuel tank removed from the car, laying on the ground
The Fuel Tank after Adam removed it

As part of two very interesting weeks coming up soon, Science and Innovation Weeks, Adam will be giving a talk at TOG on producing your own bio-diesel. For more details on that, and the many other events, stay tuned!

Speaking of TOG, Adam managed to bring up Irish hackerspaces, in his interview, talking about the advantages of having a diverse community around you who can often help whenever you get stuck. Overall a glowing endorsement, thanks Adam! We look forward to seeing how your projects grow!