Knox Makers – Classroom
Autonomous Vehicles In The Rear View Mirror
Knox Makers - Classroom 116 Childress St SW, Knoxville, TN, United StatesThis talk will share my experience as a contender in the DARPA Urban Challenge, an autonomous car race that took place in 2007. This event helped set the stage for the current state of autonomous vehicles. The talk will include my team's progression through the competition, lessons learned, and will be mostly non-technical. While the…
Lock Picking 101
Knox Makers - Classroom 116 Childress St SW, Knoxville, TN, United States🔐 Lock Picking 101 – An Introduction to Locksport 🔐 Unlock the Secrets of Locks in this Hands-On Class! Ever wondered how locks work—or how they can be opened without a key? Whether you’re a curious maker, a security enthusiast, or just someone who loves a good challenge, this class is your gateway into the…
New Members Onboarding
Knox Makers - Classroom 116 Childress St SW, Knoxville, TN, United StatesWhether you’re a current member, trial member, or prospective member, you’re welcome to join us at this month’s New Member Onboarding!
We’ll start with a brief overview of Knox Makers’ origins and purpose and talk about how the organization works. You’ll learn a bit about the resources available to members and about the path to membership. Afterwards, we’ll hang out and socialize.
The focus is on new members, but longer-term members are encouraged to come and meet new folks.
Crossbow 101
Knox Makers - Classroom 116 Childress St SW, Knoxville, TN, United StatesThis is an introduction class to our Fiber laser cutter, Crossbow. Jondale will lead attendees of this class as they learn the basics of fiber lasers, make a simple design, and then engrave it using Crossbow. This class is intended for members who have not yet been authorized to use Crossbow or need/want a review…
Moonraker 101
Knox Makers - Classroom 116 Childress St SW, Knoxville, TN, United StatesThis is an introduction class to our laser cutter, Moonraker. Tracy will lead attendees of this class as they learn the basics of laser cutting, make a simple design, and then engrave and cut out the design using the laser cutter in our space. This class is intended for members who have not yet been authorized to use Moonraker or need/want a review of its operation.Laptops will be provided for this class.
Help installing the software on your own laptop can be provided outside of class.In class we will be using Inkscape and the laser cutting extension bundle we’ve put together for it. There is a minimum of two participant and maximum of six participants.
You can find Inkscape at: https://inkscape.org/
You can find the KM-Laser bundle at: https://github.com/KnoxMakers/KM-Laser
New Members Onboarding
Knox Makers - Classroom 116 Childress St SW, Knoxville, TN, United StatesWhether you’re a current member, trial member, or prospective member, you’re welcome to join us at this month’s New Member Onboarding!
We’ll start with a brief overview of Knox Makers’ origins and purpose and talk about how the organization works. You’ll learn a bit about the resources available to members and about the path to membership. Afterwards, we’ll hang out and socialize.
The focus is on new members, but longer-term members are encouraged to come and meet new folks.
How to Draw Flowers
Knox Makers - Classroom 116 Childress St SW, Knoxville, TN, United StatesMatt will teach you how to do image transfers by hand. We will hand-transfer from printed image, to traced pattern, to a gesso-primed wood panel. This class will also teach you some basic rendering techniques with colored pencils, inks, and watercolors so your flower can have some color. You can go home with a drawing…
New Members Onboarding
Knox Makers - Classroom 116 Childress St SW, Knoxville, TN, United StatesWhether you’re a current member, trial member, or prospective member, you’re welcome to join us at this month’s New Member Onboarding!
We’ll start with a brief overview of Knox Makers’ origins and purpose and talk about how the organization works. You’ll learn a bit about the resources available to members and about the path to membership. Afterwards, we’ll hang out and socialize.
The focus is on new members, but longer-term members are encouraged to come and meet new folks.
Talk About Talking!
Knox Makers - Classroom 116 Childress St SW, Knoxville, TN, United StatesWould you like to improve your presentation skills? Join us after Show 'n' Share for a talk about talking! Learn a proven approach to public speaking and about the psychology of connecting with your audience. Presented by our very own Issac Merkle! March 25, 2025 Right after Show N' Share.
New Members Onboarding
Knox Makers - Classroom 116 Childress St SW, Knoxville, TN, United StatesWhether you’re a current member, trial member, or prospective member, you’re welcome to join us at this month’s New Member Onboarding!
We’ll start with a brief overview of Knox Makers’ origins and purpose and talk about how the organization works. You’ll learn a bit about the resources available to members and about the path to membership. Afterwards, we’ll hang out and socialize.
The focus is on new members, but longer-term members are encouraged to come and meet new folks.
Lock Picking 101
Knox Makers - Classroom 116 Childress St SW, Knoxville, TN, United States🔐 Lock Picking 101 – Unlock the Secrets of Locks! 🔐 A Hands-On Workshop for Beginners & Hobbyists Ever wondered how locks work—or how they can be opened without a key? Whether you're a curious maker, a security enthusiast, or just someone who loves a good challenge, this class is your gateway into the world…
Tormek Authorization and the Art of Knife Sharpening
Knox Makers - Classroom 116 Childress St SW, Knoxville, TN, United StatesCome learn how to use our Tormek T-8 sharpening system. This is a water-cooled grinding system that offers an alternative to the hand sharpening technique taught in the "hand tool sharpening and setup" class. We will cover basic setup and proper use of as many jigs as we can get through. At the end of this class you should be able to sharpen your gouges, irons and chisels without hurting yourself or destroying our fancy new toy.
Tuesday Night Craft – ORIGAMI for the masses!
Knox Makers - Classroom 116 Childress St SW, Knoxville, TN, United StatesJoin us after Show 'N Share to learn the fascinating craft of origami. All materials will be provided as you figure out how to fold and crease your paper into a beautiful work of art! Thank you, Thia, for stepping up to fold!
New Members Onboarding
Knox Makers - Classroom 116 Childress St SW, Knoxville, TN, United StatesWhether you’re a current member, trial member, or prospective member, you’re welcome to join us at this month’s New Member Onboarding!
We’ll start with a brief overview of Knox Makers’ origins and purpose and talk about how the organization works. You’ll learn a bit about the resources available to members and about the path to membership. Afterwards, we’ll hang out and socialize.
The focus is on new members, but longer-term members are encouraged to come and meet new folks.
Inkscape 101
Knox Makers - Classroom 116 Childress St SW, Knoxville, TN, United StatesInkscape is a free and open sourced vector graphics editor. It is the primary software used to interface with Knox Makers’ laser cutter, CNC router, and vinyl cutters. This class will teach basics of drawing and arranging shapes, talk about vectors and paths, and give a general overview of Inkscape and its capabilities.
Computers will be provided, but if you want to use your own, you can download Inkscape at inkscape.org
There is a maximum of 6 participants. The cost for the class is $19.96 for Knox Maker Members and $29.96 for Non-Members.
New Members Onboarding
Knox Makers - Classroom 116 Childress St SW, Knoxville, TN, United StatesWhether you’re a current member, trial member, or prospective member, you’re welcome to join us at this month’s New Member Onboarding!
We’ll start with a brief overview of Knox Makers’ origins and purpose and talk about how the organization works. You’ll learn a bit about the resources available to members and about the path to membership. Afterwards, we’ll hang out and socialize.
The focus is on new members, but longer-term members are encouraged to come and meet new folks.
Moonraker 101
Knox Makers - Classroom 116 Childress St SW, Knoxville, TN, United StatesThis is an introduction class to our laser cutter, Moonraker. Tracy will lead attendees of this class as they learn the basics of laser cutting, make a simple design, and then engrave and cut out the design using the laser cutter in our space. This class is intended for members who have not yet been authorized to use Moonraker or need/want a review of its operation.Laptops will be provided for this class.
Help installing the software on your own laptop can be provided outside of class.In class we will be using Inkscape and the laser cutting extension bundle we’ve put together for it. There is a minimum of two participant and maximum of six participants.
You can find Inkscape at: https://inkscape.org/
You can find the KM-Laser bundle at: https://github.com/KnoxMakers/KM-Laser
Lightning Talk: How to Make Paint
Knox Makers - Classroom 116 Childress St SW, Knoxville, TN, United StatesDiscover the art of making paint just like Renaissance masters! In this quick lecture, learn how artists transformed minerals, plants, and even insects into vibrant pigments. Explore traditional binders like egg yolk and linseed oil, and see how these historical recipes created timeless masterpieces. Join us for a fascinating dive into the craftsmanship behind classic…
Build a Macro Keypad
Knox Makers - Classroom 116 Childress St SW, Knoxville, TN, United StatesPaul and Ray have put together a delicious custom macro keypad build class to keep you entertained during the cold winter months. The PCB, enclosure and firmware are all custom, of our own design with an eye towards producing a great finished project that is approachable by any of our members. You'll leave class with…
Intro to the Silhouette
Knox Makers - Classroom 116 Childress St SW, Knoxville, TN, United StatesUsing Inkscape's add-on for the Silhouette, you will print and cut your own sticker using registration marks. We will walk through the trace commands and create two cut lines at different depths. The first will cut sticker paper, the second cuts all the way through. If time allows, we will explore using other materials like cardstock, vinyl and felt.
There will be a fee of $9.96 for members.. There will be a maximum of 4 spots of this class, and a minimum of 2 tickets must be sold. If the class minimum is not met 48 hours prior to class start time, the class we be canceled and all tickets will be refunded.
Directions- Knox Makers parking and entrance is located around the back of the SPARK building in the fenced in area.
Knox Makers is a place for the Knoxville area’s engineers, artists, hobbyists, innovators, educators and entrepreneurs to work and play. We are a technology and art collective dedicated to the promotion of creativity enabled and informed by science. Our lectures, workshops, and outreach programs inspire and educate both members and the general public. Our workshop provides members with both the space for large projects and the tools to complete them. We are a non-profit educational organization supported by member dues and staffed by volunteers.