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Bench Hook For Bookbinding

🇺🇸 · Crash Space · theron

In bookbinding, you find yourself cutting lots of things – paper, board, cloth, leather – and it helps to be able to cut straight and square. If you ask a dozen bookbinders how they do it, you will probably get a dozen different answers. DAS Bookbinding has a method I like, using a bench hook that has a straightedge against which perpendicular cuts can be made. I want to use this method for my planned bookbinding classes, so I made some. They’re easy to make! The parts needed: 1/4″ MDF cut to 15×20″ (380×510 mm) (Home Depot sells a 2×4′ sheet of 1/4″ MDF for about $16 – which can get you three of these boards) 2x lengths of 3/4″ square hardwood cut to 20″ (510 mm) each (make sure they’re as straight as possible) (Home Depot sells 2′ lengths for $2.50) 5x 3/4″ #6 flat head screws (6g x 19mm) Tools: clamps drill countersink drill bit A pencil, saw, and sandpaper are useful too Home Depot was kind enough to cut the sheets of MDF into multiple boards of the right size. I bought longer lengths of 3/4″ square pine so I aligned them up against the long edge of the MDF and cut it to length. I used sandpaper to clean up the cuts and avoid giving myself splinters. I lined the square piece to the front of the MDF and clamped in in place. (That big stain was sticker residue that I removed with adhesive remover.) I drilled 5 countersunk holes roughly evenly along the edge through the MDF. and used screws to attach the strips. You want the screw heads to be flush or slightly below the board. Repeat on the other side, so you have one strip on the top and one on the bottom. The strip on top of the board (at the back) holds the work piece against a straight edge. The front strip (on the bottom) holds on to the edge of the bench, preventing the board from moving. I actually made two different sizes – the 15×20″ ones for the class and a larger one for my workbench because I don’t have a way of attaching the strip to the workbench itself. The board holds a 12×18″ cutting mat, which is big enough to work with a A3 or 11×17″ sheet of paper. By using a straightedge with a flat edge (like a machinist rule) in conjunction with a square, you can get an accurate 90° cut adjacent to a straight edge placed against the back stop.

How ToMember Projectsbookbinding

NSS Supports Proposal to Establish a United States Space Academy

🇺🇸 · Huntsville Alabama L5 Society (HAL5) - Project HALO · National Space Society

The National Space Society (NSS) welcomes the U.S. Administration’s proposal to establish a United States Space Academy, a NASA-led institution meant to prepare the next generation of astronauts, scientists, engineers, operators, entrepreneurs, and civil servants for careers in space. The NSS has pushed for stronger STEM pathways and a deeper aerospace talent pipeline for years. A dedicated Space Academy fits that mission, and the proposal’s stated goal of developing the next generation of space leaders aligns with the NSS’s focus on opening the aperture for increased human participation in space activities. Additionally, during the event it was mentioned that to “explore and settle” space were key directions for the U.S. space program, both of which align with the NSS’s vision and mission. The NSS also knows from long experience that an institution’s success depends on the commitment behind it. The organization encourages Congress and the administration to pair the academy with stable, sustained funding, so the institution can deliver on its full promise from the start. Done right, the academy could expand early STEM exposure, strengthen engineering pipelines, and open real pathways into aerospace careers, civilian, commercial, and national security alike. The NSS also encourages the commission shaping the academy to think about a few open questions: should it include graduate programs from the start rather than leaving advanced study to other institutions, and could a measured number of international students, particularly from Artemis Accords partner nations, strengthen both the academic environment and America’s diplomatic standing in space. By establishing a federal institution dedicated to space education and leadership development, the U.S. would take a historic step toward building the workforce needed to support lunar development, Mars exploration, commercial space stations, in‑space servicing, planetary defense, and the broader space economy. “A Space Academy is exactly the kind of investment we need in the people who will carry humanity into space,” said Grant Henriksen, Chair of the NSS Policy Committee. “The NSS looks forward to working with Congress and the administration to help make sure it’s built on the stable footing it deserves, so this becomes a lasting institution rather than a moment.” The post NSS Supports Proposal to Establish a United States Space Academy first appeared on NSS .

NSS Press ReleasesSpace Policy

Hacker Happenstance – August Edition

🇺🇸 · HacDC · Mia Albert

Picture this: Planet Earth. Enhance! The United States of America. Enhance! Washington, D.C. Enhance! Columbia Heights. Tivoli Square. 3333 14th St. NW, Suite M110. New main quest unlocked : Welcome to HacDC’s Hacker Happenstance! Ladies, gentlemen, and those in between, otherwise, and elsewhere, welcome to your friendly neighborhood hackerspace’s latest endeavor — A new blog post series! From re-screenings of the 1995 cult classic Hackers to repairs to our server The Gibson , we’ve been quite busy this month! Before we dive in, this is your regularly scheduled reminder that we are an amazing community, and you (yes, you, the reader!) should totally stop by and check us out! Take a look at our calendar to find a time that works for you. We can’t wait to see you there! Without further ado, here’s what we’ve been up to: Hack the planet! On August 10th, at exactly 1786417200 Unix time (7pm EDT that day), we ran a Hackers movie night (again). Sure, we’ve done it before, but it’s such an awesome movie that we did it once more, and certainly not for the last time! We had a pretty good turnout, and we can’t wait for Mike Videopunk to do his live re-scoring if it sometime in September! We offered popcorn and other snacks this time around, so make sure to be there next time around. It was lots of fun! Bringing HOPE to D.C. Several of our members attended the Hackers Of Planet Earth conference in NYC, and they brought home some of the key points and presented them to our community on Monday the 24th. They summarized the talks with their own flair for those who couldn’t make it to HOPE. It was awesome to hear their perspectives on the talks in the Big Apple. It was the next best thing to attending HOPE, so thanks to everyone who presented! Some topics covered were how to avoid repeating work for community-focused tech projects, privacy/security, and using your knowledge of the great information superhighway for the good of your neighbors! Rapid Fire Our 3D printer fleet is ever-expanding. Namely, our largest printer Wrew is now fully operational, and several other Ender 3-based machines are also ready for action! We had some troubles with our Proxmox/AI server rig, but our members got right on the issue, so downtime was minimal. We now have a gaming PC in the space with so much RGB lighting it’ll make your head spin! Lots more is brewing that couldn’t be packed into this article. Remember, HacDC is your hackerspace, so make sure to check us out if you haven’t already. We’re excited to meet you! August nears its end, Autumn approaches us all. “We have no names, man!”

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