The new Hacklab (1266 Queen Street West) will have wood-working tools, a skylight, and more space to set things up (maybe the sewing machine and serger?). There's a big fabric store nearby, too. In addition to those new capabilities, all the usual tools will probably be easier to use: the laser cutter, the 3D printer, the CNC mill, the electronics equipment…

With that in mind, what would I like to learn more about so that I can make the most of Hacklab? I've mostly been treating Hacklab as a place to meet people, with the vegetarian cooking practice and social link building as bonuses. There's a lot more I could do with it, though, and it might be good to explore.

I'd love to become proficient in making things that fit our life. I like how Norm made custom workbenches and corner tables from lumber. I like how people 3D-print handles and adapters for various things, and how they laser-cut cases, stencils, and jigs. I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to handle transporting lumber and finished goods (bicycle? cab? asking W- for a ride?), but maybe I can learn how to draw up plans, verify those plans with people who have more experience, and work on things at home (since we have many of the tools anyway). So maybe I won't be making as much use of the tools, but I can practise asking for help.

Although it would be pretty nice to make a better case for my Samsung Galaxy S3 with the Hyperion extended battery I have…

It might be good to use the skylight to start some plants during the winter, too. I'll need to order seeds for that one, I think.

I could also work on web or Android stuff while I'm there, since those are the sorts of things that other people work on. I could work on writing too, but that's a little harder because of the background conversations.

So a weekly or bi-weekly trip to Hacklab could be a commitment device for making regular progress on a physical project (wood, sewing, or electronic), a programming project, and vegan cooking adventures. Would that be worth the ~$6 transit fare (+ about 1.5 hours of travel) to get there in winter? Hmm. Probably. If I pre-commit the transit fare so that I don't have to make lots of little decisions, carving out a part for it from my budget for the year… It makes sense to push myself to go there, since if I stay home, I'm less likely to work on those kinds of things.

We'll see how this works out!