Paleotool's Weblog

Heading West

The Bay Area Maker Faire was bigger and more interesting than I thought possible.  I have rarely been so busy in my life as the eighteen or so hours I stood and talked about the Vardo.  There were many interesting and interested people who thoroughly examined every aspect of the wagon.  As it was built on a whim and shoestring budget, I’m not proud of every inch of my workmanship.  I never thought it would be displayed for public scrutiny but it was received with great enthusiasm.  When I dove into this project I thought it likely that it would be looked at as some crazy art project but it seems there is a core of like minds who long for a micro traveling home with a certain amount of style and aesthetic.

Spiffed Up.

Knowing that loads of people would be poking around in the wagon meant a bit of cleaning and spiffing up was in order.  Most of the interior received a fresh coat of varnish and most personal things were stowed away.  It was sad that I couldn’t actually stay in the wagon as it was on display but the grant helped cover the cost of a nearby hotel.

Our Station.

Location, location, location.  The obvious place for a low tech micro home is between the underwater robotics and the universal charging station.  The Faire is so chaotic, I don’t think it really mattered but I think our setup would have been more at home in the Homegrown Village area.  As it was, the Vardo was an interesting Low Tech display amidst all the electronics.  There was generally a line of five to ten people all day, both days to file in and around the Vardo, hear my explanation and ask loads of questions.

How It Came to Pass. Thanks ESURANCE.

The nifty sign created for the display.  They said it, it must be true.

Packed Up and Absorbing the Eclipse.

Closed up, ready to hitch to the truck I noticed all the eclipse shadows filtered through the leaves onto the Vardo.  What timing.

I have loads of photos I’ll put up shortly when I make some sense of them.  All in all, if you are a MAKER OF THINGS or even just a dreamer, the Maker Faire is worth a visit.