Woodworker’s hobby gets new life with MakeICT gift

As he walked through the downtown Wichita makerspace recently, the gears in the old woodworker’s mind were turning.

“Oh, yes, I can use this place,” Ivan Rossiter said.

Less than two weeks before the makerspace tour, Rossiter’s elaborate shop near his home in south Wichita caught fire, leading to the loss of tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment.

On Dec. 11, the day after the fire, Rossiter, 78, said he thought that his woodworking days were finished.

That, however, was before the MakeICT Board of Directors decided to award Rossiter a free one-year membership – a $300 value – to use the facility at 1500 E. Douglas.

A nonprofit organization made up of volunteers, MakeICT is a space that can be used by any of its nearly 300 members at any time to make, well, just about anything. It’s a place where artists, engineers and tinkerers can collaborate on solo or group projects.

“We read about the fire in The Eagle,” said Curt Gridley, a MakeICT board member. “We figured that whatever knowledge Ivan might be able to share with us from his years of experience would be well worth the year membership. It was a no-brainer.”

Rossiter was presented with a membership certificate after visiting the 8,700-square-foot facility. By the end of the hourlong tour of the space’s different production areas and machines, Rossiter seemed eager to resume a hobby that began when he was 6 years old.

“I dream of building things at night,” Rossiter said.

“I had a lot of projects going before the fire; some projects that were finished. I was fixing to do a lot. Maybe I can get some of that done here now.”

MakeICT is home to about a dozen different departments – or “sections” – ranging from a metal shop to an electronics space. It even offers access to a handful of three-dimensional printers, a technology not likely imagined by many in the 1940s when Rossiter started his hobby.

The space, which has been around for about four years, is open to the public for its “Maker Mondays” every other week (the next one is Jan. 9). Once accepted into the community, new members are allowed access to pretty much whatever they fancy, though classes are required to operate some machines.

Board president Logan Pajunen said a MakeICT membership is a good deal when compared to similar makerspaces around the U.S.

“What we have here in Wichita is pretty unique,” Pajunen said. “I know that most other makerspaces around the country charge anywhere from $60 to $100 per month.

“Because we’re volunteer-run, we can keep our costs down, which really benefits our members.”

Rossiter Ruff-Outs

For years, Rossiter and his ex-wife operated a business out of his shop near his home in the 1400 block of South Santa Fe, south of downtown Wichita.

The operation – which was called Rossiter Ruff-Outs – produced blocks of wood to be used by other woodcarvers. From the wooden blanks, woodcarvers all over the world produced pieces of artwork. The business was in operation for about 15 years.

Even when he wasn’t making a direct living off his craft, Rossiter has labored on various projects, sometimes, he said, up to 18 hours per day.

During his recent tour, Rossiter was particularly interested in a ShopBot CNC (computer numeric control) router at the makerspace. The machines use software programs to engineer designs and control the movement of a wood cutter. The finished product could end up being anything from a sign to a new set of cupboards.

Rossiter said he feared his own CNC machine – which was worth about $25,000, he said – was a total loss because of the fire. All total, Rossiter said, he probably lost about $300,000 worth of equipment in the fire.

MakeICT member David Springs said there are plans to move Rossiter’s CNC unit to the makerspace, where Springs said there are hopes of rebuilding the damaged machine.

Being a MakeICT member won’t make up for everything he lost in the fire, but the invitation does mean that Rossiter has an avenue to continue his woodworking.

“We just figured that he was one of us,” Gridley said. “I can’t wait to see what Ivan makes.”

This story was originally published January 2, 2017 at 7:33 AM with the headline "Woodworker’s hobby gets new life with MakeICT gift."