Old techniques, new technology at Mini Maker Faire

People familiar with Hesston resident Roy Hosie call him “The Frog Man” because of the creations he whittles out of wood.

He’s an inventor and an advocate for the ages-old woodcarving craft and wants to see his enthusiasm for the pastime rub off on a younger generation.

He’s also one of more than 60 vendors spending the weekend in Wichita at the second-annual Mini Maker Faire — a place where old techniques and new technology are coming together to spark wonderment and wows.

The event continues Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. at Exploration Place, 300 N. McLean.

“The frogs I make, they’ll croak,” Hosie said sitting among his carvings, demonstrating his skills. He pulled a wooden mallet down the side of a green, speckled amphibian to coax out deep, throaty frog-like sounds.

“I enjoy coming out mainly just to make the kids happy,” he said. The best part is “visiting with them and encouraging them to get into woodcarving later on.”

Admission to the Mini Maker Faire is $9.50 for 12-year-olds to adults and $6 for ages 2 to 11 and includes access to other parts of the museum. Members of Exploration Place and MakeICT, a local think tank of creative types, get in free.

In addition to vendors talking about and showcasing their creations, there’s a hands-on area for children and some of the vendors are selling items.

Between 2,000 and 3,000 people are expected to attend over the two days, Exploration Place president Jan Luth said.

“It’s the greatest show-and-tell,” Luth said, adding: “It’s people that are working at the intersection of art and engineering and manufacturing. ... These are folks that are coming up with new ideas, they’re inventing things.”

On Saturday, the museum buzzed with the sounds of wheels turning, prehistoric tools clanking, and rock music booming out of portable speakers fashioned from suitcases. Robotic contraptions maneuvered across the museum’s tiled floor. Children squealed with delight as they shot off model rockets, added pieces to a Styrofoam sculpture and watched their beloved Legos and K’Nex transform into moving creations.

“Making is part of a movement happening across the globe,” Luth said.

MakeICT board member James Lancaster was also at the faire Saturday, demonstrating uses for some of the less common 3-D printers on the market. He has six that work and several others in various stages of construction.

One he was showing off used a blue light to cure liquid resin into solid trinkets.

Another one was building a rainbow vase layer by layer using a color-mixing technique developed in Denmark. The vase will take all weekend to make, Lancaster said.

“The maker faire is kind of way for me and others to share what we’re doing, what knowledge we have and kind of cool things we’ve done,” he said.

“I think it’s pretty cool that we have a developing maker community in Wichita, and I think that’s a really good thing.”

This story was originally published July 30, 2016 at 5:56 PM with the headline "Old techniques, new technology at Mini Maker Faire."